Can service-oriented architecture (SOA) succeed without good governance? More and more companies are recognising that the answer is likely to be "No".
Peter Hill, managing director of the IT Governance Network, says companies rushing into SOA are frequently "putting the horse before the cart".
They are acquiring technology without understanding what is actually needed to support the business' value proposition. By investing heavily upfront in technology, IT management is setting the bar for delivering value very high, creating additional pressure at a time when there are already enough other challenges to address.
Under pressure from the business to provide quick solutions, IT organisations have found the promise of SOA to be enticing. But Hill says few organisations have the organisational maturity that is required for SOA to deliver on its promise.
Firstly, in almost all organisations business currently plays a very small part in the effective governance of their information technology resources. If the business doesn't already "own" its data, Hill predicts the path to SOA is going to be difficult.
SOA cannot deliver real value without involving the business. It's a top down process that requires the participation of business leaders from the beginning. The success of SOA is going to be as much the responsibility of business as it is that of IT management. Something the business has been unwilling to accept. Good governance is going to be crucial, and it starts with accountability for the decisions being made.
Good decision-making requires sound processes and a willingness to adhere to the defined procedures. Hill says the current level of maturity in many organisations is low. Processes are not well-defined and decision-making authority has not been established at the process level. Too often organisations are managing their IT by committee. It is not uncommon to find 10 or more at an IT meeting. Often the process needed to reach a decision is not clear.
Secondly, SOA has to be built on a reliable platform strictly adhering to open standards. Compromises are not an option. If not properly crafted, SOA will fail miserably. There is no place for favours, egos and politics. Decisions have to be sound and taken as a result of good practices being used to prepare for the decisions needed. Switching to SOA will require greater reliance on policies, contracts and service level agreements.
Thirdly, the support processes for SOA need to be in place. Few organisations have established well-defined practices for their development and run-time environments. Even less have effective processes for strategic planning, managing the investment, governing service providers, and measuring performance. Most organisations continue to depend on a few key individuals, consultants and vendors for their success.
The IT Governance Network assists clients with SOA implementation and governance. It is vendor-neutral and therefore able to provide independent assistance. Recently the IT Governance Network launched a range of SOA and SOA governance seminars to assist organisations take advantage of SOA.
For more information, visit www.soagovernance.co.za.
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