Understanding the Value of

Service-Oriented Architecture to
Maximize Business Results
August, 2009

Shawn Simon – Enterprise Architect,

Kimberly McCabe – Marketing Consultant

The evolution of the Internet has made it important for all

business stakeholders to understand the concept of Service-
Oriented Architecture. Software selection and technology
decision making should no longer be left to the IT department
alone. By gaining an understanding of Service-Oriented
Architecture, business people will be better able to obtain better
business results from their company's technology platforms. In
this white paper, we will explain how companies can achiever
higher Return on Investment from their current technologies and
software while reducing future technology costs, improve
Customer Relationship Management, and reduce business
threats such as software vendor "lock-in". Business managers
can maximize business results by being better enabled to
collaborate with their IT departments to by improving the
efficiency of information they capture and the utility of how such
information is utilized by departments across the organization.

At Oshyn, we’ve used Service-Oriented Architecture to improve

the integration and utility of existing business systems, examples
include:
 Automating systems
 Improving data capture and data value
 Improving time to market
 Enabling business to more quickly adapt to changing
business needs
 Improved ability to integrate systems following
mergers/acquisitions
 Integrating CSR to provide 360° continuous view of client
beginning with prospect inquiry
 Improving customer service by decreasing customer touch
points and improving interdepartmental client hand-off
 Improving financial transactions
 Improved regulatory compliance

Oshyn helps companies achieve better results by applying

extensive expertise that insures better performance to get the
best Return on Investment from their Content Management
Systems. Call Oshyn at 888.483.1770 x173 or email us at
newbusiness@oshyn.com to schedule a FREE one hour
consultation.
 Understanding the Value of
Service-Oriented Architecture to
Maximize Business Results
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 4
1.0 What is Service-Oriented Architecture? 5
1.1 SOA is NOT a Software Package. 6
2.0 SOA is a Strategy 6
2.1 Strategic Enabler 7
2.1 Connectivity: Every Technology Product 7
2.2 SOA Allows Selection of Best of Breed Solutions 8
2.3 SOA IT Governance: Standardization v. Customization 8
3.0 SOA Creates Integrated Cost-Efficiency 9
3.1 SOA vs. Not SOA 9
3.2 SOA Value-Add 10
4.0 Web 2.0 Increased the Importance of SOA 10
4.1 Increased Technology Product Implementation 11
4.2 Increased Capturing of Customer Data Online 11
4.3 Evolution of Technology: Disparate Systems and Repetitive Data 12
5.0 Conclusion 13
About Oshyn 14
About Shawn Simon 14
About Kimberly McCabe 14
 Executive Summary
Globalization. Fast changing technologies. Emerging markets. These are just a
few of the pressures facing today's organizations. Wouldn’t it be nice if your
organization was prepared to adapt to these sometimes unpredictable
business risks? In a recent project, Oshyn integrated 32 systems and created
several new applications for one client to greatly improve their AGILITY. The
client was facing increased competition and rapidly changing expectations
from clients. They were facing the many business risks which grew from an ad
hoc approach to business process management and Information Systems.
The process of wholly integrating the enterprise began by developing a
concise end-to-end understanding of the numerous business needs,
limitations and opportunities. By combining the knowledge and expertise of
business users and business managers, Oshyn mapped an integration plan
that created a dynamic business organization while drastically reducing costs
and minimizing future business risks.
By the end of this whitepaper you will have an understanding as to why
Service Oriented Architecture is important to the future development of your
business IT systems, how to use the data you capture more efficiently, and
how to develop a more flexible technology environment for your organization.