Role of Enterprise architect vs Solution architect vs Technical architect

Enterprise Architect (EA), Solution Architect (SA), and Domain Architect (DA)—focus on ensuring that IT solutions are aligned with business objectives and contribute to overall organizational success.

Each of these architects plays a critical role in bridging the gap between business needs and technical implementations, ensuring scalability, integration, and sustainability of IT systems across different levels of the organization.

The Enterprise Architect (EA), Solution Architect (SA), and Domain Architect (DA) differ in terms of their scope, focus, and responsibilities within an organization.

Here’s how they differ:

Enterprise Architect:

It's Like a City Planner

The role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) is to ensure that IT is strategically aligned with the organization's business objectives by having a deep and comprehensive understanding of the business's various components and how they are supported through business capabilities, applications, infrastructure, and data architecture. EA's responsibility includes designing IT systems that are flexible and adaptable to future changes in business models and emerging requirements. EA ensures that IT support is not only efficient and effective for current operations but also sustainable and easily replaceable over the long term.

The EA's scope spans both business and technology, focusing on delivering IT solutions that optimize business performance and enable growth. This involves creating a seamless connection between business goals and IT investments to enhance business agility, drive innovation, and ensure cost efficiency. Additionally, EA fosters an environment that promotes standardization, risk management, and technological innovation while ensuring scalability and compliance with industry regulations.

Moreover, EA plays a critical role in promoting futureproofing, where IT systems are designed not just to meet today's demands but to evolve alongside market and technology trends, positioning the organization for long-term success. This helps build a resilient IT infrastructure that can accommodate new business models, technologies, and regulatory requirements, while maintaining a strategic balance between innovation and operational efficiency.

Domain Architect:

Like a Neighborhood planner

A Domain Architect typically combines the roles of both Solution Architect and Business Architect, with a specialized focus on one or more of the organization's key business domains. The Domain Architect’s primary responsibility is to align IT solutions with business needs, taking into consideration the prerequisites and constraints posed by the existing IT landscape. As an expert in a specific area of business capabilities or value streams, the Domain Architect understands how these domains are currently supported by technology, and how they should ideally be supported through optimized tech stacks, solutions, and systems.

From a Solution Architect perspective, the Domain Architect ensures that IT solutions are implemented in a way that is compatible with other systems, mindful of the desired lifespan of those solutions, and aligned with the organization’s broader technology strategy. Meanwhile, from a Business Architect perspective, the focus is on ensuring that these IT solutions drive tangible business benefits and enable the organization to achieve its strategic goals.

A key part of the Domain Architect’s role involves guiding stakeholders through the transformation journey by explaining what needs to change, why these changes are necessary, and how they will contribute to long-term business value. The Domain Architect bridges the gap between business and technology, ensuring that IT investments not only address immediate operational needs but also support long-term business growth.

Additionally, Domain Architects play a crucial role in governance and compliance, ensuring that solutions adhere to organizational standards and regulatory requirements, while being scalable and future-proof. They work collaboratively with other architects to create a cohesive IT ecosystem that minimizes risk, enhances efficiency, and drives innovation across business domains.

Solution Architect:

Like a Building planner

A Solution Architect (SA) often takes on multiple roles, including those of a Business Architect, Infrastructure Architect, and Software Architect. The SA is responsible for planning and designing IT solutions that align with the business's needs, while carefully considering the existing IT services within the organization. This is crucial, as IT solutions rarely operate in isolation; instead, they are part of a broader ecosystem within the organization’s architecture.

The primary focus of the Solution Architect is on delivering comprehensive solutions that span across multiple systems, processes, and departments. They ensure that these solutions are not only technically sound but also fully aligned with the business's strategic objectives. This involves making sure the solutions are integrated effectively with other IT systems, adhere to organizational standards, and have a lifespan that corresponds with the long-term goals of the business.

Summary of Key Differences:

• Enterprise Architect (EA): Focuses on the big picture and long-term alignment of IT with the overall business strategy.
• Domain Architect (DA): Focuses on a specific business domain, acting as an expert to design and optimize solutions tailored to that domain’s needs.
• Solution Architect (SA): Focuses on specific IT projects, ensuring solutions meet business requirements and integrate seamlessly with existing systems.