To achieve business flexibility, companies can't depend on hiring a staff of contortionists. For one thing, there aren't enough of them. More importantly, better business intelligence and analysis tools have executives and managers straining to apply newfound knowledge to improve their organization's chances in global markets. To make fundamental changes in business execution, these execs shouldn't be forced to work around systems and processes locked in old ways.
How can IT establish a software infrastructure that is both stable and amenable to business change and innovation? The answer is service orientation. From a business perspective, services make sense. Two or more parties perform services according to a contract, with performance measured by how well the arrangement achieves some desired result. A services perspective also enables decision makers to see overall business performance through the customer's eyes, so resources can be reallocated to keep the best customers loyal. Flexibility is critical: What satisfies customers today may not be good enough tomorrow.
