A business architect is responsible for implementing successful strategies at an organization or company. This type of architect does not work with literal blueprints and floor plans or in an architect studio. Instead, the business architect is a modern architect who must be able to envision several different elements of a business and make them all work cohesively together. He or she must also be able to think in futuristic terms and work out the direction for which the business is heading.
Business architects can work as full-time employees or contractors. Most organizations have a need for either an ongoing business architect or a project architect. The architect identifies, plans and acts on strategies that will be most beneficial for the organization. Areas of improvement that the business architect typically touches on include organizational health, structural problems, unrealized opportunities and a competitive market. Business architects work with companies that have conflicting economic and political concerns, and they attempt to flesh out these problems with unified solutions so the employees can perform at higher levels.
Business architects work closely with the employees and managers to first understand the culture of the company. Additionally, outside personnel will often be consulted, including vendors, consultants, strategy and research groups, and experts. The business architect is always responsible for keeping the company’s leaders and managers aware of the changes that he or she is planning to implement.
Within an organization, the business architect acts as a middleman between employees of specific departments and the strategy team. The architect should pay attention to changes desired by the employees and talk them over with the strategy team to determine their plausibility. New ideas for running the business can come from any employee, and the architect should listen carefully to these suggestions and explore the possibility of their implementation together with the strategy team.
When companies rely on business architects, communication at all levels improves. Involvement and response from different members of the corporation lead to a higher level of business, making employees and supervisors alike happy. A career as a business architect requires a great amount of research, however. When suggestions are made, it is up to the architect to determine if they might actually work. Business architects are also responsible for preparing and presenting business plans on various topics, such as approval, funding, development and resource management.
A successful business architect must be innovative and not mind making discoveries by trial and error. He or she should also be a people person and something of a natural peacemaker, as a primary function is creating harmony in the office environment. Business architects generally work in relatively new companies, but they are also found in joint ventures, newly merged companies, businesses that undertake radical projects and spin-out companies.
