An experienced solution architect working on commerce renewal – a story of continuous learning

Toni Tapper has worked at Nitor for over a decade, with the primary title of solution architect, and his responsibilities with a travel industry client have expanded greatly over the years. In addition to the architect role, Tapper handles numerous practical matters and ensures that the client's teams have the right talent in the right roles.

Tapper's current project has been in development for over three years. The goal is to renew functionalities related to payment processing and to identify areas where automation can play a greater role. Other key goals include reducing overall costs and sharpening the client's competitive edge for the future.

"Automation plays a significant role. We've thoroughly examined which partially manual processes can be made more efficient, and how these enhancements would best serve the client's overall business. Many tasks that previously required manual work are now being reconsidered through automation," Tapper explains.

Building the functionalities of the future

According to Tapper, a major part of a solution architect’s role is understanding the client's business goals and determining what actions best serve those objectives within a technological framework. In other words, Tapper acts as a kind of catalyst, ensuring the client's goals, projects, and challenges are properly translated into actionable operations for the technical teams in charge of production.

"For a solution architect, understanding context is typically the most crucial aspect. You have to grasp the client's business goals and align them with technological possibilities and limitations. Mastering the whole starts with seeing the big picture, but a deeper understanding often requires exploring the details. With this current project, I had to start from the basics and envelop myself in areas like the technical keystones of payments, method functionalities, and accounting," Tapper continues.

The travel industry brings its sector-specific considerations to payment processing. Important elements include risk sharing in payment flows, the coexistence of legacy systems at different lifecycle stages, and partner collaboration.

"This has been a broad and diverse undertaking, as the structures related to payment processing are inherently complex. I want to give huge credit to the client for trusting me and providing the time and resources necessary to map out needs and truly dive deep into the structures of payment systems. This project wasn’t about immediate results, but about sustainable outcomes – after all, we are building the functionalities of the future," Tapper notes.

Contextual mastery breeds stronger professionalism

Tapper adds that in his work, the best path to acquiring new knowledge is through understanding the bigger picture and its surrounding context. With this project, that has entailed a critical examination of the core aspects of payment systems, which has yielded Tapper significantly expanded understanding of the field.

"The updates won't necessarily make themselves known to the end customer, but they play a key role in securing the company's future competitiveness. In business, every incoming payment represents a cost of its own, and reducing those numbers has been one of the main goals of the project alongside strengthening competitiveness and the role of automation," Tapper points out.

The project has now reached a phase where plans materialise into practical actions with the whole team's combined efforts. This has offered Tapper a front-row seat to new practical insights:

"Now I get to take part in how the broad-strokes designs are fused into form-fitting parts of the client's processes," Tapper says.

Payment-related matters form a complex whole that requires unique expertise. Tapper believes he will find use for the skills and knowledge in payment systems and digital transactions in the future as well. The deep dive into a previously unfamiliar topic has provided him with expertise even a limited number of veterans working in the digital realm possess.

"That's what our work is often all about – striving to increase productivity by doing things better, more smoothly, and with fewer risks. Thanks to this project, I have accumulated a significant amount of rare expertise in a highly specific area. I’m sure I’ll leverage this insight in the future," Tapper 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.

Are you passionate about learning new things and want to develop your skills through client work that offers opportunities for professional growth? We are looking for an experienced Solution Architect. Is that you?