5 Benefits of Enterprise Architecture Consulting Services

Enterprise architecture refers to the structures and processes of a company; it combines business and technology together. It also concerns business roles, processes, data usage, achieving business goals, and meeting requirements. It is a fundament that ensures that a company operates in the most efficient and productive way.

IT strategy consulting and enterprise architecture consulting have one objective – to ensure that everything is working to meet the business demand effectively. The idea is to create and support one integrated environment for all technologies and structures of a company. An expert software architect consultant helps make sure that technology is aligned with business goals and puts it all on one page.

There are five Architecture domains of EA:

• Organizational architecture – governance, departments, roles;
• Business architecture – strategy, goals, processes;
• Information architecture – data storage and usage;
• Application architecture – separate application systems and their interactions;
• Technological architecture – software and hardware resources, infrastructure, networks, standards.

All of them are sub-structural units that software architecture consulting makes more integrated and responsive.

Companies hire a consulting IT architect and enterprise software developer to create such an integrated and fully functioning system or update it according to new advanced technologies. It is important to constantly review and improve all communications’ efficiency to make sure every process is smooth and flawless.

When a Company Needs an IT Architect Consulting Help?

Software architecture consulting is a popular service that is hugely beneficial for all types of enterprises. But as a company’s executive, you might wonder how to define when you need it? It is also important to ask a series of questions to know exactly when you need enterprise architecture IT consulting services.

Here are these questions:

• What is the current state of our EA?
• What is the desired state of EA? What can we achieve?
• How far is the desired state of EA?
• What are the ways to achieve that?
• What are the best options to achieve the target state?
• Who needs to be involved in the improvement process? Consider IT enterprise architecture services.
• How much does it cost to hire an enterprise architecture consulting company?
• What result do we expect from an IT systems architecture consulting service?

Answering these questions helps to evaluate what improvements can be done and how much it will cost. It also assists in setting requirements for enterprise architecture consulting firms and expected results and deadlines.

Except for these questions, some situations require hiring a technology architecture consulting expert almost immediately.

Top 5 Reasons You Need Enterprise Architecture Consulting

There are many scenarios in which an enterprise needs software architect consulting services, but here are five main ones:

• Enterprise growth and development of a wider branch of offices, departments, or factories;
• Migration of data and processes into the cloud;
• Desire to reduce costs and increase the efficiency of technological processes at the same time;
• Appointment of new executive (CIO) who wants to evaluate and assess existing EA and improve it;
• Enterprise reorganization, transformation, and adopting of new business strategies and goals that need to be accomplished via more advanced technological systems. 

Architecture technology consulting helps companies stay on top of the industry, increase the productivity of their processes, and secure investment while growing business.

The Role and Responsibilities of Enterprise Architect

An expert software architect consultant is responsible for the enterprise’s IT infrastructure, including both software and hardware. The main concern of such professionals is to ensure the efficiency, security, and relevancy of these processes. It is all about updating, maintaining, and supporting IT networks and services.

These professionals need to be always on top of all technological trends and new appearing tools. Technology is rapidly developing, and an architect needs to know the company can adopt new trends to increase its productivity and data security.

It is a complex position that concerns both strategic thinking and the ability to predict future investments. Architects work with all departments and systems to ensure that all business units are aligned and have access to the company’s sensitive data. QA consulting enterprise architecture requires not only hard skills but also strong communication, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.

The result of the architect’s successful work provides several essential benefits, such as:

• The agility of business and high responsiveness of IT infrastructure to any changes and growing demands;
• Faster and more efficient business processes;
• Decrease of cost spent on specific operations;
• Higher data security and lower risks of any breaches;
• Improved clients’ and customers’ satisfaction with the company’s products and services.

As this position is quite demanding, an expert architect needs at least 5-10 years of experience in the IT industry, as well as related higher education and specific international certification.

Enterprise Architecture Consultant Rates Worldwide

Like other high-profile services, IT strategy consulting and EA consulting requires precision in choosing a service provider. It is not always possible to find a suitable specialist in your area or they might be out of the company’s budget. That’s why software architecture nearshore consulting services become more popular each year.

Outsourcing IT services is a sure way to reduce costs and find a perfect professional for your enterprise. To illustrate the financial benefits of outsourcing, have a look at this comparison of rates for EA consultants in 5 countries:

• USA – $69 per hour;
• UK – $104 per hour;
• Germany – $52 per hour;
• Denmark – $70 per hour;
• Ukraine – $32 per hour*

*Rates are provided by the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team over local job boards

Naturally, not every company can afford to hire an EA expert in the USA or UK. Not to mention that it is hard to find a qualified professional disregarding the salary rate. That’s why businesses look for an architect in other countries.

How to Choose a Great EA Consultant Service

The secret to success is to find a service provider that is knowledgeable, experienced, and can help your company precisely. It might take some time, as such highly-qualified professionals are rare, so many enterprises choose to partner with vendors, especially when they are looking for outsourcing options.

When hiring an EA consultant, here’s what one should keep in mind:

• Look for professionals that have experience in your or related industry. Although it is not strictly necessary, it will be a great benefit if the architect has been previously working in the same industry. It will significantly lower the learning curve when it comes to understanding your company’s business processes and operations. It also ensures that an expert knows the best practices and technologies that other companies in the same sphere also use.
• Check the credentials. Like with any other IT position, one needs to have a closer look into a person’s credentials, education, and certification. Several international EA certifications can be a great advantage. Some of them are – Google Professional Cloud Architect, AWS Certified Solution Architect, or The Open Group TOGAF 9 certification. If your company works with specific technology, like AWS, ask about education and experience in this particular field.
• Learn about previous successful projects and client reviews. There is nothing that speaks about one’s professionalism more than their portfolio of released projects. When researching a possible service provider, have a look at their clients and how well they are doing. Maybe there are some testimonials of them or recommendations you can follow. One can also ask around for reviews from their colleagues in the industry.
• Budget. Of course, it might not be the main factor, but it is incredibly important. It is a high-profile position that can be a bit costly for a company. Of course, the higher the level of expertise, the higher is the salary. But there is also no need to spend extra money. Outsourcing can be a great solution to this problem. By hiring a consultant in another country, you can access top-notch experts but save costs at the same time. After all, depending on your IT infrastructure’s current state, this cooperation might take a while, and costs can add up.
• Set expected results and requirements. Discuss with an expert how you can achieve them. They can draft a blueprint of future improvements or propose specific changes and new technologies. This shows their expertise, problem-solving, and ability to incorporate the most relevant technologies.

If you do not have time or resources to recruit an EA consultant yourself, consider partnering with a credible outsourcing provider.

Find Talented Software Architect Consultant with Mobilunity 

Mobilunity is a reliable Ukrainian company that has been working in IT outstaffing for more than 10 years. We’ve provided dedicated development teams and EA consultants for companies from all over the world.

Our portfolio of released projects includes more than 40 happy international clients, including XPLG (Israel), BYG-E (Denmark), Esurance (Switzerland), ICUC (Canada), Zehchef (France), and many others. We know exactly how to find the best professionals for your company and the specific requirements you have.

Mobilunity offers access to highly-skilled and experienced Ukrainian IT professionals.  We can ensure the flexibility and scalability of your development, as well as productivity.

Mobilunity always puts clients’ needs in the center of cooperation.

If you are looking for excellent enterprise architecture consulting services in Ukraine, contact Mobilunity professionals. Enhance your business today!

Written by:

Anastasia Stefanuk

Disclaimer: All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.