Architecture design means different things to different people. Partly because its potential to manipulate and engineer technology to serve specific business needs is so varied. Here are three of the top use cases we see within the course of a software development project.
1. Breath new life into a legacy platform.
This scenario is a common one. A business has already invested time, energy and manpower into sustaining and using an existing platform. But, the writing’s on the wall. It just doesn’t function like it used to. Processing time is slower. Users can’t access it on their platforms of choice. Lately, it’s become more of a nuisance than a necessity. Yet — the data stored within the platform is valuable.
Why build an entirely new solution to satisfy the need for more efficiency or wider accessibility? Rather, architect an adaptation so you can maximize the value of your existing solution.
Often, businesses see value in using a historic platform on a mobile device. A simple API will establish this new communications channel.
Reinvigorating an old platform might also involve connecting a new or third-party application with a legacy application allowing you to optimize workflow and advance business processing capabilities.
2. Gain operational control of your platform.
When designing a consumer-facing solution, it’s easy to focus on the experience — how users will interact with your solution and what they will gain. That’s the right approach. After all, solutions with staying power are those that offer the most value.
But, a partner invested in your success will encourage you to take a step back and circle around for a 360 view of how business users will engage with and manage the solution. For instance, say a user has violated the terms of engagement with your solution — maybe it’s a blog or community. How do you revoke access? Or, say a user wants to unsubscribe. How can you ensure they will no longer be contacted? It doesn’t help anyone for the owners of a solution to be helpless in maintaining it.
The answer to all this and more is a simple two-word phrase with near limitless potential: Admin panels.
Admin panels give you the operational control you need to participate in, manage and own your software. Building in this feature can be easy to overlook, but the visibility and control they provide are critical to maintain a successful user experience.
3. Leverage the value of third party services.
Third party services are a key way businesses can redirect their time and focus custom development on the specialized features unique to their value propositions. Does it make sense to expend effort custom coding features like digital payment processing or address validation? Third party services do this and do it well. By paying to access and incorporate, the services add value for comparatively little cost without the onerousness that comes from building or managing them.
Third-party services also excel at managing batch data rather than one-off calculations, so they’re a perfect addition to any architecture design toolkit for retailers or manufacturers.
Even more uses for architecture design
+ Relational and NoSQL Databases
+ Queues
+ IaaS Platforms
+ Multi-tenant SaaS platforms
+ Content distribution networks
+ Application servers
+ File and object storage
+ Load balancers
+ Legacy systems integration
Want to learn more about the potential to incorporate an architecture design initiative into your next project? Talk with us.
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