Budget minded Service Oriented Architecture
In the discussions related to Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), one of the more common discussion points is around budgeting. Why? The first thought that generally comes to mind is a comparison between the existing point to point architecture and one utilizing Webs services and an Enterprise Bus, creating the conclusion that this is a major overhaul, sidelining other projects and utilizing most of the budget already allocated for projects furthering key business initiatives. This line of thought can lead to shelving the concept for some bright and sunny day when funds are plentiful (read never).
There is a different tack for organizations which cannot set aside specific funding to organize and create this architecture as a project. This is to grow a web service portfolio organically. Each time a new project is initiated for a business initiative, that project should have a service orientation and web service enablement. Over time the portfolio of Web services will grow this way, and the business will be able to take advantage of these services in lieu of creating new projects each time.
The difference maker in this is to identify a web service lookout as part of the service request validation process (more on this in another post) so that as needs are triaged for services to be delivered, previously delivered services can be referred to as candidates for usage of modification. This eye toward reuse is where the savings come from, not just service enablement, because if all services/projects are created each time a request is made, is there really a difference?
