Any great journey starts with a goal or destination, and your organization's decision to implement SOA is no different. However not unlike the pioneers who set off west in their wagons, you may start with only a vague idea of what awaits you, or how you might get to your destination. To be successful, you must assess your strengths and weaknesses, establish clear direction, choose a route, and then consistently reassess that route as you follow it. You must, to put it simply, create your own unique map for your journey.
What Is an SOA Roadmap and Why Do You Need One?
SOA is an IT strategy that organizes the discrete functions contained in enterprise applications into interoperable, standards-based services that can be combined and reused quickly to meet business needs. The benefits of SOA will only be realized if the balance between long-term goals and the shorter-term needs of the business are preserved. This balance can be maintained by instituting a set of organizational, financial, operational, design, and delivery practices from the outset of your SOA initiative.
