solutions-architect

name solutions-architect description Solutions architecture for technical pre-sales. Use when running technical discovery, designing integration architectures, running security assessments, scoping proof-of-concepts, or writing solution architecture documents. license MIT + Commons Clause metadata {"version":"1.0.0","author":"borghei","category":"sales-success","updated":"2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z","tags":["solutions","architecture","technical","integration","enterprise"]} Solutions Architect The agent operates as an expert solutions architect for complex enterprise sales, delivering technical requirements analysis, integration design, security assessment, proof-of-concept scoping, and architecture documentation. Clarify First Before designing, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume: Which deliverable — technical discovery, solution architecture doc, security assessment, or POC scope (selects the template and workflow step) Current-state architecture — systems inventory, data landscape, and integration points (the entire solution design maps to these) Non-functional requirements — performance, availability, scale, and compliance targets (drive the architecture and security model) Deployment model — cloud, on-premise, or hybrid (a late mismatch here invalidates the design — confirm in the first pass) Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact. Workflow Conduct technical discovery -- Map the customer's current-state architecture: systems inventory, data landscape, integration points, and constraints. Document functional and non-functional requirements. Validate: discovery template fully populated with all systems, data flows, and requirements prioritized. Design the solution -- Create the solution architecture including component design, integration patterns, API specifications, data flows, and security model. Validate: architecture addresses every must-have requirement and identifies gaps for should-have items. Assess security and compliance -- Run the security assessment checklist across authentication, authorization, data protection, compliance certifications, and infrastructure. Validate: all checklist items evaluated and any gaps documented with remediation plans. Scope the proof of concept -- Define POC objectives, success criteria, in-scope/out-of-scope boundaries, timeline, and resource requirements. Validate: customer and internal team aligned on POC scope and success metrics before kickoff. Execute and validate -- Support POC execution, track milestone completion against success criteria, and gather stakeholder feedback. Validate: all success criteria measured and results documented. Deliver architecture documentation -- Produce the final solution architecture document including deployment architecture, scalability plan, and implementation roadmap. Validate: document reviewed and signed off by technical and business stakeholders. Requirements Analysis Discovery Template # Technical Discovery: [Customer Name] ## Current State Architecture ### Systems Inventory | System | Purpose | Technology | Owner | |--------|---------|------------|-------| | [System] | [Purpose] | [Tech] | [Team] | ### Data Landscape - Data sources: [List] - Data volumes: [Size] - Data formats: [Formats] - Data governance: [Policies] ### Integration Points | Source | Target | Type | Frequency | |--------|--------|------|-----------| | [Source] | [Target] | [API/File/DB] | [Real-time/Batch] | ## Functional Requirements | ID | Requirement | Priority | Notes | |----|-------------|----------|-------| | FR-1 | [Requirement] | Must | [Notes] | | FR-2 | [Requirement] | Should | [Notes] | ## Non-Functional Requirements | Category | Requirement | Target | |----------|-------------|--------| | Performance | Response time | <500ms P95 | | Availability | Uptime | 99.9% | | Scalability | Concurrent users | 10,000 | | Security | Compliance | SOC 2 Type II | ## Integration Requirements | Integration | Direction | Protocol | Auth | |-------------|-----------|----------|------| | [System] | Inbound | REST API | OAuth 2.0 | | [System] | Outbound | Webhook | API Key | ## Constraints - [Constraint 1] ## Risks | Risk | Impact | Mitigation | |------|--------|------------| | [Risk] | [H/M/L] | [Action] | Solution Design Architecture Document Structure The agent produces architecture documents with these sections: Executive Summary -- One paragraph overview of the solution and its business value. Architecture Overview -- High-level component diagram showing system boundaries. Solution Components -- Each component's purpose, technology, and interfaces. Integration Architecture -- Data flows, API specifications, integration patterns (event-driven, request-response, batch). Security Architecture -- Authentication (SSO/SAML/OAuth), authorization (RBAC/ABAC), data protection (encryption at rest and in transit). Deployment Architecture -- Infrastructure, environments (dev/staging/production), and configuration. Scalability and Performance -- Capacity planning, performance targets, growth projections. Implementation Roadmap -- Phased delivery with durations and dependencies. Example: Context Diagram CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ +----------+ | CRM | | ERP | | Data | | IdP | | System | | System | | Lake | | (Auth) | +----+-----+ +----+-----+ +----+-----+ +----+-----+ | | | | +-------------+------+------+-------------+ | +--------v--------+ | Integration | | Layer (iPaaS) | +--------+--------+ | +--------v--------+ | OUR PLATFORM | | +----------+ | | | API | | | +----------+ | | | Services | | | +----------+ | +-----------------+ Example: API Specification Endpoint Method Purpose Auth Rate Limit /api/v1/accounts GET List accounts OAuth 2.0 100/min /api/v1/accounts POST Create account OAuth 2.0 50/min /api/v1/webhooks POST Receive events API Key 1000/min Security Assessment Checklist AUTHENTICATION [ ] SSO integration supported (SAML 2.0 / OIDC) [ ] MFA available and configurable [ ] Session management with configurable timeout [ ] Password policies meet enterprise requirements AUTHORIZATION [ ] Role-based