The Architecture Gathering: Top Tips for IT Architecture Leaders in 2025
The recent Architecture Gathering brought together professionals from various industries, providing valuable insights and discussions. Key feedback from attendees highlighted the following themes:
Common Challenges Across Industries
Attendees noted that despite working in different sectors, the challenges in architecture remain similar, particularly in IT operations and IT architecture. Regardless of industry or maturity level, organizations are facing comparable issues and are finding unique ways to address them.
Architecture and C-Suite Visibility
There was widespread agreement that architecture still lacks sufficient visibility and recognition at the C-suite level. Enhancing the awareness of architecture's strategic value among executive leadership remains a priority.
Importance of Soft Skills
The discussion underscored the importance of soft skills for architects. Many believe that these skills should be a core component of training for all aspiring architects, alongside technical expertise.
Business Architecture's Practical Challenges
While "Business Architecture" seems logical in theory, its real-world application presents significant challenges. Many agreed that its practical use does not always align with its theoretical framework.
Evolving Nature of Architecture
There is no single, predefined definition of architecture roles. Instead, it is a dynamic discipline, continuously evolving to meet the needs of businesses and technology landscapes.
Collaboration and Cross-Pollination
Attendees appreciated the collaborative nature of the discussions, noting that cross-pollination of ideas from different industries is essential to drive progress in the field. This exchange of ideas helps organizations tackle their shared challenges more effectively.
Improving Tool Utilisation
Better utilisation of architecture tools, especially to represent business architecture artefacts, was highlighted as an area for improvement. Attendees recognised the need for more effective tools to visualize and document architecture work.
Misunderstanding of Architecture’s Role
Architecture is still misunderstood within organizations, particularly in differentiating between Enterprise, Business, and Technical Architecture roles. This lack of clarity often hampers its effectiveness across different layers of the business.
Overall, the gathering fostered a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the architecture discipline, emphasizing the need for improved communication, collaboration, and skill development across the industry.
Did you miss out on previous events? You don’t have to…
The Architecture Gathering at Tattu provided a platform for Architecture leaders across Yorkshire and the North to discuss challenges, gain insights, and share perspectives on the theme of 'People.'
Key Points:
- Diverse topics on 'People': Attendees explored topics like attracting and retaining architects, building an Architecture community, and career progression, offering fresh insights on the career journey of an architect.
- Board-level support: Senior leadership endorsement of Architecture is crucial for its growth and success within organizations.
- No one-size-fits-all: Different organizations require unique approaches to building and maturing Architecture Practices, with varied skillset needs and talent development strategies.
- Key takeaway: The event highlighted the importance of diverse perspectives and flexible approaches in navigating Architectural challenges.
On 6th April 2023, SPG Resourcing hosted its first Architecture Gathering, where leaders discussed challenges and opportunities in aligning Architecture with Product and Agile methodologies.
