Why System Integrators are losing the plot in the coming era of Enterprise SOA
Most enterprises and organizations have a limited number of preferred suppliers in IT.
Usually at least some of these are the traditional System Integrators, with a complete
services portfolio enabling end to end service delivery to the customer.
From the perspective of Enterprise Architecture there is a growing distance between
what the enterprise needs and what the System Integrator can deliver.
The changing needs of enterprises
In this era of growing fluidity in business processes and organizations there is a
growing need for agility and flexibility, as well as an ever changing “mix and match”
of resources to deliver products and services to their customers. This trend is one of
the main drivers for the emergence of the service oriented architectural paradigm in
both Business and IT.
As far as IT is concerned more and more enterprises are embarking on the road
towards Enterprise level SOA. They are building a common platform for use across
functional silos, across disciplines, across different technology bases.
Enterprise SOA: the Program and the Project
The result of this shift is that the definition of “the Project”, as the key delivery unit in
IT is changing too. An Enterprise SOA is not built through any one project, it is a
Program by definition. Creating such an Enterprise SOA is a multi-year, multi-project
effort, established only through rigorous design and close continuous governance
involving many different stakeholders all walking in rhythm. To call this road to
Enterprise SOA ambitious is an understatement: it is the single most difficult thing
that any enterprise can undertake in the area of IT and IT Governance.
Enter the System Integrator
Traditionally, enterprises have engaged system integrators to deliver and integrate
applications, to execute implementation projects and ultimately to do managed
operations of deployed applications. Usually, the service portfolio and internal
organization of these system integrators reflects these traditional demands from
enterprises, resulting in specific service portfolios, silos, divisions or business units
for Consult, Build, Run/Outsource services. Some system integrators put a customer
facing layer in front, but they will still be organized internally following this
traditional model. In the old world, the disciplines and skills required to deliver these
services would be so different, and a mixed demand so rare, that this organization
made perfect sense.
Integration mash-up: the new world
In the era of Enterprise SOA this natural division of services and skills no longer
applies. In this brave new world, there is on the one hand the Enterprise SOA
platform, organized in enterprise-wide layers or domains like User Enablement
(portals and UI), Process Composition, Enterprise Information Management, Service
provisioning, and Security and Identity. This platform needs to be specified, designed,
implemented and run based on a by definition heterogeneous technology stack from
different vendors. Then for each set of business requirements projects are defined that
address, implement, deploy, use, and ultimately govern different layers/domains from
this E-SOA stack.
Today there is not a single system integrator in the world with a service portfolio
aimed squarely at this new Enterprise SOA based playing field.
What are customers asking?
The system integrators customers may not be very mature in the questions they are
asking. They may still be stuck in the traditional way of asking services: implement
this system, manage operations against these SLA’s, deliver IT-consultants and
developers based on a specific skills profile against a specified hourly rate.
But behind these questions what they are really asking is questions like this: help me
in User Enablement, deliver comprehensive Enterprise Information Management,
provide consistent Security and Identity Management, Design and Implement my E-
SOA Governance and Enterprise Architecture process, Rationalize my legacy
applications landscape based on SOA principles.
Value in the land of E-SOA
The world of IT is changing. Current System Integrators cannot have their cake and
eat it too. The way they are organized, the way they go to market, the way they mix
and match their skilled employees no longer match the real requirements posed by the
transition to the Enterprise SOA paradigm. To provide lasting value, they will have to
adapt their services portfolio and change the way they define their answer to customer
requirements.
It will be interesting to see who will ultimately learn this lesson best.
Comments (1)
Written by Peter Bodifée on 28-02-2008 10:20
The reason why SI customers appear not to be very mature when stating their questions could also be the result of system integrators not be very mature in delivering answers to real questions customers have.
Customers see SI sales people doing it every time: blowing their horn on how good the SI is at solving customer problems. \"We did this for your competitor too\". Which makes the customer wonder if the SI is going to deliver him the same result as his competitor. Obviously I want a better result! So stop blowing the horn and start actively listening to the customer needs (not his wants).
And once the SI is providing real value, the customer will see no need for asking skill profiles and hourly rates. The customer would pay for the value received, which presents a much better margin for the SI as well!
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