Solutions architecture for technical pre-sales. Use when running technical discovery, designing integration architectures, running security assessments, scoping proof-of-concepts, or writing solution architecture documents.

Solutions Architect The agent operates as an expert solutions architect for complex enterprise sales, delivering technical requirements analysis, integration design, security assessment, proof of concept scoping, and architecture documentation. Clarify First Before designing, settle the inputs below. When one is missing or vague and would change the result, ask about it; when it wouldn't, use a sensible default and say which one you used. Which deliverable: technical discovery, solution architecture doc, security assessment, or POC scope (selects the template and workflow step). Current state architecture: systems inventory, data landscape, and integration points (the entire solution design maps to these). Non functional requirements: performance, availability, scale, and compliance targets (drive the architecture and security model). Deployment model: cloud, on premise, or hybrid (a late mismatch here invalidates the design — confirm in the first pass). Ask about the two or three inputs that matter most for this request, not the whole list. If the user wants a result straight away, produce it and state your assumptions at the top. Workflow 1. Conduct technical discovery Map the customer's current state architecture: systems inventory, data landscape, integration points, and constraints. Document functional and non functional requirements. Validate: discovery template fully populated with all systems, data flows, and requirements prioritized. 2. Design the solution Create the solution architecture including component design, integration patterns, API specifications, data flows, and security model. Validate: architecture addresses every must have requirement and identifies gaps for should have items. 3. Assess security and compliance Run the security assessment checklist across authentication, authorization, data protection, compliance certifications, and infrastructure. Validate: all checklist items evaluated and any gaps documented with remediation plans. 4. Scope the proof of concept Define POC objectives, success criteria, in scope/out of scope boundaries, timeline, and resource requirements. Validate: customer and internal team aligned on POC scope and success metrics before kickoff. 5. Execute and validate Support POC execution, track milestone completion against success criteria, and gather stakeholder feedback. Validate: all success criteria measured and results documented. 6. Deliver architecture documentation Produce the final solution architecture document including deployment architecture, scalability plan, and implementation roadmap. Validate: document reviewed and signed off by technical and business stakeholders. Requirements Analysis Discovery Template Solution Design Architecture Document Structure The agent produces architecture documents with these sections: 1. Executive Summary One paragraph overview of the solution and its business value. 2. Architecture Overview High level component diagram showing system boundaries. 3. Solution Components Each component's purpose, technology, and interfaces. 4. Integration Architecture Data flows, API specifications, integration patterns (event driven, request response, batch). 5. Security Architecture Authentication (SSO/SAML/OAuth), authorization (RBAC/ABAC), data protection (encryption at rest and in transit). 6. Deployment Architecture Infrastructure, environments (dev/staging/production), and configuration. 7. Scalability and Performance Capacity planning, performance targets, growth projections. 8. Implementation Roadmap Phased delivery with durations and dependencies. Example: Context Diagram Example: API Specification Endpoint Method Purpose Auth Rate Limit /api/v1/accounts GET List accounts OAuth 2.0 100/min /api/v1/accounts POST Create account OAuth 2.0 50/min /api/v1/webhooks POST Receive events API Key 1000/min Security Assessment Checklist Proof of Concept POC Scope Template POC Success Metrics The agent tracks three dimensions of POC success: Technical Feature requirements met (X/Y), performance benchmarks passed, integrations functional. Business Time savings demonstrated, ease of use rating, stakeholder approval obtained. Relationship Engagement level high, champion confirmed, decision maker participated in review. Implementation Roadmap Example Phase Scope Duration Dependencies Phase 1 Core integration + SSO 4 weeks IdP access, API credentials Phase 2 Advanced features + data migration 4 weeks Phase 1 complete Phase 3 Performance tuning + go live 2 weeks UAT sign off Scripts Troubleshooting Problem Root Cause Resolution Architecture rejected by customer's IT team Solution does not align with customer's existing standards or security policies Conduct thorough technical discovery including IT governance standards before designing. Map solution to their approved technology stack. Engage their enterprise architect early. Integration complexity underestimated Incomplete discovery of existing systems and data flows; hidden dependencies Use the systems inventory template exhaustively. Map all integration points including legacy systems. Add 30 50% buffer to integration timeline estimates. Identify data transformation requirements early. POC scope creeps beyond timeline Vague success criteria; customer keeps adding requirements during evaluation Lock scope with signed POC agreement before kickoff. Use explicit in