Reviewing the Software Team: Who is Creating My Application?

Here at SOLTECH, we have consulted with hundreds of clients over the years. A question we’re often asked right away is “who will be working on my project?” We understand that not everyone is aware of the roles each person plays when developing custom software, so we’re here to help explain.

The Roles on a Software Team

The number of people who work on your project will widely vary and depend on how large and complex the project is. Most commonly, a project will include an assortment of the following roles during some part of the development process:

• Solutions Architect
• UX Designer
• Application Architect
• Software Engineer
• Interface Engineer
• Technical Project Manager
• Quality Assurance Engineer

Now, you’re probably wondering who does what on the software team, and why it takes a variety of folks to create a software application. That’s a valid curiosity; let’s dive a little deeper into each role and what it is they do.

First, your project will likely, consist of the following different phases:

• Discovery
• Design
• Implementation

Discovering and Learning About Your Software Project

In the Discovery Phase, Solutions Architects begin the process of truly understanding your business’ technology needs. They’ll dive deep into your established requirements, as well as investigate the unknowns that could vastly improve the value a software application can bring to your organization.

They might create user stories, consult with various members of your team, and lay out the design architecture required for the Design and Implementation phases.

Designing Your Software Project

Next, during the Design Phase, you’ll work with User Experience Designers to create the best experience for your end users. This includes the visual to the navigable elements of your project. They will create wireframes, mockups, and visual assets to help you visualize the end result.

Translating Your Software Ideas Through Implementation

In the Implementation Phase, multiple people will work on your application, including a technical project manager who will steer the ship and communicate status to you every step of the way.

Project Managers ensure the project is completed on time and within budget, as well as provide translation between our client and the engineering team. Application Architects, Software Engineers, and Interface Engineers all play specific roles in writing the code that is essential to a fully functioning application.

Let’s dive a little deeper into each one of these roles:

Application Architects lead the software architecture and technical guidance on project teams. They work directly with the Solutions Architects to ensure the right technology choices are made, as well as guide resource allocation according to the needs of an application.

They help select the Software Engineers and Interface Engineers that will be required to make a project a success. Software engineers take over the server-side development, while Interface engineers write the code that will interact directly with the end user. Quality Assurance Engineers work in tandem with the rest of the implementation team, testing code as it is written from the developers so that a smoothly running application is created in the end, and all possible bugs have been anticipated and resolved.

We hope this helps you understand the roles that make software projects a success. If you’d like to learn more, or would like to employ SOLTECH’s expertise in your next project, please reach out at hello@soltech.net.

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