Date post: | 06-May-2015 |
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Sandy KemsleyBPM Analyst and Architect
Kemsley Design Ltd.
www.column2.com
Using BPM to Prioritize Service Creation
Agenda
How processes and services fit together Finding the right level of services Approaches to service definition
Processes and Services
Before BPM and SOA
Two main functionalities:• Human-facing workflow• Enterprise application integration (system-to-system)
Custom coding for integration Rudimentary modeling and management tools
BPM and SOA defined
BPM:• Management practice• Tools for automating processes
SOA:• Architectural philosophy• Design standards-based services to access system functionality
BPM and SOA
Service A Service B Service C
Service D Service E
LegacySystem
Database ERP
ProcessStep 1
ProcessStep 2
ProcessStep 3
ProcessStep 4
BPM and SOA together
BPM is the “killer app” for SOA; SOA is the enabling infrastructure for BPM• SOA alone only allows you to design and build a set of services• BPM alone would require custom coding for each system
integration BPM + SOA orchestrates people and services into a business
process Processes are intentionally transparent, services are
intentionally opaque
BPM and SOA with ERP
Using BPM and SOA with major ERP implementations:
“For these companies, the value of SOA will be found in business process management (BPM), which promises to allow companies to create unique and differentiating business processes on top of the same software many of their competitors use.”
“SOA and BPM for Enterprise Applications: A Dose of Reality”AMR Research, May 2007
The Right Level of Services
Where do services come from?
Service-enable legacy systems• Wrap your in-house applications• ERP application service layer
Purpose-built functionality• Custom services• 3rd-party services, including web-based
Service Granularity Issues
Too granular:• Multiple calls for each logical business function impacts
performance• Function/data can’t be expressed in business terms
Too coarse:• Decreased flexibility and reusability• Increased complexity
Getting the Granularity Right
Business-level services: specific business functionality or business object
Expose multiple actions to combine similar services May be composed from base-level services
Layers of Services
UpdateData
UpdateAddress
Create/UpdateOrder
ScheduleShipment
LegacySystem
Database ERP
UpdateAddress
ApproveOrder
CreateOrder
ScheduleShipment
Service Definition Approaches
Top-Down
Map business processes Identify business-level functions within processes Decompose to lowest level that still maintains business focus
to maximize reusability Map to base-level services (existing or new) that will compose
business-level services
Bottom-Up
Define base-level services based on underlying system functionality and exposed interfaces
Compose into business-level services and expose for orchestration
Consume business-level services in process maps
Issues with Both Approaches
Top-down:• Service definition is delayed until processes are mapped• May not make use of existing services• Services may not be reusable across processes
Bottom-up:• No business-IT collaboration in service definition• Services may not match required functionality
The Winner Is…
Top-down whenever possible• Allows business processes to define the (business-level)
services• Supports enterprise architecture methodology• Provides alignment between requirements and services
Some base services will exist and be unchangeable• Conform process to match services• Create new layer of services to wrap base services
Consider reusability across multiple processes to fine-tune service definitions
Getting Started
Map to-be high-value business processes (business) Identify required business-level services at swimlane
boundaries (business and IT) Catalogue existing services (IT) Create subprocesses as a placeholder for business-level
services if required (IT) Use business value to prioritize service creation (business)
Summary
BPM and SOA must be considered together:• BPM implementation is accelerated by services• Services are consumed by BPM• Joint high-level design exploits the BPM-SOA synergy
For optimal results, process requirements drive service definition
Questions?
Sandy KemsleyKemsley Design Ltd.www.column2.com