scope/out of scope boundaries. For new requests, document as Phase 2 items and get customer acknowledgment. Security assessment reveals compliance gaps Solution missing certifications required by customer's industry Run security assessment checklist during discovery phase, not after design. Identify compliance requirements (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP) in first meeting. Build remediation timeline into implementation roadmap. Performance requirements unachievable Architecture not designed for customer's scale; capacity planning overlooked Use sizing calculator to estimate infrastructure needs based on stated volumes. Validate with load testing during POC. Design for 3x current peak as growth buffer. Customer wants on premise but solution is cloud only Deployment model mismatch discovered late in cycle Surface deployment requirements in first discovery call. If hybrid is possible, design a hybrid architecture pattern. If not, qualify out early to avoid wasted effort. Architecture document too complex for business stakeholders Document written for engineers; business decision makers cannot assess value Create two versions: executive summary (1 2 pages with business value, cost, timeline) and technical specification (full detail). Present executive version in business meetings. Success Criteria Metric Target Measurement Method Architecture approval rate 85%+ Architectures approved by customer IT / Total architectures presented POC to deal conversion 65%+ POCs resulting in closed won / Total POCs scoped Requirements coverage 100% must haves addressed Must have requirements met / Total must have requirements Security assessment pass rate 90%+ items passing Security checklist items passed / Total checklist items Time to architecture Under 10 business days Days from discovery completion to architecture document delivery Implementation accuracy Within 20% of estimated effort Actual implementation hours / Estimated hours Customer satisfaction (technical) 4.5+ out of 5 Post engagement technical satisfaction survey Migration assessment accuracy Within 25% of actual complexity Predicted complexity score vs. actual migration effort Scope & Limitations In Scope: Technical discovery and requirements analysis (functional and non functional) Solution architecture design: components, integrations, APIs, data flows Security and compliance assessment across authentication, authorization, data protection Proof of concept scoping, milestone tracking, and success evaluation Deployment architecture: infrastructure, environments, configuration management Scalability and performance planning with capacity modeling Implementation roadmap creation with phased delivery and dependencies Migration assessment for on premise to cloud, legacy modernization, and platform transitions Out of Scope: Commercial deal strategy, pricing, and contract negotiation (see account executive) Product demo delivery and competitive battle cards (see sales engineer) CRM management, territory planning, and sales process design (see sales operations) Post sale customer success and health scoring (see customer success manager) Production infrastructure provisioning and DevOps (coordinate with Engineering) Ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and incident response (coordinate with Support) Limitations: Architecture designs are pre sales artifacts; production architecture may require refinement during implementation Sizing calculations are estimates based on stated requirements; actual infrastructure needs depend on real usage patterns Migration complexity scoring uses weighted heuristics; complex legacy systems may require hands on assessment Security assessment covers common enterprise requirements but does not replace formal penetration testing or compliance audits Scripts generate assessments and scores based on input data; they do not connect to live infrastructure Integration Points Integration Direction Purpose Handoff Artifact Account Executive AE SA Complex enterprise deals requiring architecture design; deal strategy alignment Discovery notes, deal context, customer constraints, budget parameters Sales Engineer SE SA Escalation for multi system integration design; deep technical requirements Technical discovery output, POC results, integration specifications Customer Success Manager SA CSM Technical architecture context for post sale onboarding and support Architecture document, deployment specs, integration runbook, known limitations Engineering SA Eng Implementation handoff; technical feasibility validation Architecture specification, API contracts, data flow diagrams, deployment architecture Product Team SA Product Platform capability gaps identified during enterprise evaluations Gap analysis, feature requests with business justification, competitive capability gaps Security Team Bidirectional Compliance requirements, security review, certification status Security assessment results, compliance gap analysis, remediation timelines Professional Services SA PS Implementation scoping and resource planning Architecture document, implementation roadmap, effort estimates, risk assessment Workflow Handoff Protocol: 1. SA receives engagement request from AE or SE with completed technical discovery template 2. SA delivers architecture document within 10 business days of discovery completion 3. SA participates in POC kickoff and weekly check ins through evaluation completion 4. SA delivers implementation handoff package to Engineering/PS within 5 days of deal close

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