Value dimensions of SOA explained
Explaining the value dimensions and examining the measurable sub-dimensions.
In the previous post we started off with defining the value dimensions of SOA and the need for understanding the value dimensions of IT architectures. In this post we shall go a little bit deeper into each of the dimensions listed. Expansion of the high level value dimensions into measurable sub-dimensions is important to capture some of the benefits. Organisational value dimension has time to market and support for emerging scenarios as the key sub-dimensions. Business Process value dimension has sub dimensions such as modifying existing business processes and cost and time of introducing new business processes. Technology value dimension has sub dimensions such as interorganisational collaboration, loose coupling, reduced complexity and ease of integration, reduced cost and time of internal integration, partner integration (customers, vendors), reduced cost and time of introducing new applications, modifying existing applications, reduced cost and time of introducing new IT infrastructure, modifying existing IT infrastructure and scalability of systems. Standards value dimension has benefits from low vendor lock-in and platform and technology independence as sub dimensions. Re-use dimension has re-use of infrastructure, re-use of business models, re-use of processes and re-use of applications as sub dimensions. People dimension has IT personnel efficiency and standardised employee skill-sets as sub dimensions.
In the next post I will go into the results of our research which looked into the relative importance of each of these value dimensions as well as sub-dimensions.
