The Insider's Guide to Business and IT Agility
By Dennis Byron, Analyst, ebizQ , 11/24/2008
Print this article
Email this article
Talk Back!
Write to Editor
Let's be clear. There is really no such thing as SOA BPM. One is a design model; the other is a value proposition. One has been around a lot longer than the other. But they do go together nicely.
Service oriented architecture (SOA) is one way to build information technology (IT) infrastructure. It is the design model that will most likely dominate the IT market through about 2020 because it adds the concept of utility-like computing to the re-use and interoperability promised in earlier IT architectures such as client/server (C/S). But SOA is still just one way of putting your IT assets-physical and logical-together.
Business process management (BPM), on the other hand, is a value proposition. That value can be achieved using many different types of software (e.g., straight-through processing-STP, workflow, collaborative, enterprise content management-ECM) running 'on top of' varying architectures of which SOA is only one. For example, everything from Microsoft Project to BMC Remedy's Action Request System to IBM Rational tools can help users manage business processes.
Your options are not just the products with BPM somewhere in their name and SOA on the first page of the data sheet. Still, BPM and SOA are a good fit.
One of the best ways to look at business processes and workflows is as services. Although it is possible to have a heavier modular view of a service-as opposed to a lightweight componentized view-the SOA concept really does not make much sense without hundreds or thousands of highly granular components, rather than a few or a couple of dozen modules.
These services are the pieces-artefacts in computer-science speak-that provide the benefits users expect of SOA. Because even the largest traditional software suppliers are unlikely to build thousands of such services, due to a limited market demand for each service individually, the BPM value proposition, where workflows are 'developed by' line management and end users-and shared around companies and supply chains-make a great source.
These fine-grained services need to be decoupled literally or figuratively from individual applications (and pieces of infrastructure software) and stored in repositories. SOA and BPM intersect so well because straight-through business processes and human-centric workflows-and their hybrids-can be built, rebuilt and executed as lightweight services. There are two types:
1
ROUNDTABLE: Stretch Your Budget with smart SOA Governance-A Look at Successful Case Studies
ROUNDTABLE: Open Source Market Update
Insurance: Explore how SOA & BPM are driving down expenses and improving ROI
BPM VIEWPOINT: Are You Asking Yourself the Hard Questions about BPM in Today's Economy? 
BPM VIEWPOINT: Does Oracle/Sun Mean It's a Horse Race for BPM?
Managing Case Management Within BPM
BPM VIEWPOINT: How Do You Look at BPM?
When It Comes to BPM Type, It All Depends on You
BPM VIEWPOINT: Does Case Management Fill in the Gaps in the BPM Spectrum?
ebizQ is very interested in what you have to say. To contribute an article, an opinion, or to become a blogger, please contact Peter Schooff.
You need Adobe Flash Player 9 to view this widget.
June 3, 2009
One of the most compelling trends in the enterprise business technology space over the past year has been the emergence of cloud computing. In ebizQ’s upcoming Qcamp virtual un-conference, leading industry experts and practitioners will explore the role of service-oriented architecture (SOA) and business process management (BPM) in supporting cloud-computing initiatives. Additionally, the new skills that developers and IT managers need for successful cloud development will be discussed.Register
Date: Aug 26, 2009
Time: 12:00 PM
ET- (16:00 GMT)
Date: Sep 30, 2009
Time: 12:00 PM
ET- (16:00 GMT)
Date:Aug 26, 2009
Time:12:00 PM
ET- (16:00 GMT)
Date:Sep 30, 2009
Time:12:00 PM
ET- (16:00 GMT)
In this research report, Gartner analyst, Massimo Pezzini outlines twelve mistakes that are commonly made when organizations are setting up their...
Download Now
In part two of Joe McKendrick's recent podcast with Miko Matsumura, chief strategist for Software AG, they talk about how SOA and IT systems need to change and grow and adapt with the organization around it.
Listen Now
Phil Wainewright interviews David Vap, VP of products at RightNow Technologies, and finds out how sharing best practices can help businesses understand how best to engage with online communities.
Listen Now
Scott Hebner, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for IBM Rational, discusses a topic on the top of every company's mind today: getting the most from IT investments.
Listen Now
In BI, this tough economy and the increasing role of Web 2.0 and MDM are certainly topics on people's minds today. WiseAnalytics' Lyndsay Wise addresses each of them in this informative podcast.
Listen Now
Deepak Singh, President and CTO of Adeptia, joins ebizQ's Dennis Byron in a podcast that gets its hand around the trend of industry-specific BPM.
Listen NowFrom Dennis Byron: For BPM to fit at the top of the stack, it can't merely support workflow or integration. It needs to integrate the BI aspects of the stack, too. Learn More
In the insurance industry, companies have accepted that systems, strategies and data all developed in silos are making it difficult for them to grow and adjust to today’s market demands. The obstacles imposed by siloed approaches are painfully obvious to companies as they try to gain a better understanding of their customers and meet the growing constraints imposed by compliance and regulatory requirements. Leveraging industry standards with full data integration is one was to tackle this challenge. Learn More
From Dennis Byron: Is it better to choose one strain of BPM over another? The answer is unique to your organization. Learn More
Can decision management really deliver costs savings, agility and happy customers on a consistent basis? Learn More
From Dennis Byron: BPM products optimized for case management might be the products that bridge the extremes in my view of the BPM spectrum. Learn More
Integrating BPM and CEP gives you intelligent business processes that can react to rapidly changing business conditions with continuous visibility. Learn More
Insurers need to think about creating "true linkage," which means linking business strategy to process to IT investments and thereby setting the foundation for true change. Learn More
To be effective, business intelligence technology must work behind the scenes to deliver relevant information when, where, and how it's needed. Learn More
A lot of people are talking about Enterprise 2.0 as being the business application of Web 2.0 technology. However, there's still some debate on exactly what this technology entails, how it applies to today's business models, and which components bring true value. Some use the term Enterprise 2.0 exclusively to describe the use of social networking technologies in the enterprise, while others use it to describe a web economy platform, or the technological framework behind such a platform. Still others say that Enterprise 2.0 is all of these things. Learn More
Smart event processing can help your company run smarter and faster. This comprehensive guide helps you research the basics of complex event processing (CEP) and learn how to get started on the right foot with your CEP project using EDA, RFID, SOA, SCADA and other relevant technologies. Learn More
To Michael: To select what has to be improved (e.g. automated), a...
Hi Johan,
thank you for such prompt response.
I...
Phil,
It appears that Google is looking at the world...
I believe work has been done in this area privately for some time....
I wonder if BPM has become more popular because many solutions...
We are looking for a FileNET admin/developer in Houston, TX. The...
As we see more companies consider the cloud we should be...
Scott,
I agree that process management is good way for...
|
|
|
|
