Solutions Architecture

Our solutions architects are responsible for assessing current computer systems, designing and developing new technology solutions and integrating software and hardware to fit the existing enterprise environment in order to address your needs.

Discovery phase

The solutions architecture stage actually starts much earlier than the requirements gathering phase. It starts with the business discovery phase.

In the discovery phase, we seek to understand your business from a holistic level as it is important not to look at the website in isolation.

We seek to understand:

  • Your product/service offering
  • Your systems architecture
  • Your internal processes
  • Your customer lifecycle
  • Your challenges, goals and plans

From the discovery phase, we receive a detailed understanding of:

  • How your website fits into the current landscape of your business
  • Business and digital issues, goals and solutions
  • High-level website and digital system workflows
Solutions Architecture

Solutions architecture

After the discovery phase, our enterprise architect and solutions architect work together with you to create the functional and technical scope.

The solutions architecture stage is extremely important because it:

  • Maps out how the website is expected to work
  • Empowers all stakeholders (client, agency and 3rd parties) to be united
  • Reduces risk of post launch bugs
  • Reduces risk of budget variance or project blowout
  • Greatly increases the chance of website success

Functional scope

The first step in solutions architecture is the functional scope. During this stage we describe what the website needs to do including:

  • Integrations
  • Unique business rules
  • Functionality
  • Content templates
  • Animation and interactivity expectations

Technical scope

The next step is to complete the technical scope. This includes the granular details of the website’s functionality such as: 

  • Specific recommended front and backend coding solutions
  • Detailing recommended integration solutions
  • Inspecting any external systems documentation and detailing the data points that need to “talk to each other” 
  • Recommended Audience and personalisation criteria
  • Workflow mapping for all potential user interaction scenarios
  • More detailed expansion of any functional scope requirements

Once the solution architecture has been documented and agreed upon, accurate pricing for the website development can be provided, and both parties will have a detailed technical requirements document that is ready to handover to developers for implementation.

Requirements scope

Example of the requirements scope of one particular function:

  • Coupon codes
  • Will be set internally using the CMS
  • Must include start date and expiry date
  • Must be unique per person OR standardised
  • Must automatically apply to relevant products

OR

  • Coupon codes
  • Will be set externally using API from product inventory management system
  • API Calls needed from CMS to management system
  • Need to check every 15 minutes for new coupon