Product Description
In the book Dr. Michael Poulin argues that the modern way of thinking about Service Orientation opens up new possibilities for Business and IT to construct business-oriented customer-centric convergent solutions for business problems. The Service Orientation concept has the potential not only to align IT with Business, but also to align the entire company with the market dynamics. A Service-Oriented Enterpris – SOE – is the organisation constructed and operated based on the principles of Service Orientation throughout Business and Technology.
In the Service-Oriented Enterprise, many familiar aspects of the organisation’s life appear differently. This is why the book talks about the most important of them, such as:
* Business-Technology relationship
* Organisation’s structure and culture
* Management authority and accountability
* Innovations, development funding, and ROI
* Governance of service-oriented solutions (SOS)
* IT, Programme, and Project management (ITIL)
* Enterprise Architecture in Business and Technology (TOGAF)
* Modelling, design, and development practice (DOSOMA(c) and DDD)
The transition to SOE is a collaborative process of many mounting steps. SOE cannot happen instantaneously because it demands some changes in the organisation and execution of Business and IT operations; it also requires new habits of thinking in the service-oriented manner. This book is intended to help recognise the ladder steps to SOE, why and who has to take them. Though these steps are common, each company has to choose its own way of climbing the ladder.
It is a good book for thinkers – it is not preaching but rather discussing solutions to the problems. I recommend this book to people interested to learn how to cross IT barrier into the business and make real value of service orientation at all enterprise levels including management, design and development.
Rating: 5 / 5
Discussion on definition and background information seems to make this book another abstract concept book, but after the few introductory chapters, this book goes into discuss more practical issues. For example, a much needed equation for flexibility is provided as well as equations for service-oriented solution.
Most books are written solely with the purpose to conveying the author’s single view. This books, however, contains quotes from many references so readers will be able to know how many organizations view concepts related to SOA. For example, readers will be able to find definition of “SOA” by IBM, W3C, Wikipedia, and OMG. Furthermore, related topics such as OOA, EDA, process-driven architectural types are also discussed so readers will be able to better comprehend the differences.
With so many quotes, this book may look like it’s just a collection of quotes but it actually goes on to try to derive a workable definition based on enterprise view (SOE – Service Oriented Enterprise). Enterprise view is advocated over isolated business view to obtain the business goal.
I recommend this book as the first book to read to anyone who is interested in knowing more about service orientation. The book is compact but there are many references at the end of each chapter to for further reading.
Rating: 5 / 5
Finally, someone said it! Your SOA can not be success without Business taking SO to the heart! I wish I knew this before taking on my previous project. This book show you that Service Orientation is today’s business best strategy. It is Business that should request services and SOA from IT organizations – then all ladder steps fall in place. The other aspect I liked is wide range of opinions quoted and discussed in the book. I feel I’m being involved into cutting edge developments on the subject
Rating: 5 / 5
I think the author was able to provide deep analysis of all aspects of interactions between business and information technology. He nicely bridged SOA+Business=SOE. The question in my mind still remains is it really possible to build this ideal SOE ?! I will recommend this book to system architects, product managers, program managers who are working on or are interested in SOA, ITIL, Service Driven Data Centers. This book is definitely thought provoking !
Rating: 5 / 5
It is an unusual book -Ladder to SOE: How to Create Resourceful and Efficient Solutions for Market Changes within Business and Technology.
While the author seems to be a technical architect, the book crosses into the business side and examines SOA or rather it examines Service Orientation at the enterprise level through the business eyes. This approach makes sense because it explains many problems we are having with SOA in IT. The book gives original recommendations and treatments for these problems.
What’s surprised me the most is that this book is very well in line with recent OMG Business Ecology Initiative (BEI); I did not expect to find a book on BEI yet.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bridging between Technology and Business as well as to any technical architect dealing with SOA.
Rating: 5 / 5