CALLEN SOFTWARE

In this first post on the role of the software architect, I would like to discuss the software architect as a clarifier of requirements. A software architect is dependent on clear quality requirements. Whether verbally articulated, or written down in the form of a specifications document, or on a white board, it is often the case that the requirements provided are not completely clear for the purpose of architecture (though they may be clear enough for UI design or development of functionality). In particular the quality requirements should be clear and specific (where possible also measurable), preferably in the form of a quality attribute scenario, also known as a quality scenario in some circles. Many business analysts will not necessarily produce these in a manner suitable for architectural design. When the architect has these quality requirements, the architect also needs to be able to determine what are appropriate tradeoffs that can be made in trying to achieve these requirement

The role of software architect may or may not exist in your organisational context. Either way you know you do the work of an architect when you are the person who leads the architectural design. In other words, you have the final say or a great influence over the final decisions on the main components of your software, frameworks, and other technologies to be used, maybe the assignment of team members to various parts of the project. Furthermore, you will have responsibility over communicating the architecture whether formally through documentation or informally through discussions, whiteboards, windows, walls, or flip-charts. In many cases you may also be held accountable for ensuring that the agreed architectural decisions are adhered to and possibly you will be involved in any evaluation process. If this is your role whether it is a title used in your organisation or not, then you are leading developers of different skill levels daily. Whether the model is very formal and hierarchi

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Explore the essentials of gathering and managing software requirements effectively. This guide discusses types of requirements, techniques for gathering them, and best practices to ensure project success.