3 Pre-Requisites For An Elegant Software Solution Design

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed an overview of Solution Design and its benefits. In the current blog, we take a look at how Solution Design must be approached to meet business requirements holistically, eliminate existing pain points, and address the concerns of all stakeholders.

An elegant Solution Design is a key to achieving successful Digital Transformation within a business or an organization.

So, what do these pre-requisites entail? Let’s take a look…

Software Solution Design should be preceded by the following three stages of preparatory work. This is best accomplished by organizations that offer professional Software Technology Consulting Services.

1. Discovery

Discovery refers to the gathering of information to understand the business and techno-functional landscape, as well as any existing software solutions in use.

It includes information about:

• The Problem Statement
• Business Requirements
• Non-Functional Requirements
• Existing IT Systems and Applications
• Particular Technical Requirements
• System Integration Touchpoints, and more

Depending on the type of assignment, professional consultants will employ one or more different methods to carry out discovery and information-gathering. These could range from workshops and interviews with stakeholders, shadowing end-users, or reviewing existing documentation.

2. Analysis

During this phase, the information gathered is consolidated and analyzed to identify:

• Systems
• Actors
• Potential Use Cases
• Data Flows
• Data Transformation, etc.

This includes any areas that must be explicitly addressed in the Solution and optimizations that should be made in existing systems or workflows.

This Analysis Exercise is vital for several reasons:

• It helps to reveal the extent to which existing systems can be re-used or retained, if at all.
• It throws light on areas where new or the latest technologies can be leveraged to improve workflows and the quality of operations.
• It provides clarity to the Solution Design team on how various systems interact with one another and with the actors that use them.
• And most importantly, it helps stakeholders understand the true state of the current system and how a new solution might prove to be beneficial.

Note: The Solution Design that’s eventually developed and delivered must illustrate the same as well. And it must do this qualitatively and quantitatively, as applicable.

3. Review, Feedback, and Refinement

The initial findings and output of the Discovery and Analysis Exercises must be well-documented and circulated amongst key stakeholders for review and feedback.

The aim of the feedback is to validate the findings and analyses done so far, while also covering any knowledge gaps that may exist. It refines the analyses with inputs based on organizational experience with current systems and processes.

Once the feedback has been discussed and incorporated into the existing documentation, the Solution Design Team can move to the next step of actually designing the Solution.

This provides Solution Architects, in particular, with the best possible insight as they carry out the Functional Architecture, Interface Design, and Technical Architecture Design.

More To Come…

Part 2 of this Blog Series was a quick walk-through of some essential pre-requisites that must be performed in the run-up to actual Software Solution Design.

In subsequent blogs, we’ll go into what comprises an actual Solution Design Exercise and the characteristics of the ideal Solution Design.

In the meantime… and for more information:

Boston Technology Corporation is a specialized software solutions and services provider that will help you get the best solutions for your needs.

With more than 14 years of industry experience, our teams possess the extensive knowledge and rich skillsets needed to successfully design, develop, test, and deploy a variety of solutions.

Our techno-functional array of services ranges from Strategic Technology Consulting and Solution Design to Product Engineering, App Development, Quality Assurance, Testing Services, and more.

Reach out to our team of technology and solution experts, and explore how they can help you meet and exceed your goals with the use of technology.