When speaking to prospects about what we do, or to customers about additional functionality, we get a lot of questions. There are some, however, that we hear more frequently. Below is a sample.
“A big component of governance automation is automating the review process. Do you have tools to manage review/inspect contents of the review package (Word documents, pdf, etc.) and how do you track action items?”
We have a component called Review Center within WebLayers. It works like this: you complete a review template, and whenever a service gets created, a review is created for that service at various lifecycle stages. Automated test results also are included in a dashboard where you can track submitted items and comments from users. It streamlines the process and eliminates having to sit around a conference room debating changes.
“What is the most common policy you see companies implement?”
We get this question all the time. It’s like asking which rivet on an airplane is the most important – they’re all important. What’s critical is having the best set of policies for your particular environment.
“Are policies enforced to absolutely prevent violations, or is there a concept of policy deviation approvals?”
WebLayers uses a waiver process; when a deviation occurs causing a prohibitive event, you can then request a waiver.
“When should I establish SOA governance?”
The simple answer is the sooner the better. Customers feel that they can buy a tool that can automatically give you governance. There needs to be some forethought put into looking at existing IT processes and establish a simplified governance process that you can translate into something actionable and automated with the tool.
It’s much easier to get SOA best practice and policies in place for managing your services when you have a small number of them. Then, as the number of services increases, you’ll find it easy to apply company-wide standards and policies to them and manage consumer provider relationships.