Does Microsoft Understand Business Integration? Simon Thurman Architect

Objective Try and answer the question Explain thinking and approaches Any feedback or comment on blog

Agenda Is there a problem? Definitions Approaches – Integration Model (technology) – Composite Applications (architecture) – OBA (productivity) Limitations Benefits

Problem (one of...) Unlock value of existing assets – Gartner ‘The Knowledge Worker Investment Paradox’ – 50% - 75% of information directly from people – >80% of information not accessible to enterprise as a whole – Individual owns the key resource, what happens when they leave?

‘Results Gap’ Business Users live in 2 worlds – Productivity Applications Adhoc, unstructured, individual/group processes E.g. Excel, Word, Outlook,... – Business Applications Structured, rigid, stovepipe E.g. CRM, ERP,... Space between what existing productivity tools offer and what really happens

What’s Required Process – Integrate multiple Business Applications – Align Business Processes with daily work Information – Timely access to the right information – One version of the truth Applications – Use existing, familiar desktop apps

Definitions Interoperability – Interoperability is connecting people, data and diverse systems. The term can be defined in a technical way or in a broad way, taking into account social, political and organizational factors. Integration – Integration is a process of combining or accumulating. Interoperability makes Integration easier

Interoperability and Integration Model Technology View

Integration Capability Model Business View

Capability and Technology Alignment

Software + Services SOA – Architectural Approach SaaS – Simply a delivery mechanism S+S – Device software – Capability exposed as a service On premise Cloud

Composite Applications Assembled artefacts to fulfil business capability Deployed independently and granular Components Containers

Office Business Applications

Composite Applications

Limitations Not all Capabilities are modular – Many are contained within a monolithic app – Not completely at an SOA Transference of Control and Ownership Modelled process do not implement all activities, e.g. Human intervention Difference between managing documents and business processes – Transactional v Collaborative – Structured v Unstructured – Formal v Adhoc – Rigid v Dynamic

Purpose/Benefit Reuse – Reduce cost – Ensure consistency, e.g. Single view (and version) of the truth – Leverage already deployed software, e.g. Office OBA bridges structures and unstructured Office platform deployed – Container for components

Business Value Broaden availability of Information and Capability – Improve view of data which results in a greater level of understanding, e.g. “Managing the amber” Exception based processing – Naturally supports human intervention Shorten business process cycles Regulatory compliance Alignment of systems with the business – Systems become an enabler to change

Summary Reference architectures to build OBA – – Feedback: – –