SOA Pitfalls and Success Factors to make SOA Program succeed

1. SOA Success Factors
Mohamed Wassel Belhadj
Chief Enterprise Architect & ICT Strategist

2. THINGS TO CONSIDER & AVOID
IN SOA PROGRAMS
SOA Success Factors

3. Think Business
• Do not instantiate any SOA project
when there is no need to
• Always have C-Level Support
• Elaborate Business Case studies
(ROI, TCO) thoroughly
• Align Technology to Business
• Innovate in Architecting / Re-
Architecting the Business Processes
• Look for Added Value to Customers
• Think Business and not simply
innovation

4. Think Architecture
• SOA should be an Enterprise
Architecture Outcome and not simply
a Trend
• Have a comprehensive
Vision, Strategy and Roadmap
• Do not think Products but mainly
Standards
• Be Selective and Realistic
• Look for Mature Standards and
Sustainable Investments
• Reconsider Business Processes when
necessary and think about Efficiency
and Performance which are visible by
stakeholders and customers
• Be Agile and think about future
integration needs. Prepare an SOA
integration baseline for future needs
• Always have Security in mind

5. Think Governance
• Assign the right Governance to the
SOA program all along a Solid High
Level Management Support & By-In
• Apprehend a Change Management
Approach with Stakeholders and
Teams before any implementation
• Organize Teams around the new
Approach. Adjust your Governance
and Management Tools Accordingly
• Governance should be Service
Oriented

6. Think Program
• SOA is a Program and not a Project so
roughly think about Services Operations
and Managing all Services Lifecycles
• Assign the right Budget to SOA Program
Activity
• Manage Finance and Performance
• Work closely with your Stakeholders and
don't be Over-Realistic
• Document all your Processes, Deliverables
and Artifacts
• Seriously implement Persons-Loose-
Coupling Approach in your SOA project
• Look for Quick Wins
• Advertise Project Cornerstones as Success
Points
• Communicate, Communicate and
Communicate.
• Adapt your terminology to different
audiences

7. Think Operations
• Elaborate SLAs with Customers
• Monitor, Supervise and manage
KPIs
• Report KPIs to Business & Higher
Management
• Elaborate SOA DashBoard
• Adjust SOA to new Emerging Needs