Choose the architecture route
Technical architecture focuses on code, data, integrations, security, and operations. Solution architecture also covers wider business design and cross-workstream choices.
Employers may combine these responsibilities. Read the target role carefully before choosing the next assignment.
From development
Strong coding gives you depth in part of the system. Add design work that crosses boundaries, such as an integration with access and recovery requirements.
Write options and trade-offs before building. Follow the design through testing, release, and support so you can judge its behaviour.
Ask an architect to review your assumptions. Keep the feedback and show how it changed the design.
From functional leadership
Deep module knowledge provides a base. Add experience of decisions that affect finance, operations, data, integrations, and reporting together.
Lead a cross-workstream discussion with a clear decision to make. Record constraints, owners, and the consequences for each team.
Learn enough technical context to ask useful questions. Work with specialists where you do not hold the required depth.
Readiness evidence
- You can explain options and the reason for a design choice.
- You understand what happens when a dependency fails.
- You involve the people who own affected processes and services.
- You follow decisions through delivery and learn from the result.
Build responsibility in steps
Seek ownership of one design area before a whole solution. Agree review points and a clear escalation route.
A title change without wider assignments will not fill the gap. Use job interviews to check the actual design scope and support.
Practice task
Your practice checklist
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Study and qualifications
Use current product and implementation guidance to structure learning. Check the retirement register before selecting architecture exam training.
Treat certification as supporting knowledge. Architecture evidence comes from decisions, review, and responsibility for how a system works.
Sources and further reading
Use these sources to check product details and find learning material. Check exam and course details before booking.
- Microsoft Learn: Dynamics 365
- Microsoft: roles in an implementation team
- Microsoft: exam retirement dates
Work examples are learning exercises. Duties and job titles vary between employers. How we write and update our guides.
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