System architect, does that role suit you?

How do you know if you are suitable for the role of system architect? Don’t expect a ready-made profile here. Good architects all have their own qualities and are often rolled into the profession from different angles. But you can test whether this role suits you based on the characteristics below – who knows, this may be just the challenge you’re looking for.

If there are areas where you don’t score as well, don’t worry. Virtually no one meets all the requirements, so it’s not a problem. For example the system architecting training can help you sharpen your skills and level up faster.

Above-average smart, but generalist by nature

System architects excel when it comes to technical knowledge and insight, but they naturally seek breadth. They are curious and never afraid of what they don’t know. Not even for aspects that they’ve seldom encountered in their lives. They don’t shy away from new things but instead get energy from them.
In daily R&D practice, this translates into your natural ability to find the right balance in technology, time and development costs. You are also able to weigh all the requirements in the design properly.

Proactive

System architects are proactive and naturally look for a leading role in technology development. By definition, they are motivated to build and lead a team.

Vision

System architects have a clear vision: that’s where it’s going. They can also put that vision into words, and they radiate their faith and trust in it. This is reflected in more detail in the following points.

Listening, discussion and human contact

System architects naturally seek interaction with others. They like to exchange thoughts with others to test their insights and vision. They are good listeners and enjoy consulting with colleagues from all kinds of disciplines – including non-technical employees.

You don’t have the wisdom

Even if you’re brilliant, you don’t have the answers to all the questions. System architects, without hesitation, find out that they don’t know everything and say so clearly.

Spider in the web

It may be that you are not officially in charge of the technical management, but colleagues still like to knock on your door to test their thoughts. If this is the case, you already fill in the role of system architect without wearing the job title.

Social commitment

Do you enjoy sparring about the usefulness of the systems you are working on, discussing the merits of competing products, reviewing the business case or understanding the cost-benefit analysis of the required investments? That is also what characterizes the system architect.

Expert with self-confidence and responsibility

System architects can assess whether development can succeed, whether something is technically feasible and can lead to commercial success. Subsequently, they must be able to get everyone in the team to play their part. If system architects don’t have confidence in them, it immediately affects the people around them.

Not in love with the technology, but thinking from the customer’s point of view

System architects need to think beyond all the fantastic and fun technical aspects. Developments have to deliver something for the customer. That means that system architects must be able to think from the customer’s point of view.

Empathic ability

From the points above, it’s clear that having empathy is a crucial characteristic for the system architect. System architects – which are mostly men at the moment – applaud the fact that more women are taking on the role of system architect, precisely because they can empathize.

Standing strong in shoes

System architects must be strong in their shoes and have the courage to say no, even to senior management or a customer.

Technically, it doesn’t matter how nice a product is if it doesn’t work for and serve the customer’s needs in their business, then alarm bells should go off for the system architect. If he has insufficient confidence in successful completion, the system architect will not accept the assignment. He also makes that clear to his management.

Saying no or countering with customers is one degree more difficult. After all, he who pays decides. In many cases, the customer has already come up with a solution himself. In the interplay of forces with the customer, system architects must have the courage to ask the critical questions and to speak up and say: ‘Why do you want this? Why do you necessarily want to solve it this way?

Always multi-tasking

System architects understand the art of looking at a complex development from many angles. Multitasking is a tricky but essential skill that is not found in training, but can be learned.

Feeling for value and the business

System architects don’t lose sight of the value of the business. You can make a beautiful product that the customer is very happy with, but it has no business value if you offer it for almost nothing. System architects always have the business case in mind.

Provide an overview in documentation

The system architect can summarize the essence in a clear, compact and widely accessible document. He focuses on essential details without getting bogged down in jargon. He can also zoom out to the big picture to explain the rationale behind the choices made. All to make the system development discussable with everyone. It does not cost him any effort to clarify and explain everything over and over again.

One of the tools the Sysarch training offers is ‘A3-thinking’: summarizing the essence on an A3 with a good balance between illustrations and texts. Also, read the interview with Gerrit Muller about working with A3’s.