SAFe Knowledge Base » Solution Architect
Solution Architect
You think that because you understand ‘one’ that you must therefore understand ‘two’ because one and one make two. But you forget that you must also understand ‘and.’
—Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems [1]
Definition: The Solution Architect is responsible for defining and communicating a shared technical and architectural vision for a Solution Train to help ensure the solution under development will be fit for its intended purpose.
This article describes the role Solution Architects play in SAFe. It guides those building large-scale IT systems as well as those building large, cyber-physical, engineered systems. Many large systems—satellites, vehicles, robotics, medical devices, and more—have both cyber-physical and large-scale IT elements. In practice, the Solution Architect role is typically filled by a small team rather than one individual.
Details
Solution Architects play a critical role in the Enterprise Solution Delivery (ESD) core competency by aligning the many solution builders across multiple Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and Suppliers to a shared technical direction. To do this, they collaborate with various Solution Train roles and Agile Teams to elaborate the solution, validate technology assumptions, evaluate implementation alternatives, and converge on the final solution.