Skill-IT Consulting Gothenburg was founded in 2004 to address the need in the industry for senior expert consultants. They are a pure consulting company with a focus on software development. The coronavirus that ran amok in 2020 changed the playing field for all companies, including Skill-IT. As consultants, they need to work more remotely than ever. Collaborations with others in the industry have become increasingly important, leading the company to strengthen its partner network, like with Codemint to expand into JAVA development. Let’s ask them some questions.
How do you work with IT-architecture at Skill-it Consulting Gothenburg?
Our consultants work with customers in several different industries. There, we provide both technology-related roles such as software architects for microarchitecture and more business-related assignments such as BI architect and solution architect.
How do you view the relationship between architecture and the customers?
An architect from Skill-It needs to step into different customer organizations, and customers often have quite distinct needs. As an example, there is often an architectural framework already in place we need to adhere to. The architect then works to develop solutions aligned to that framework. If there is no framework, we are happy to support the customer with working methods and structured ways forward. Our most important task is to lay the foundation for software developers to deliver business value at a reasonable cost. We advocate continuous improvement and that the architects should be involved in that work.
Data-driven, common terms and concepts, common language?
As active in both analytics and software development, we see the connection between traditional IT architects’ roles to more data-driven and analytical roles. Uniform concepts and definitions in all source systems enable better communication and collaborations. Most companies want to become truly data-driven today. To reach that goal, there is a need for established and structured architecture, common terminology, and concepts in the organization. Therefore, it is vital for an architect to understand the solution in its context and not introduce new concepts and names to quickly.
The role of the architect?
We often come in after a procurement process or into a situation where there is a clear need for change. This means we need to gain an and requires familiarity with many parts of the business. Without a business understanding, good solutions cannot be proposed. It is stimulating to get acquainted with new businesses and understand the challenges you face both operationally and technically. To understand and visualize something complex in a simple way.
“I act as a support for the client’s existing solution architects working with TOGAF as the framework. An assignment normally extends over several months and includes describing the current situation, the desired future situation, and how to get there. It can involve procurement, implementation, or major changes and usually involves collaboration with other suppliers. Quite often, you get a role close to the business where you also sometimes need to help describe processes in a structured way”, Mats says, who works as an IT-architect at Skill-IT.