Solution architecture: Ops topology, DEP diagrams, and third-party registers

If you are building a company and feel lost about solution architecture operations, you are not alone. This phase exists so your Strategy Pack stays honest—not pretty.

What this phase is really about

Solution architecture models how work gets done when the product is not only software: people roles, tools, partners, fulfilment, and hand-offs. Mermaid diagrams show context and delivery topology; EXTAPP entries tie vendors and carriers to channels and journeys. Pure software stacks defer to /tech and ArchitectureAgent; hybrid packs split code (/tech) from ops and supply here.

In Sculptor, SolutionArchitectureAgent keeps the conversation anchored to Solution architecture so you do not mix this work with other phases. That separation is how consultants run engagements: one room, one decision set, one artefact pack.

Why teams skip this (and regret it later)

Service and physical-product teams copy generic “cloud architecture” slides that do not match how they deliver value. Without SOLARCH-001, org design and finance plan for headcount and tools that nobody mapped—and hybrid offerings blur software vs operations until launch week.

Questions this phase must answer

• What is the end-to-end delivery path from customer need to fulfilled outcome?
• Which people roles, tools, and partners are mandatory for MVP?
• Where do digital touchpoints meet physical or field delivery?
• What third-party vendors, carriers, or marketplaces are on the critical path?
• Which operating model options differ on cost, speed, and risk?
• What trust boundaries exist for customer data and contracts?
• What should stay on /tech vs this phase for hybrid offerings?
• How do DEP diagrams trace to backlog, journeys, and BMC channels?

Deliverables you should leave with

Solution architecture artefacts describe how the offering is delivered end-to-end—context and value-chain diagrams (DEP), operating proposals (DEPPROP), and a curated third-party register (EXTAPP)—scaled to offering type.

• SOLARCH-001 solution architecture overview with offering-type boundaries
• DEP-CTX-001 context diagram (people and systems, not code modules)
• DEP-001 primary delivery or value-chain topology
• DEPPROP-001 operating model proposal for MVP
• EXTAPP-001 third-party register with owners and MVP vs later flags

What to prepare before you start

• SCOPE-001 offering type and segment context from /strategy
• Backlog MVP slice or roadmap themes from /road
• Customer journeys or CX moments if /cx is complete

Who should own the answers

Founder, COO, or operations lead owns SOLARCH and DEP narratives; product clarifies hybrid software boundaries; finance reviews DEPPROP cost bands. Engineering participates when digital integrations are material but does not own pure services topology.

How this connects to the rest of your pack

This phase sits in the Solution and operations group on the Strategy Pack journey.

Previous: Earlier phase

Next: Next phase

See the complete phase guide for all specialists.

Examples from the real world (names changed)

A field-services startup DEP-001 mapped lead → schedule → visit → invoice before hiring dispatchers—TLNT and FINC used the same nodes.

A D2C physical product team EXTAPP-001 listed contract manufacturers and 3PL carriers tied to ROAD milestones, avoiding a single-supplier surprise at holiday scale.

Use this in Sculptor tomorrow

1. Open Sculptor and create or open a workspace project.
2. In Chat, type /solarch or pick Solution architecture from the command palette—the same rules apply as the slash.
3. For breadth, start an Agentic Strategy Pack run; the phase executes in journey order and saves library assets.
4. Read From specialist chat to a library-ready Strategy Pack for how chat and Agentic runs fit together.

Keyword focus: solution architecture operations, Strategy Pack coach, startup strategy planning, AI strategy specialist.