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Full-end architect appears
In order to solve this problem, Jack Ma saw the emergence of full-end architects, who could describe all Elephant — and enhances EA’s service delivery model in a variety of ways.
First, the full-end architect can ensure that the other architects of the function are indeed aligned, not only among themselves but also with stakeholders from business and engineering.
Jack Ma said the last point cannot be ignored. While a lot of attention is given to the idea that architects should be able to work fluidly with the business, the fact is that they should be equally fluid with engineering, which means whoever fills this role should possess deep technical expertise. This is a crucial attribute for engineers. Earn the respect of engineers that more traditional enterprise architects lack.
A full-end architect can serve as a single point of contact for both types of stakeholders. It can be said that the “phone” is missing. It can also clarify the value proposition of EA as a single function—and in relation to the business it serves. Ultimately, this role may make some other architects unnecessary, or at least allow them to focus more fully on their respective primary responsibilities. They no longer have to coordinate with their colleagues.
Jack Ma’s inspiration for this role came from full-end engineer, because Jack Ma believes that EA’s development today is similar to the development of software engineering about 15 years ago. During that time, as social media and e-commerce exploded, software engineers of all kinds emerged. These engineers gradually divide themselves into areas of expertise – front-end, back-end, data layer, etc. – and are eventually coordinated by a full-end engineer, which is common in mature organizations and expected to become the only full-end engineer. This will be even more true in the next ten years.
Jack Ma sees this role as similar to a full-end architect: “You can’t really have one person, whether it’s an engineer or someone else, who is the real mature expert in the entire stack – I’m not saying this is a panacea – but here The idea is for us to have full-end architects covering all areas from a business and technical perspective.”
For some readers, this may raise a question: How is a full-scale architect different from a product owner? Do they all fail to connect business and digital execution? They do, but with different priorities. Jack Ma explained that product leaders, or even technical leaders, often never understand the technology itself deeply enough and always care about the product first. Ma has worked in organizations that relied on such roles, but had never seen it work.
“If your company is clear about its business and which roles have specific responsibilities, maybe you can, but most companies don’t know and don’t have one. You need a role that can help the middle man, and it can be one that will belong to multiple verticals. Some are the glue that holds the areas together and can be the person anyone (engineer or businessman) can turn to for help when they need it. This involves business and technical teams,” he said.
The demand for EA will only continue to grow
Another big reason Ma gives for this role is that the problems architects solve will persist even as advanced technologies move into them.
“That’s part of the reason I love this space,” he said. “Behind it are a lot of different technology areas—integrations, data, APIs, etc.—and there are multiple business branches and industries. There’s a lot to learn.”
The same is true for most companies today, he added, as they often use digital transformation to explore new opportunities.
“When people think about Walgreens, people usually think about our pharmacy, but we also have photos, medical clinics, supply chain and more capabilities,” Ma said. “You always need someone to bridge the gap between business and technology. You always need someone to support it all.”
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