When ERPs get the taste of SOA !!!

Well then, whats SOA then and what is in it for us (ERP Provider) if we are to follow this architecture.

In my previous post, I have already quoted Mr.Hao He who had a wonderful article on what SOA is all about.

Today, I will be going into some detail on how ERP Providers around the world are looking to change their models and methodologies to fit in with SOA.

Starting up lets look at IFS, with a component based architecture in its armor from 1994 it has been among the pioneers in introducing a component based approach in providing a business solution. With the addition of SOA, IFS has taken the concept to the next level with the SOCA (Service-oriented compoenent based architecture) model.

This model not only uses the service oriented approach to architecture but with the inclusion of components makes it even more flexible and loosely coupled which by the way are the pre-requisites for SOA.

With this mix….it makes it possible to design business solution that integrates a collection of services or groups of components that perform business processes. With the primary objective being able to deliver platform independence and not being tied to a specific technology.

Since IFS has had component based architecture since 1994, the shift IFS has had to make to cater to the SOA concept is almost imperceptible and readily locks in with the component based style of delivering the end users business needs.

There are many more advantages of providing a component based model especially for business solutions, only a few of which I will just list down now, as this is not the core area I am looking to explain in this article.

Benefit from a component-based application

l Step-by-step

l Agility

l Open interfaces

l Efficient development

Now let’s look at another ERP Provider, SAP. SAP has begun planning for its vision of SOA, with its releases of narrowly defined models or packages which are based on its NetWeaver development and integration platform. Previously, they released large-scale updates of closely interlinked components and then later setup about defining the configuration of the necessary modules that would serve the business needs of the end users.

However, now with the provision of business models, SAP provides the ability to setup the system up and running quickly, still assuming that the particular business model supports the relevant business needs.If this is not the case, then the appropriate models will also need to be setup and then configured accordingly.

Now, getting back to NetWeaver, this service based platform comprises several technologies and components: a portal framework, business intelligence and reporting, Business Process Management (BPM), integration, Master Data Management (MDM), a common run-time application server, and the SAP application development and management platform.

Using this platform SAP is looking to make tune its architecture into a more SOA based style, however we should understand that given that a componentalised framework is a pre-requisite of SOA, its still got a few touch up work to be done on its business models, packages and sub-business models.

Given SAP’s increased interest in penetrating the small and medium enterprise (SME) market, its approach of providing process models ready for deployment makes a lot of sense and is something that will definitely be looked at closely by many industry analysts and competitors likely, and I, not being any exception.

Now, let’s turn our attention to one ERP Provider who are eating their chunk of the market by literally eating up other smaller ERP Providers, yes its ORACLE.

Oracle, calls it Project Fusion, this is there contribution to the developing a system that falls in line with the SOA concept, what they intend to do is provide a set of tools that will assist in modeling the business process as per the end users requirement. This would help in delivering components tailored to the end users environment. Interestingly this provides the ability to be more adaptable which is what large companies have learnt from smaller ones, so to say, and what they intend to do to be more successful in their business processes.

So the future looks promising for the SOA model, and I shall try my best to keep updating this blog with the other changes that come about.

Best Regards

S.Suren

Consultant

Some of the above contents were extracted from Joseph J. Strub’s article, and were modified to reflect my ideas taking into account other related information.