Enterprise Business Architecture (EBA) and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Initiatives

Author(s)

Enterprise Business Architect, Independent Consultant
Ralph Whittle is co-author of a book titled, Enterprise Business Architecture: The Formal Link between Strategy and Results, CRC Press 2004. He is a Strategic Business/IT Consultant and subject matter expert in Enterprise Business Architecture development and implementation. He has built Enterprise Business Architectures in various industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, financial, and technology. He has worked in the IT industry for over 26 years, conducting engagements in enterprise business process modeling, strategic/tactical business planning, enterprise business requirements analysis, enterprise business architecture and IT architecture integration, strategic frameworks integration with systems development methodologies and IT service offering enhancement. He is a co-inventor of a patented Strategic Business/IT Planning framework.

Most companies today have a strategic initiative focused on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) development. Some of these efforts struggled in the early days, but many now have clear goals and measurable objectives. Many of these same companies also have an Enterprise Business Architecture (EBA) initiative as well, or at least some type of Business Process Modeling or Business Process Management initiative. Here again, initially it was a struggle, too. For the early adopters it is always a struggle, but then again, visionary companies initiate pioneering efforts and average companies wait for easier times.

The integration of EBA and SOA initiatives may offer some benefits and ease this struggle. For years many of us have said, “Technology enables the business!” In a similar fashion, perhaps now it is time for some of us to say, “The EBA enables SOA!”

The EBA is a blueprint of the enterprise built using architectural disciplines to improve performance. It integrates the business processes into an architecture used for business design, analysis and performance improvement. If built properly through the judicious use of aggregation and decomposition techniques, the enterprise’s “functional” structure is disassembled and then, reassembled and redesigned into a “value stream” structure. The value streams contain effective business process components, many of which use supporting IT to achieve high levels of efficiency and automation. A component is a nontrivial, nearly independent, and replaceable part of a system that fulfills a clear function in the context of a well defined architecture1.

For example, let us take a look at two components in the Order-to-Cash value stream. Before allowing the purchase of a product, the customer’s credit card or personal check is validated. Both of these payment types require some sort of authentication and authorization with the appropriate financial institution. Later in the process, the receivable transaction is posted to the General Ledger.

Payment validation and General Ledger posting are just two examples of important and necessary components in the Order-to-Cash value stream. Each represents a service that is provided using software residing on a network. A service is (Ideally) a self-contained, stateless business function that accepts one or more requests and returns one or more responses through a well-defined, standard interface2. If we continue evaluation of all components, in all value streams, we may better determine the most important and common services to develop in order to improve the business, basing development priorities on strategic needs. We can evolve these components into services that the business users can understand. Taking this business perspective, we may promote the reuse of existing IT assets rather than duplicating or reinventing them. A result achieved from employing the EBA to understand the enterprise.

This represents an example of the synergy between an integrated EBA and SOA strategic initiative. As we mature the SOA development from the guidance provided from the EBA, we are led by priorities based on strategic business objectives. Perhaps this affords additional opportunities in other process improvement and reengineering efforts. Instead of building new processes or reengineering existing processes from a “blank” white board, we begin by assembling processes from our inventory of well-defined and proven services. From a strategic perspective, this enables us to deliver new and improved capabilities to the marketplace better, quicker and at a predictable cost.

Early SOA initiatives were most likely started as IT projects. Perhaps they were adrift somewhere in the IT organization. Others were part of an IT strategy, but were still behind the scenes with limited visibility to the business community. By forming a nexus between the EBA and SOA, you have an opportunity to harness the power of two strategic initiatives, setting the expectation of gaining a competitive edge, higher profits or improving productivity.

Early business architecture initiatives usually got started when someone realized that the independently built, graphical process models needed to be connected and integrated. The business architecture enables you to control the evolution of the process models, ensuring integration “as you go” rather than attempting to force fit loosely associated components together “at the end.” Reuse of architectural components and services becomes apparent when viewed through the EBA, supporting a cultural behavior that can return value to the enterprise.

When considering EBA and SOA initiatives or reevaluating their progress, take the time to understand the potential benefit to the enterprise through integration of these initiatives rather than treating them as two stand alone strategic initiatives. You just might see how the EBA enables the SOA!

References:

1. Philippe Kruchten, The Rational Unified Process: An Introduction (Addison Wesley Longman, Inc. 1999), 89.

2. Wikipedia, Service-Oriented Architecture – SOA Definitions.

Similar Resources

Enhancing Your Team’s BPM Capabilities: The Value of External Expertise

Enhancing Your Team’s BPM Capabilities: The Value of External Expertise

Author(s):

Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org

Enhancing Your Team's BPM Capabilities: The Value of External Expertise In today’s dynamic business environment, managing and improving business processes is critical for any organization aiming to maintain a competitive edge. Many companies consider handling Business...

