The Information Systems Architecture Development Teams

To bring about an IS architecture, the IS Architecture Development Team will need to draw upon a variety of skills. The following areas of expertise are needed to successfully develop and implement an IS architecture.

Information Systems and Technology Skills

While the IS architect is not necessarily a computer scientist or engineer, a sound knowledge of technological possibilities and limitations is needed to set the technical and operational standards and design the higher levels of the IS architecture.

Business Skills and Experience

A sound understanding of the business area is vital for the design of an effective IS architecture. The IS architect must comprehend both the operational-level processes and the organization's business strategies. The IS architect must be able to perform strategic planning for the IS function. While this would seem to indicate that the organization should recruit an IS architect from the inside, the "internalizing" an outside IS architect over a short period of time is a valid possibility.

Communications and Sales Skills

In the process of developing the IS architecture, the architect must solicit support, cooperation, and resources for the IS architecture from a variety of people throughout the organization. The IS architect must therefore be able to communicate clearly, convincingly, and in a non-threatening manner, the need for the IS architecture as well as the architectural design itself.

Teamwork Skills

While the IS architect is the principal communicator of the IS architecture vision, it usually requires a team effort to bring the IS architecture about. The IS architect therefore needs to effectively cooperate with all stakeholders and participants in the IS architecture - a combination of users, managers, executives, systems analysts, programmers, etc.

Leadership Skills

While part of a team, the IS architect is often the person in charge of the initiation, analysis, design, and implementation, and possibly the maintenance of the IS architecture. The management of people, resources, and time, as well as the championing of the IS architecture vision require substantial leadership capabilities of the architect. In addition, the IS architect needs to show perseverance in the face of the inevitable roadblocks, problems, delays, etc., solve problems when they occur, and energize the organization to continue on the IS architecture effort.