A Integration Architect is a professional who plays a crucial role in designing and implementing integration solutions for complex software systems. They are responsible for creating efficient and scalable architectures that enable different applications and systems to communicate and exchange data seamlessly. In this blog post, we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Integration Architects.

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Main Responsibilities of an Integration Architect

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an Integration Architect:

Adhere to

• Adhere to enterprise architecture strategies, principals, standards, policies and procedures.

• Adhere to strategic direction set by senior management.

Advise

Advise client on options, risks, and any impacts on other processes or systems.

Analyze

• Analyze and specify system requirements and derive architectural options.

• Analyze business requirements to understand integration needs.

Architect

Architect the solution around NFRs, Functional Requirement, Security and Regulatory compliance.

Articulate

Articulate the tradeoffs, benefits and risks of all architecture and design solutions.

Assemble

Assemble integrations sets that meet functional / non-functional business requirements.

Assist

• Assist and conduct application stack and systems decomposition research and engineering tasks.

• Assist clients in fully integrating the Workday system into their current business environments.

• Assist in completing enterprise architectural documentation and SDLC process and standards.

• Assist in the estimation and budgeting of integration projects.

• Assist the Application Administrator with regular DR tests as required by BCP Team.

Build

Build large enterprise level logical and physical data flow diagrams.

Capture

Capture the state of the current integration environment.

Collaborate with

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather integration requirements.

• Collaborate with enterprise architects to align integration strategies with overall IT architecture.

• Collaborate with Enterprise Architecture to ensure alignment on future roadmaps and IT Strategies.

• Collaborate with other managers to procure additional subject matter experts as needed for projects.

• Collaborate with project managers to plan and execute integration projects.

• Collaborate with team members in overall data application delivery.

• Collaborate with vendors and external partners for integration-related activities.

Communicate

• Communicate and obtain stakeholder buy-in to application architecture.

• Communicate and obtain stakeholder buy-in to the integration reference architecture.

Complete

• Complete product positioning and assessments.

• Complete Salesforce and MuleSoft onboarding programs.

• Complete tasks efficiently and in a timely manner, reporting progress to managers.

Conduct

• Conduct feasibility studies and risk assessments for integration projects.

• Conduct high-level root-cause analysis for service interruption and establish preventive measures.

• Conduct integration testing and coordinate user acceptance testing.

• Conduct operational readiness reviews and review sign offs for solution design.

• Conduct reviews to address quality, standards compliance, reusability and ease of maintenance.

• Conduct training sessions and workshops on integration concepts and tools.

Configure

Configure and manage Routing Channel Templates.

Contribute to

Contribute to the expansion, growth, and maturity of Enterprise Architecture.

Coordinate

• Coordinate and lead internal solution design review processes.

• Coordinate deployments with Release Manager.

• Coordinate system upgrade activity.

Create

• Create and schedule customer reports for management purposes.

• Create custom file layers and custom email notifications.

• Create framework for reviewing large volumes of unorganized data.

• Create integration solution blueprints and technical specifications.

• Create macro & micro designs working with IBM and client development teams.

• Create, modernize, integrate and maintain digital and technological solutions.

Define

• Define and communicate integration patterns.

• Define approaches for new integrations to meet business and technical constraints.

• Define benchmarks for tracking and measuring performance metrics.

• Define, build, and drive the application migration roadmap to deliver the target state architecture.

• Define, build, and drive the technology roadmap to deliver the target state architecture.

• Define data models, generic solutions for loading data in Zycus solutions.

• Define integration patterns and best practices for the organization.

• Define & oversee standards and practices, including Build / Buy Configure Strategy.

• Define standards, configurations and operational / administration guidelines for integration layer.

• Define standards, processes and best practices to enable integration objectives.

Deploy

Deploy Resource Manager objects from environment to environment.

Design

• Design and develop reliable, easy to use environments for hundreds of engineers around the world.

• Design and support of Business Processes using the IBM Graphical Process Modeling tool.

