Service Oriented Architecture Field Guide for Executives

Chapter 11. RISK MITIGATION THROUGH PROPER GOVERNANCE

If you have ever been bowling, then you have likely seen children (sometimes even adults) use "bumper lanes" when bowling. That is when bars or padding are used to block bowling balls from going into the gutter. Why did they do this? The bumper lanes serve three purposes:

1. Reduce the risk of rolling into the gutters.

2. Focus on the goal (i.e., the pins at the end of the lane).

3. Increase the chance of success (i.e., hitting the pins).

Bowling provides a good analogy for risk mitigation through governance. The gutters represent areas of risk. The bumpers represent governance. Governance has three essential goals:

1. Reduce risk (i.e., project delay, cost overruns, lack of inter-operability, etc.).

2. Provide focus (i.e., standards, best practices, design guidelines, etc.).

3. Increase the chance of success (i.e., on-time delivery, meet requirements, project return on investment [ROI], etc.).

Governance is not about checklists, rules, and regulations and it is not about creating a bunch of committees. Sometimes these techniques are used, but governance is more about risk mitigation by adhering to design guidelines and applying best practices. It is more of an organizational transformation and putting a framework in place to improve the probability of success. This chapter explores the subject of governance and how to effectively mitigate the risks associated with SOA adoption.