Exploring Shared Data Model and Notation (SDMN) and Its Role in BPM+

Exploring Shared Data Model and Notation (SDMN) and Its Role in BPM+

Author(s):

Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org

Exploring Shared Data Model and Notation (SDMN) and Its Role in BPM+ Introduction In the evolving landscape of Business Process Management (BPM), the introduction of Shared Data Model Notation (SDMN) marks a significant advancement. As businesses increasingly seek to...

Embracing the Future: Low-Code and No-Code Platforms in BPM+

Embracing the Future: Low-Code and No-Code Platforms in BPM+

Author(s):

Editor & Founder, BPMInstitute.org, BAInstitute.org and DBIZInstitute.org

Embracing the Future: Low-Code and No-Code Platforms in BPM+ Introduction In the realm of business process management (BPM), low-code and no-code platforms have emerged as transformative tools, reshaping how organizations develop applications and manage workflows....

Featured Certificate: BPM Specialist

Everyone starts here.

You're looking for a way to improve your process improvement skills, but you're not sure where to start.

Earning your Business Process Management Specialist (BPMS) Certificate will give you the competitive advantage you need in today's world. Our courses help you deliver faster and makes projects easier.

Your skills will include building hierarchical process models, using tools to analyze and assess process performance, defining critical process metrics, using best practice principles to redesign processes, developing process improvement project plans, building a center of excellence, and establishing process governance.

The BPMS Certificate is the perfect way to show employers that you are serious about business process management. With in-depth knowledge of process improvement and management, you'll be able to take your business career to the next level.

Learn more about the BPM Specialist Certificate

Courses

  •  

 

Certificates

  • Business Process Management Specialist
  • Earning your Business Process Management Specialist (BPMS) Certificate will provide you with a distinct competitive advantage in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. With in-depth knowledge of process improvement and management, you’ll be able to take your business career to the next level.
  • BPM Professional Certificate
    Business Process Management Professional
  • Earning your Business Process Management Professional (BPMP) Certificate will elevate your expertise and professional standing in the field of business process management. Our BPMP Certificate is a tangible symbol of your achievement, demonstrating your in-depth knowledge of process improvement and management.

Certification

BPM Certification

  • Make the most of your hard-earned skills. Earn the respect of your peers and superiors with Business Process Management Certification from the industry's top BPM educational organization.

Courses

 

Certificates

  • Operational Excellence Specialist
  • Earning your Operational Excellence Specialist Certificate will provide you with a distinct advantage in driving organizational excellence and achieving sustainable improvements in performance.
 

 

OpEx Professional Certificate

  • Operational Excellence Professional
  • Earn your Operational Excellence Professional Certificate and gain a competitive edge in driving organizational excellence and achieving sustainable improvements in performance.

Courses

Certificate
  •  

  • Agile BPM Specialist
  • Earn your Agile BPM Specialist Certificate and gain a competitive edge in driving business process management (BPM) with agile methodologies. You’ll gain a strong understanding of how to apply agile principles and concepts to business process management initiatives.  
 

Business Architecture

 

Certificates

  • Business Architecture Specialist
  • The Business Architecture Specialist (BAIS) Certificate is proof that you’ve begun your business architecture journey by committing to the industry’s most meaningful and credible business architecture training program.

  • Business Architecture Professional
  • When you earn your Business Architecture Professional (BAIP) Certificate, you will be able to design and implement a governance structure for your organization, develop and optimize business processes, and manage business information effectively.

BA CertificationCertification

  • Make the most of your hard-earned skills. Earn the respect of your peers and superiors with Business Architecture Certification from the industry's top BPM educational organization.

Courses

 

Certificates

  • Digital Transformation Specialist
  • Earning your Digital Transformation Specialist Certificate will provide you with a distinct advantage in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. 
 

 

  • Digital Transformation Professional
  • The Digital Transformation Professional Certificate is the first program in the industry to cover all the key pillars of Digital Transformation holistically with practical recommendations and exercises.

Courses

Certificate

  • Agile Business Analysis Specialist
  • Earning your Agile Business Analysis Specialist Certificate will provide you with a distinct advantage in the world of agile software development.

Courses

Certificate
  • DAS Certificate
  • Decision Automation Specialist
  • Earning your Decision Automation Certificate will empower you to excel in the dynamic field of automated decision-making, where data-driven insights are pivotal to driving business innovation and efficiency.