In almost every aspect of life, macro and micro planning has an important place. Because planning is the only way to get the best results with limited resources. We can achieve systematic, sustainable, efficient and satisfying results by capitalizing on and building on past experiences. When we look at good results in many areas such as family economy, national economy, building construction, city construction, etc., we observe that these are essentially the result of good planning.

The way to get a good result in the software world is through good architectural planning. With proper planning, we can achieve a good software architecture that suits the needs of our project. The larger and more complex the software project, the more we need a well thought out and well planned architecture.  When the software architecture is designed correctly, it has very important benefits and these benefits are the basis for the success of the project throughout its life. 

The main benefits of a good software architecture;

1. Modularity

2. Sustainability

3. Security

4. Project Management

5. Documentation

Let's take a detailed look at these topics.

Modularity

In a good software architecture, a project consists of modules and components.  Thus, each module can be developed independently. If we look at the main advantages that modular structure provides to the project;

-The scalability of the project increases as the project in a modular structure will be more flexible.

-Reusable components developed with modular structure prevent code repetition and ease of use. This also saves time and labor.

-Modularity allows developers to develop in parallel at the same time: In this way, targeted improvements are realized in a much shorter time, so productivity is at a high level.

Since these modules are developed independently of each other and the relationships between them are clearly defined, testing processes are often module-specific and much simpler.

- Debugging and troubleshooting processes are inevitable throughout the life cycle of a software project. Clear relationships between modules allow these bugs to be detected and resolved faster. At the same time, fault isolation is at a high level in the modular structure. An error that occurs in a module is usually limited to that module. Thus, service disruptions are minimized.

Sustainability

One of the benefits of a good software architecture is sustainability. If we examine sustainability in detail;

-Correctly designed architecture is the main factor in adapting to new changes needed. Thus, it can be easily adapted when adding new features or changing existing features. This agility is very important in today's world where technology is so advanced. This adaptation will also lead to the longevity of the project.

-A good software architecture reduces the hardware costs of an organization because it uses resources correctly and efficiently. Less hardware is also important in terms of less energy consumption. In addition, efficient use of resources is also effective in increasing the performance of applications. This is an essential part of a good user experience. A good user experience leads to loyalty and contributes to the sustainability of the project.

As a result, sustainability in software architecture is of great importance to minimize environmental impact, optimize resource use and ensure the long-term viability and efficiency of software systems.

Security

The digital environment is full of potential threats, including viruses, malware and cyber-attacks. Many industries have strict regulations on data and privacy protection. Complying with these regulations is not only a legal requirement, but also necessary to maintain trust and reputation with customers. For applications related to banking or financial transactions, security is even more critical. Security measures ensure that only authorized users can access certain functions or data within a system. This prevents unauthorized users from modifying or accessing sensitive information. A good software architecture takes security components into account when designing it. Issues such as data access, managing sessions, encryption of data are handled as part of the architecture. Thus, security vulnerability is minimized.

Project Management

A good architecture also facilitates project management. It helps to easily determine which modules will be developed and by whom or by whom. Thus, the division of labor can be done more efficiently. In addition, in projects with a good architecture, it is easier to consistently set milestones, effort and deadlines for the work to be done. This gives managers the advantage of proper management of resources and accurate planning.

Documentation

One of the biggest advantages of a good software architecture is that it is very easy to create documentation for each part of the project.

Documentation is essential for large software projects. It allows developers, analysts and test engineers to understand the design, structure and functionality of a software project. These documents are of great help when a new team member joins the project or when an existing member wants to know about a work that needs to be modified. These documents also serve as a common reference between team members, making it easier to work together and helping team members to have a common understanding. This also minimizes misunderstandings.

Throughout the life cycle of large projects, many new team members are brought into the project. The rapid adaptation of these team members is crucial for the successful progress of the project and the efficient use of resources. In projects with a good architecture, the adaptation of a new member is much faster. If we talk about a software developer, by reading the architecture documentation and the documentation of the relevant module, the developer has a lot of information about both the architecture and the relevant module. When this developer is able to develop on a module based on this information, he/she naturally has more information about the architecture and when he/she needs to develop on other modules, he/she can do it faster than before. In the same way, the adaptation of analysts and test engineers also takes place quickly thanks to this documentation.

Conclusion

To summarize, the most important factor for software projects to progress with minimum problems and maximum efficiency in many aspects of their life is to have a good foundation. The foundation of a software project is the architecture of that software. While a poorly designed architecture can make things difficult and sometimes inextricable, a well-designed architecture can also make things easier with great benefits such as increased performance, preventing complexity, providing solutions against errors and risks, increasing quality and reducing the cost of code.

Bibliography

1.     25.09.2023, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330202271_What_is_a_Software_Architecture

2.     05.10.2023, https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/fundamentals-of-software-architecture/

3.     07.10.2023, https://10xers.medium.com/the-importance-of-software-architecture-for-the-success-of-your-project-3abdaed5f335

4.     30.09.2023, http://gsaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2003s13_northrop.pdf

5. Bass, L., Clements, P., & Kazman, R. (2013). Software Architecture in Practice (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley.