My Book

I was writing this book last summer while waiting for yet another recruiter to call me about yet another potential job that I am apparently perfect for … Does that sound familiar to you? I kept on asking myself why specialists from the department of Information Technology (IT) are the first candidates for cost cutting when the budget of a company begins to melt. Why are we the first ones to be affected by redundancies and outsourcing? Why are we so ‘unlucky’, when everyone knows that Business is almost completely dependent on Technology? What should Business and Technology do in order to cooperate and contribute to IT stability and enterprise efficiency?

In this book, I offer you my answers to these questions. They are based primarily on my discussions with many industry experts and my own experience of working for several global financial institutions. I have presented various aspects of my idea in a number of public forums, but I have never been able to explain the idea in full – hence this book.

In the book I argue that a concept of service orientation is applicable as to the organisation of Business as it is to the organisation of the IT function. Service orientation is not the same as SOA because it takes a much wider view on a Business–Technology collaboration. Service orientation enables flexibility, which contributes enormously to efficiency. I illustrate my conclusions with multiple real-life examples and opinions of other specialists in the field. As an author, I lead you through the interaction between Business and Technology, as if we are climbing a ladder to a successful enterprise working on the principles of service orientation. In the process, we address three broad themes: Business–Technology relationship issues; architecture of Business and Technology; and the topics of IT development, management and funding.

Michael Poulin

Review

In the book Michael argues that the modern way of thinking about Service Orientation opens up new possibilities for Business and IT to construct business-oriented customer-centric convergent solutions for business problems. The Service Orientation concept has the potential not only to align IT with Business, but also to align the entire company with the market dynamics. A Service-Oriented Enterprise - SOE - is the organisation constructed and operated based on the principles of Service Orientation throughout Business and Technology.

In the Service-Oriented Enterprise, many familiar aspects of the organisation’s life appear differently. This is why the book talks about the most important of them, such as:

Business-Technology relationship

Organisation's structure and culture

Management authority and accountability

Innovations, development funding, and ROI

Governance of service-oriented solutions (SOS)

IT, Programme, and Project management (ITIL)

Enterprise Architecture in Business and Technology (TOGAF)

The transition to SOE is a collaborative process of many mounting steps. SOE cannot happen instantaneously because it demands some changes in the organisation and execution of Business and IT operations; it also requires new habits of thinking in the service-oriented manner. This book is indented to help recognise the ladder steps to SOE, why and who has to take them. Though these steps are common, each company has to choose its own way of climbing the ladder.

"This book perfectly reflects the current way of advancing in the computer science – the author is debating a lot of topics with a lot of people. Quotes are thoroughly analysed and supplied by contra-arguments. The whole book is a dynamic discussion similar to the work of an SOA consultant who should be able to discuss any question and any opinion about SOA. Logically the book is stimulating the reader to follow the same rule – debating the author’s position. I found this great. Anyone who is touching SOA should read this book to derive his/her own opinion."

Alexander Samarin, Enterprise & Business Architect

Geneva Area, Switzerland