• Design functional cloud native technology solutions for high availability, security, and scalability.

• Design integration architectures that align with business objectives.

Develop

• Develop and finalize technical plans for the buildout of the target end state platform architecture.

• Develop and maintain integration standards and guidelines.

• Develop conversion and system implementation plans.

• Develop custom integration solutions using APIs, web services, and messaging protocols.

• Develop frameworks, standards & reference material for architecture and associated products.

• Develop & maintain common services, repositories & utility components for the enterprise.

• Develop & maintain enterprise-wide and domain blueprints and models for the architecture portfolio.

• Develop necessary product modifications to satisfy clients' needs.

• Develop needed documentation and architecture artifacts.

• Develop positive working relationships with client technical teams.

• Develop sizing estimates and assist in creation of project plans.

• Develop solutions by understanding and studying systems flows, data usage and work processes.

• Develop test plans and protocols for evaluation of system performance.

• Develop the detailed design for all technology verticals being integrated.

• Develop your Mulesoft expertise and boost your reputation as a business advisor.

Document

• Document and drive the best practices of enterprise integration architecture and governance.

• Document integration designs, configurations, and troubleshooting guides.

Drive

Drive recommendations for business prioritization, roadmaps, and product improvements.

Engage

Engage with management regularly with reports on project status, activities, and achievements.

Ensure

• Ensure all environmental changes follow the proper change controls.

• Ensure all file transmissions and adapters are secured according to InfoSec standards.

• Ensure data integrity and data governance in integration solutions.

• Ensure each environment is built appropriately and functioning as required.

• Ensure LLD requirements include documenting CPU, Memory, Disk requirements (type.

• Ensure proper Test Coverage and Unit Testing is performed.

• Ensure security and compliance standards are met in integration solutions.

• Ensure standardization across Design & Build.

• Ensure that the Command Line Adapter 2 is continually working with antivirus.

Establish

• Establish architectural patterns for the application.

• Establish Communities and Partner Groups.

• Establish frameworks and make recommendations to the decision-making bodies and committees involved.

Estimate

Estimate roadmap features at Product Manager's requests.

Evaluate

• Evaluate and recommend process improvements for integration workflows.

• Evaluate and select appropriate integration technologies and tools.

• Evaluate existing interfaces and suggest best practices as we migrate from IaaS into SaaS.

Explain

Explain the context of multiple, complex interrelated situations.

Follow

Follow architectural and design best practices.

Give

Give solution options and bolster stakeholder support.

Help

• Help and review with the creation of training, product, and solution documentation.

• Help establish a new integration and workflow automation practice.

Identify

• Identify and analyze problems.

• Identify and drive areas for service improvements in conjunction with our managed service providers.

• Identify any Issues, Risks, Assumptions, Key Decisions that would impact Technical Design or LLD.

• Identify any non-standard product and address with appropriate parties for resolution.

• Identify appropriate SMEs for Technical Requirements and Design discussions.

• Identify O&T resources and build the virtual / matrix team required to achieve successful delivery.

• Identify potential technical issues and engineer possible solutions.

• Identify underlying differences and resolve conflict openly and empathetically.

Implement

Implement and configure middleware platforms and integration frameworks.

Interpret

Interpret business requirements to articulate the business needs to be addressed.

Keep up to date on

Keep up to date on current integration trends and approaches and evaluate them against ATB's needs.

Lead

• Lead and guide junior staff in architecture delivery initiatives.

• Lead and mentor junior integration team members.

• Lead clients through all project phases including discovery, design, configuration, and testing.

• Lead Configuration and set-up integration environments.

• Lead development of service solutions with an emphasis of IBM technology stack.

• Lead proposal and RFP / RFI response development.

• Lead the team, troubleshoot and pivot as challenges appear.

Learn

Learn from deep subject matter experts through mentoring and on the job coaching.

Maintain

• Maintain a consistent focus throughout design project on customer & business goals.

