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May 5, 2025 · 4 min read timeImagine a project where excitement quickly turns to frustration – confusion created by poor communication, endless timelines, and unclear roles. Delays caused by vague customer needs. Every step feels heavy while progress crawls forward, draining energy and turning work into a struggle. But what does this imaginary scenario have to do with a solution architect, the mastermind who turns business challenges into well-structured, efficient systems?
"The greatest challenges I've faced on any project always boil down to communication and timelines. The solution is often better planning. For example, statistical analysis from previous projects is useful in planning new features and maintaining a sustainable pace without overwhelming the team. Sometimes, I’m almost like an agile coach to my clients," Joakim Sandström, Senior Solution Architect at Nitor, explains.
While the unofficial agility-adjacent role might be outside of Sandström's day-to-day job, the skills complement his job as a bridge between business needs and technical execution. Sometimes, the client might need training in effectively planning upcoming tasks, or the entire team could benefit from the clarity and business perspective that Objectives and Key Results help achieve.
"Instead of dictating how things should be done, I prefer to work with developers and data scientists to create well-designed and functional systems. It helps when the entire team focuses on features rather than just engineering or tasks," Sandström points out.
Improving cost-related processes requires a wealth of conversation
Sandström studied at Arcada University of Applied Sciences and initially started consulting in 2001 as a developer. After spending some time working in-house in the banking industry, the veteran architect returned to his consulting roots by joining Nitor in 2017. Soon after, he started with a long-standing client in aviation that has offered many learning opportunities along the way.
"I have probably completed around ten projects with my current client. At the moment, we are working on improving their payment and cost-related processes and analytical capabilities. My job is to make technical decisions and design the architecture," Sandström explains his role within the team of architects and data scientists.
Learning driven by curiosity
The vast majority of Sandström's work includes discussions with different stakeholders, who all have priorities and needs. Figuring out a way to consolidate the payment processes from a technical point of view is only one side of the solution – Sandström also needs to ensure the architecture is secure and can evolve over time. This, of course, yields plenty of new learning opportunities for the curious architect.
"The project is highly data lake-oriented. That means we have a centralised storage with vast amounts of raw data for further processing and analysis. I’ve found the idea of working with larger data sets intriguing for a long time, and I’ve finally had the opportunity to learn how to do so properly."
To Sandström, learning while working is extremely valuable. A previous co-project with a fellow Nitorean left Sandström equipped with tools and techniques he still uses daily.
"Service design gives one tools to look at the bigger picture more cohesively. This comes in handy in my current project, as I need to plan data flows and discuss with business leads on how they want to use data and which processes they want to improve," he mentions.
The path of learning is a lifelong journey
Looking to the future, Sandström sees artificial intelligence as a significant agent of change for the industry. He believes that learning to use AI tools and keeping up with technological advancements is essential to staying relevant in the ever-evolving field of digital development.
"In the end, there will always be a need for someone to talk to people and translate their needs to developers or the AI to do the actual magic. However, my work also involves architectural archaeology, as I need to understand how old systems work. AI could help dig and digest information," Sandström explains.
Throughout his career, Sandström has emphasised hands-on learning. He attends conferences, reads articles and blog posts, and participates in Nitor's internal lightning talks to share and gain knowledge.
Sandström's career is a testament to his passion for technology and problem-solving, which also serves to feed his boundless curiosity. The early days of coding and the current responsibilities in making systems and teams more efficient are all about solving real-life problems for his clients. Occasionally, whatever he is working on seems to solve itself almost unexpectedly.
"One of my favourite things is our lunch runs with Nitor's running community, and I like to keep going. Running is all about sustainable pace and fresh air, which help maintain balance and meet new people. Sometimes, running helps to process and generate new ideas. Problem-solving doesn't always happen sitting next to a computer," he concludes.
The article series highlights the experiences of Nitoreans in continuous learning as part of their daily customer work. At Nitor, professional growth builds on training, collaborative learning, mentoring, Nitor Core time, and interesting customer projects. This article series stems from a desire to show appreciation for learning while working, the fundamental pillar of everyday professional development.
