What Does a Technology Architect Do?

Technology architects are individuals who create new computer information systems that allow their organizations to be profitable while making technology users’ lives easier. They usually have to complete four-year bachelor’s degrees in areas such as business administration or computer science. A technology architect creates designs for new technologies and produces them as well as evaluates his or her work to make sure that it is up to par. In addition, this type of professional remains current on industry standards and supervises computer technology employees.

A technology architect’s chief responsibility is to develop new information technologies. An individual in this position determines the cost of producing particular products and puts together designs that address the technical specifications of these technology items. He or she then participates in the process of making these solutions available for customers to use by working with a team of people. The aim is to create technologies that are in line with the business’ strategic plan for achieving financial success.

An individual in this career area also must make sure that his or her creations are of high quality. A technology architect assesses the technology solutions that he or she has designed and developed to see if they meet the needs of users. After identifying any defects, the architect suggests ways to improve the products so that they meet organizational standards. He or she further helps to produce a disaster recovery plan, which is implemented when a heavily used information technology system at an organization quits working for a certain period of time. The plan’s purpose is to prevent financial harm to the company during a technology breakdown.

Performing in-depth research and giving presentations constitute other valuable aspects of work in this industry. Technology architects often participate in conferences that cover developments in the field to make sure that their products stay current with industry requirements and remain technically advanced. In addition, a technology architect is sometimes required to put together oral presentations of his or her findings and plans for company leaders to assess.

A person in the field oversees staff members as well. Someone who is interested in becoming a technology architect has to offer advice and training to computer system programmers and analysts at his or her company when leading projects. The technology architect also supervises these employees’ work to ensure that they comply with organizational standards, making sure that all company technology development requirements are available in writing for team members to use.