• Maintain consistent focus throughout design on customer & business goals of project.

Make

Make appropriate technical investment recommendations using innovative solutions.

Manage

• Manage and sustain current SAP ERP landscape while sunset ECC and transition to S4 deployment.

• Manage complexities in a multi-disciplinary setting.

• Manage, enhance and automate Ciena Integration and API registry.

• Manage, enhance and automate our Integration and API registry.

• Manage GPG / PGP Keys to ensure they are functioning as required.

• Manage staff directly and indirectly.

Mediate

Mediate technical discussions and effectively drive and communicate decisions.

Meet

Meet with appropriate SMEs to review & obtain signoff for Cost & Design solutions.

Mentor

• Mentor and train the internal team on design and architecture best practices.

• Mentor developers on best practices, processes, and platform knowledge.

• Mentor other architects in the organization into more senior roles.

• Mentor other less experienced automation engineers.

Monitor

• Monitor active Business Processes and assigned schedules.

• Monitor adapter performance and configure changes as required (IBM Control Center monitoring).

• Monitor and troubleshoot integration processes and resolve issues.

• Monitor application design and ensures compliance with architectural standards.

Onboard

Onboard new employees by creating and supporting user accounts and user groups.

Optimize

Optimize integration performance and scalability.

Oversee

• Oversee architectural aspects of business solution development / deployment.

• Oversee daily monitoring of multiple B2B and systems integration workflows.

Own

Own and aggressively drive forward specific areas of technology architecture.

Participate in

• Participate in business development as needed.

• Participate in code reviews and provide feedback on integration implementations.

• Participate in the product roadmap and product strategy definition.

• Participate in the test definitions and activities at full system level.

Perform

• Perform code review and code refactoring.

• Perform system and data integration analysis and mapping.

• Perform technical configurations, such as network communications and adapter configuration.

Plan

Plan, manage, and deliver projects on time.

Prepare

Prepare and obtains approval of system and programming documentation.

Present

Present solutions to the architectural review board for approval and suggestions.

Procure

Procure support and funding from the leading stakeholders in the enterprise.

Produce

Produce High Level Designs (HLDs) which illustrate infrastructure and / or software interactions.

Propose

• Propose algorithmic solutions to address the technical requirements.

• Propose the technology choice for the solution.

Provide

• Provide architectural blueprints and technical leadership to our IT team.

• Provide ARIS portal leadership and coaching in deployments to businesses.

• Provide baseline security standards and policies for multiple projects of high complexity.

• Provide design recommendations based on long-term IT organization strategy.

• Provide lab and vendor support.

• Provide Level 3 support for all data applications, especially for integration layer.

• Provide research and development activities for architecture.

• Provide robust, secure, sustainable solutions that are fiscally responsible.

• Provide security expertise.

• Provide solution guidance / definition, oversight, and governance for implementation teams.

• Provide support for estimation of infrastructure needs for API and integrations solutions designed.

• Provide technical and architectural leadership.

• Provide technical consultation for technology and data solutions based on business needs.

• Provide technical consultation for technology solutions based on business needs.

• Provide technical direction to the development teams.

• Provide technical feedback to optical, FW, SW, HW and DSP engineers to reach desired performance.

• Provide technical guidance and support to development teams.

• Provide technical leadership and mentoring throughout the project lifecycle.

• Provide technical support during system upgrades and migrations.

• Provide thought leadership on the product technical roadmap and other integration areas.

Publish

Publish and present solutions in large forums of peers and customers.

Recommend

Recommend changes in development, maintenance and system standards.

Represent

Represent your unit in dealings with senior management committees and decision-making bodies.

Research

• Research and implement tools in Data Integration space, especially using service based architecture.

• Research and propose innovative technical integration strategies and solutions.

Resolve

Resolve inter-application communication issues and conflicts.

Review

• Review and approve interface design and specifications.

• Review and ensure architectural designs are consistent, maintainable, flexible, and cost effective.