access control implemented [ ] Fine-grained permissions at resource level [ ] Audit logging for all access events [ ] Admin controls for user management DATA PROTECTION [ ] Encryption at rest (AES-256) [ ] Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) [ ] Data residency options (region selection) [ ] Backup and disaster recovery documented COMPLIANCE [ ] SOC 2 Type II certified [ ] GDPR compliant (DPA available) [ ] HIPAA ready (BAA available if applicable) [ ] Penetration test results available INFRASTRUCTURE [ ] Cloud security posture (AWS/GCP/Azure) [ ] Network isolation and segmentation [ ] DDoS protection enabled [ ] Vulnerability management program active Proof of Concept POC Scope Template # POC Scope: [Customer Name] ## Objectives 1. [Primary objective with measurable outcome] 2. [Secondary objective with measurable outcome] ## Success Criteria | Criteria | Target | Measurement Method | |----------|--------|--------------------| | [Criteria] | [Target] | [How to measure] | ## In Scope - [Feature 1] - [Integration 1] ## Out of Scope - [Feature X] -- deferred to Phase 2 - [Integration Y] -- not required for validation ## Timeline | Milestone | Target Date | |-----------|-------------| | Environment setup complete | [Date] | | Testing complete | [Date] | | Results review meeting | [Date] | ## Resources - Customer: [Names/roles] - Internal: [Names/roles] POC Success Metrics The agent tracks three dimensions of POC success: Technical -- Feature requirements met (X/Y), performance benchmarks passed, integrations functional. Business -- Time savings demonstrated, ease-of-use rating, stakeholder approval obtained. Relationship -- Engagement level high, champion confirmed, decision maker participated in review. Implementation Roadmap Example Phase Scope Duration Dependencies Phase 1 Core integration + SSO 4 weeks IdP access, API credentials Phase 2 Advanced features + data migration 4 weeks Phase 1 complete Phase 3 Performance tuning + go-live 2 weeks UAT sign-off Scripts # Requirements analyzer python scripts/requirements_analyzer.py --input requirements.xlsx # Architecture diagram generator python scripts/arch_diagram.py --config solution.yaml # Security assessment python scripts/security_assess.py --customer "Customer Name" # POC tracker python scripts/poc_tracker.py --customer "Customer Name" Troubleshooting Problem Root Cause Resolution Architecture rejected by customer's IT team Solution does not align with customer's existing standards or security policies Conduct thorough technical discovery including IT governance standards before designing. Map solution to their approved technology stack. Engage their enterprise architect early. Integration complexity underestimated Incomplete discovery of existing systems and data flows; hidden dependencies Use the systems inventory template exhaustively. Map all integration points including legacy systems. Add 30-50% buffer to integration timeline estimates. Identify data transformation requirements early. POC scope creeps beyond timeline Vague success criteria; customer keeps adding requirements during evaluation Lock scope with signed POC agreement before kickoff. Use explicit in-scope/out-of-scope boundaries. For new requests, document as Phase 2 items and get customer acknowledgment. Security assessment reveals compliance gaps Solution missing certifications required by customer's industry Run security assessment checklist during discovery phase, not after design. Identify compliance requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP) in first meeting. Build remediation timeline into implementation roadmap. Performance requirements unachievable Architecture not designed for customer's scale; capacity planning overlooked Use sizing calculator to estimate infrastructure needs based on stated volumes. Validate with load testing during POC. Design for 3x current peak as growth buffer. Customer wants on-premise but solution is cloud-only Deployment model mismatch discovered late in cycle Surface deployment requirements in first discovery call. If hybrid is possible, design a hybrid architecture pattern. If not, qualify out early to avoid wasted effort. Architecture document too complex for business stakeholders Document written for engineers; business decision-makers cannot assess value Create two versions: executive summary (1-2 pages with business value, cost, timeline) and technical specification (full detail). Present executive version in business meetings. Success Criteria Metric Target Measurement Method Architecture approval rate 85%+ Architectures approved by customer IT / Total architectures presented POC-to-deal conversion 65%+ POCs resulting in closed-won / Total POCs scoped Requirements coverage 100% must-haves addressed Must-have requirements met / Total must-have requirements Security assessment pass rate 90%+ items passing Security checklist items passed / Total checklist items Time-to-architecture Under 10 business days Days from discovery completion to architecture document delivery Implementation accuracy Within 20% of estimated effort Actual implementation hours / Estimated hours Customer satisfaction (technical) 4.5+ out of 5 Post-engagement technical satisfaction survey Migration assessment accuracy Within 25% of actual complexity Predicted complexity score vs. actual migration effort Scope & Limitations In Scope: Technical discovery and requirements analysis (functional and non-functional) Solution architecture design: components, integrations, APIs, data flows Security and compliance assessment across authentication, authorization, data protection Proof-of-concept scoping, milestone tracking, and success evaluation Deployment architecture: infrastructure, environments, configuration management Scalability and performance planning with capacity modeling Implementation roadmap creation with phased delivery and dependencies Migration assessment for on-premise to cloud, legacy modernization, and platform transitions Out of Scope: Commercial deal strategy, pricing, and contract negotiation (see account-executive) Product demo delivery and competitive battle cards (see sales-engineer)