Service-Oriented Architecture Promises Increased Flexibility (continued)
avoiding redundant development efforts. If, on the other hand, IT finds that the automated credit check service doesn't exist, they can then begin to develop, create and test one.
"By identifying a coherent body of services needed for a given business domain, and by designing each service to deliver a clearly scoped, complete business unit of work, you create an inventory of business services that, in effect, provides a digital model of your business capabilities," Heffner explains.
Break Down the Business Functions
"Understanding how the business functions is key to identifying which services will succeed in an SOA environment," says Columbus, Ga.-based Frank Braski, manager of IT Applications Services at insurance giant Aflac. Braski breaks down what he calls "the business taxonomy" into seven data concepts, among which an enterprise "can practically model and define anything," he says. Those concepts are:
- Relationships
- Parties (people)
- Products (things)
- Agreements
- Locations (places)
- Attributes
- Financial instruments
Unearthing artifacts is essential in every case. Artifacts are the instructions that explain specific business processes and services. This information includes: who owns the service, the performance requirements for the service in production, the current usage of the service, which applications are using the service and who can see the service.
"The key to understanding what business processes exist and how to create new ones is to ensure that the instructions are available in a repository and are easily understood by different parts of the organization, both business and IT," says Carter. (article continues)
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