Revise

Revise and adjust as technology and the business changes.

Set

Set strategic direction for the evolution of the company services, infrastructure & applications.

Set-up

Set-up automation and version control system as it relates to Digital Hardware build.

Shape

Shape the adoption of latest standards and involve in road map decisions for integration.

Specify

Specify lab equipment and build automated test setups to characterize early prototype TROSA and ASIC.

Standardize

Standardize maps and transformation techniques for various ERPs.

Stay updated with

Stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in integration technologies.

Strength

Strength in coaching and advising clients, partners and project teams.

Study

Study and document architectural frameworks and reference material.

Support

• Support and mentor other technical team members.

• Support implementation and operational strategies, approaches and execution.

• Support in the development of architecture products.

• Support legacy enterprise, middleware applications and environments.

• Support MS / QMS ARIS Portal deployments as part of PQMS strategy.

• Support to test & integration architecture.

Track

Track record delivering complex programs within budget, time, scope, quality.

Train

• Train and mentor junior integration resources.

• Train user personnel in the conversion and implementation of the system.

Understand

Understand and adhere to governance mandates of zero growth, virtualization first.

Update

Update, maintain and post accurate Design deliverables to Project repository.

Use

Use audit records and trace logs to provide reporting as required.

Work with

• Work with and advise the QA team on the design of test plans, test cases and on automation.

• Work with client to understand Business Requirements as documented in Business Requirements Document.

• Work with customers to solve problems and support their needs (6 years).

• Work with data and analytics experts to strive for greater functionality in our systems.

• Work with Solution Architect to validate the overall integration design.

• Work with stakeholders to develop a migration path to the target architecture.

• Work with Supply Chain Management to obtain quotes for hardware where appropriate.

• Work with technology teams and beyond to realize their implementation.

• Work with the data team on tenant builds and functional data mapping.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of an Integration Architect:

1. Proficiency in integration technologies such as ESB (Enterprise Service Bus) and API gateways.

2. Strong knowledge of messaging protocols like HTTP, SOAP, REST, JMS.

3. Experience with middleware platforms such as MuleSoft, IBM Integration Bus, or Apache Kafka.

4. Expertise in designing and implementing integration solutions using APIs and web services.

5. Knowledge of integration patterns such as publish/subscribe, request/reply, and event-driven architectures.

6. Familiarity with cloud integration platforms like Azure Logic Apps or AWS Lambda.

7. Understanding of data formats and transformation techniques such as XML, JSON, XSLT, and XPath.

8. Proficient in programming languages like Java, C#, or Python.

9. Experience with database systems and SQL for data integration.

10. Knowledge of security protocols and standards like OAuth, SSL, and SAML.

11. Ability to use integration development tools such as Anypoint Studio or IBM Integration Toolkit.

12. Understanding of enterprise integration patterns and SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) principles.

13. Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools for CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment).

14. Experience with version control systems like Git or SVN.

15. Knowledge of containerization technologies like Docker or Kubernetes.

16. Understanding of event-driven architectures and streaming platforms like Apache Kafka.

17. Proficiency in data integration tools such as Informatica or Talend.

18. Knowledge of enterprise messaging systems like IBM MQ or Apache ActiveMQ.

19. Understanding of API management platforms and gateways like Apigee or Kong.

20. Familiarity with enterprise application integration (EAI) patterns and tools.

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of an Integration Architect:

1. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

2. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

3. Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

4. Strong leadership and mentoring abilities.

5. Adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies.

6. Effective time management and organizational skills.

7. Attention to detail and a focus on quality.

8. Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

9. Strong collaboration and teamwork abilities.

10. Customer-oriented mindset and a passion for delivering value.

Conclusion

Integration Architects is responsible for ensuring smooth and efficient communication between various systems and applications. With their technical expertise, analytical mindset, and effective collaboration skills, they enable organizations to achieve seamless integration and unlock the full potential of their software systems.