As a Salesforce Commerce Cloud developer, you may have reached a point in your career where you feel ready to take on a more strategic role and transition into an architecture role. Making the jump from developer to architect can be challenging and exciting, but you can successfully make that transition with the right approach and mindset!
Build a strong foundation in Commerce Cloud development
Before you can become an architect, it’s crucial to have a solid foundation in Commerce Cloud development. This includes understanding core concepts such as the Salesforce Commerce Cloud architecture, using APIs and integrations, and building and maintaining custom functionality.
Develop a broad understanding of the platform
As an architect, you’ll need to have a comprehensive understanding of the Commerce Cloud platform and how it can be used to solve business challanges. This includes the various features and capabilities of the platform, as well as how to use them to build custom solutions.
You’ll be responsible for designing and building custom solutions on the platform and helping shape your organisation’s technology strategy.
Here are some specific areas where it can be helpful to develop a deep understanding of the platform:
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Platform architecture: Understanding the architecture of the Commerce Cloud platform is necessary for building custom solutions that are scalable, reliable, and maintainable. This includes understanding how the platform is organised, how data is stored and accessed, and how the various components work together.
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Platform features and capabilities: The Commerce Cloud platform offers a wide range of features and capabilities that can be used out-of-the-box or to build custom solutions. As an architect, you’ll need to have a comprehensive understanding of these features and how to use them to create solutions that meet your organisation’s needs.
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Platform integrations: The Commerce Cloud platform can be integrated with various other systems and data sources, including CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and more. As an architect, you must understand how to use APIs and other integration technologies to connect the platform to these other systems.
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Best practices for building on the platform: Certain best practices should be followed when building custom solutions on the Commerce Cloud platform. These best practices can help ensure your solutions are scalable, reliable, and maintainable. As an architect, it’s important to be familiar with these best practices and to apply them when designing and building custom solutions.
Expand your knowledge beyond (B2C) Commerce Cloud
As an architect, you must understand the various technologies and platforms used to run Commerce Channels.
Here are some specific areas where it can be helpful to expand your knowledge:
Integration options: As an architect, you’ll likely need to work with various integration technologies to connect the Commerce Cloud platform with other systems and data sources. This could include APIs, webhooks, and other integration technologies.
Other platforms and technologies: Understanding different platforms and technologies that may be relevant to your organisation. For example, if you’re working in the retail industry, you should understand point-of-sale systems, inventory management systems, and other commonly-used technologies.
By expanding your knowledge beyond Commerce Cloud, you’ll be better equipped to understand the broader context in which your solutions are being built and to design and develop more integrated and holistic solutions.
Gain experience in project management
As an architect, you’ll manage projects and lead development teams. It’s important to have experience in project management, including understanding how to scope and plan projects, track progress and identify issues, and work with cross-functional teams to deliver successful projects.
Understand the business needs and goals of your organization
As an architect, you’ll communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, such as business leaders and merchandisers. It’s critical to be able to clearly and effectively communicate your ideas and solutions and to be able to work well with others to achieve shared goals.
Understanding your organisation’s business needs and goals is a core aspect of transitioning from developer to architect in Salesforce Commerce Cloud. As an architect, you’ll be responsible for helping to shape the direction of your organisation’s technology strategy and for designing and building custom solutions that meet the needs of the business.
Here are some ways you can understand the business needs and goals of your organisation:
Work closely with business stakeholders: Take the time to understand the needs and goals by asking questions to understand better how technology can support and enable objectives.
Attend meetings and participate in discussions: Participating in meetings and discussions with business stakeholders can be a great way to learn more about your organisation’s business needs and goals. This could include attending strategy sessions, project meetings, or other discussions where the direction of the business is being discussed.
Review documentation and reports: Reading documentation and reports can be a helpful way to better understand your organisation’s business needs and goals. This could include reviewing business plans, marketing materials, financial reports, and other documents that provide insight into the direction of the business.
Keep up with industry trends
The technology field constantly evolves, and an architect must stay current on the latest trends. This could include reading industry blogs and publications, attending conferences and events, and participating in online communities and groups. Stay current on industry trends to ensure your organisation uses the best and most effective technologies and approaches.
Be open to learning and continuous improvement
Being open to learning and continuous improvement is an important aspect of being an architect. The field of technology is constantly evolving, and it’s vital for architects to stay up-to-date.
Here are some specific ways you can stay open to learning and continuous improvement:
Seek out new learning opportunities: You can continue to learn and grow as an architect in many ways. This could include taking online courses or attending workshops, participating in hackathons or other events, or attending conferences and other industry events. You can stay current and relevant in your field by actively seeking out new learning opportunities.
Collaborate with others: Collaborating with other professionals can be a great way to learn and grow as an architect. This could include working on side projects with peers, participating in hackathons or other events, or joining a study group or mentorship program.
By staying open to learning and continuous improvement, you can ensure that you’re always learning and growing as an architect and can make valuable contributions to your organisation.
Build a network and seek out mentors
Connecting with other architects and industry experts can be a powerful tool to help you navigate the transition ahead. Whether it be through joining industry groups or communities, attending conferences, or seeking out mentors within your organisation, the support and guidance of others can help you achieve your goals.
Together, we can build a better future for architecture.
Taking on the challenge
Transitioning from a developer to an architect in Salesforce Commerce Cloud might be challenging, but it’s worth it. With a strong foundation in Commerce Cloud development and expanding your knowledge beyond the platform, you can successfully make the transition.
Keep learning and growing!
