We hear a lot about SOA governance in the context of policy enforcement and change management. But, ultimately, none of this will mean a thing if there isn't a meeting of the minds. That's what will make or break an SOA effort.
Let me put it into a simple formula:
Sharing and reuse = Communication + cooperation + vision
In other words, various business units, development and architectural teams will need to open up, lay down the weapons, put aside the conflicting agendas, and talk with each other. Easier said than done sometimes, I know. But without negotiation, you end up Service-Averse Architecture instead of SOA, and my colleague Elizabeth Book will not be happy to hear that.
In a new post, MomentumSI's Jeff Schneider discusses the role of negotiation in the SOA governance process:
'SOA will force more occasions where departments and business units will need to find a common ground. I.T. shops have had the need to negotiate for shared infrastructure in the past. If you move forward with SOA, this activity increases significantly. There are no magic answers to SOA Governance. ...Make sure that the tools, processes, roles and committees are in place to make the negotiation process as efficient as possible. Said another way, a competitive advantage for the Service Oriented Enterprise is the ability to efficiently negotiate differences and take action."
Well said, Jeff.
Leave a comment