We all know who an architect is and their role in building and construction. Well, like these architects, software architects are crucial in software development. They come up with software concepts and help the team turn them (concepts) into actionable plans. A software architect is involved throughout the entire software development process. In this article, we will delve deeper into the software architects’ involvement in the process as well as your business.
Pre-Development Stage
This is the first stage of software development. The architect will sit down with you and identify your needs and the required resources. They will then list the requirements, factoring in the constraints. During this stage, they will also determine the feasibility of the idea, the budgeting needed, and the timeframes.
Prototyping
After you approve the proposal, the architect will develop a prototype to build the solution. They will check out all the potential constraints and risks as well as how well they can implement your idea.
Whether you want software for risk management or for business accounting, they can implement your thoughts. The software development team can build the required app or solution by creating an architectural prototype.
Actual Development
With the prototype, the development team will commence the task. While they are at it, the software architect will design features and components for the system. They often set quality standards to ensure the code complies with all the predetermined requirements. If you have no dedicated team lead on the software project, the architect will also take up technical task writing so they can monitor any changes.
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, commonly known as QA, is one of the most important stages in any development. It helps you know whether the software works well and whether any adjustments should be made.
During this stage, the architect assists in selecting QA tools and participates in the deployment. They can make crucial decisions on the set methods, environments, and code freezes. By handling the testing and deployment supervision, the software architect ensures that alterations do not affect your budget or timelines.
After Development
Post-development comes in after the product or software has been released into the market. With the product live and in use, the software engineering team stays ready to help you with maintenance and fix minor issues.
At this stage, the software architect ensures that all the requirements have been met as they should and that the product is fully functional. Most of them have taken business management for software architects and can make tell when something is off.
Conclusion
As you can see, every software project starts with a simple idea. The involvement of a software architect ensures that the idea is followed through and becomes an actual product. With a software architect on board, you get custom code design, ensuring that other developers cannot duplicate it. They are experts and will create it in a way that is scalable and aligns with your business strategy. Hiring a good software architect is a huge plus for you as a business.
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