Friday, January 25, 2008

Welcome

Welcome to the APConnsulting blog on Solution and Usage Architectures.

The area of solution architecture is broad and often confusing. For some, it is an architectural description of a product or service offering or set of offerings developed for targeted at businesses based on well-known or anticipated needs.

Customers like to view Solution Architecture in a different way. Many businesses and even individuals have complex sets of needs, desires, and directions that are not easily answered by combinations of existing products and services. It may not be clear that a solution is possible, or the solution may involve specialized adaptations of existing technologies, changes to products and services, or new combinations of them.

Too often technologists seem to follow the maxim “Where there is a way there is often a will.” The means justify the ends. They know how to do it, so that’s what they’ll do.

This blog is about the customer’s perspective. How do understand what you need, what you may want, and how you want to get there? How do you articulate that to those who might build you a solution? How do you make sure that your concepts and vision are truly understood and will result in a solution that does the right thing for you? That’s what this blog is all about.

We are writing a book about this. We need to capture as many ideas as possible. We need scenarios. We need examples of how seasoned consultants missed key aspects of a solution.

If you have suggested topics to cover, please send email to me. See our Contact APConnsulting, LLC page to send email. Since this is a blog rather than a bulletin board, I need to do most of the posting of your feedback. I can add selected names to the list of members once I am familiar with your interests and contributions.

Alex