SOA Zen Moment of the Day

An InfoWorld newsletter called "The SOA Report" tells us that SOA is overly hyped.   How ironic.

But wait, it gets even more surreal.   An analyst is quoted in the article saying " ...people are not getting a large amount of return on investment on SOA. Only a minority of companies are getting a return on investment on SOA. "

Do all companies measure ROI the same way using the same timeline?   Of course not. 

ROI is not an exact science and will vary from one organization to another (much like SOA itself).  There are many ROI models available, some more complex than others.   The best ROI models I have seen are relatively straightforward.  Overly complicated ROI models may require spending more time maintaining the model instead of working on the project to be measured. 

When it comes to ROI use realistic data points and time frames to determine the value an implementation may have generated.  SOA ROI requires patience - benefits may take a year or more to be properly recognized.