The role of a software architect includes clarifying requirements, designing structures, designing cross-cutting concerns, communicating architectures, evaluating architectures, and writing architectural elevator pitches.
Some working modes for software architects include the Ivory Tower setting, emerging architecture, dedicated folks for certain parts of an architecture, and a dedicated architecture position in a team.
Many organizations are shifting away from economies of scale, where I.T was treated as a cost center, and towards economies of speed, where the goal is to optimize for speed.
The goal of having agile cross-functional teams is to have teams that have autonomy over certain things, have a clearly defined purpose, and can master some stuff from their domains.
The two obvious stakeholders are the developers in the streamerline team and the architects.
The role of architects should shift from instructing to coaching to mentoring, and they need to be enabled to take on this task in a decent fashion.
The job of Senior Management is to set and manage expectations, show new career paths, and be the leaders of the cultural change that goes with the implementation of the enabling team.
HR is interested in contracts, salaries, and legal stuff, and they want to be informed about the overall transformation. They may also need to make adjustments to role descriptions and be aware of any roadblockers in the salary band system and career path system.