1. A method for designing an architectural solution, the method comprising: receiving, by a computer, functional requirements and nonfunctional requirements; responsive to receiving the functional requirements and nonfunctional requirements, producing, by the computer, first level outputs; receiving, by the computer, further input through a guided questionnaire, wherein the guided questionnaire is based on the first level outputs; and responsive to receiving the further input, producing, by the computer, a list of client specific components and subcomponents, a client specific solution reference architecture, and a set of reference links, wherein the architectural solution is designed within the constraints of a business analytics and optimization reference architecture and customer information technology environment, wherein the business analytics and optimization reference architecture comprises a predefined architectural pattern and supporting artifacts to enable use of the predefined architectural pattern, wherein the predefined architectural pattern comprises a set of layers, a set of cross layers, or both the set of layers and the set of cross layers, wherein the predefined architectural pattern comprises the set of cross layers, wherein the set of cross layers comprises a business process management cross layer, a service management cross layer, an information governance cross layer, a collaboration cross layer, a security, privacy, and compliance cross layer, a transport and delivery cross layer, and infrastructure cross layer, wherein the business process management cross layer includes a management approach based on continually improving and optimizing business processes using business value and technology as drivers, wherein the service management cross layer includes a set of disciplines that aligns technology investments with business objectives, wherein the information governance cross layer defines data in a consistent, coherent, and comprehensive way to achieve business objectives, wherein the collaboration cross layer enables finding people and information, wherein the security, privacy, and compliance cross layer describes policies, practices and controls used to mitigate risk and protect data assets, wherein the transport and delivery cross layer enables information sharing, authoring, and analytics in a collaborative manner, and wherein the infrastructure cross layer includes a listing of hardware, and software needed to build the architectural solution.