At Vodafone, our core philosophy revolves around the power of collaboration. We not only believe that “Together we can”, but we actively engage in “Doing It together”.

This time, Digital and Core IT Solution Architects of Vodafone joined forces within the context of a transformative enabler. 

We organized a Design Hackathon with the aim of designing the solution for a common challenge faced by the company. Rather than working in silos, we took advantage of the opportunity to work in mixed groups, leveraging the diverse perspectives, expertise, as well as the way of work of the two Chapters. 

Delving into organizational details, the two teams were divided into mixed groups, each tasked with gathering requirements and brainstorming over the problem. Additionally, each group was provided with a structured yet flexible framework to guide their discussions, ensuring that all aspects of the problem were thoroughly examined.

Therefore, the final deliverable included:

• High-Level Design: This encompassed the architecture diagram, the data model, and the API operations along with some samples.
• Performance and Scalability Considerations: Teams addressed how the solution would perform under different loads and how it could scale to meet growing demands.
• Cost Analysis: An evaluation of the financial implications of the proposed solution was also provided. 

Within a specific timeframe, teams had to push the boundaries of conventional thinking to design a solution that tackles the problem from multiple angles, all while adhering to Vodafone's Technical Golden Rules. Once the criteria were met, the board of judges revealed the winning team that offered an innovative solution through divergent thinking. The outcome was a rich collection of ideas and insights that laid a strong foundation for the next phases of the project. 

As expected, the benefits of this collaborative initiative were plentiful. 

By pooling talents and resources with diverse skill sets were generated underlying challenges and ideas, that may tackle the issue head-on, possibly leading to the development of a transformative enabler for Vodafone. What is more, this synergy provided an opportunity for the Digital and Core IT Solution Architects to forge stronger bonds and foster a deeper understanding of each other's work processes, and at the end, to enjoy the fruits (or at least the pizzas) of this initiative. What is most important is that the board of judges, coming from the department of Enterprise Architecture, shared with the teams the ultimate goal of redefining the way we approach solution design.

To wrap up, in an era defined by rapid technological advancements, cross-collaboration has become vital and can foster innovation. Looking ahead, Digital and Core IT SAs, we will continue driving organization's mindset change, as well as provide customer centric solutions with cutting edge technologies.