This is article looks at a high profile consulting implementation example of a new SOA (Service Orientated Architecture) system that involved not only the practical deployment but also expert skill in making everything come together. The benefits of what such a system could bring any business is limitless. I hope this helps to urge you and your company to go and invest in the future.
The client is a large communications infrastructure and media services company, operates at the heart of the broadcast, satellite and mobile communications markets. The company is at the forefront of network solutions and services in the digital world. The company provides much of the infrastructure behind television, radio, satellite and wireless communications in the UK and has a significant presence in Ireland, mainland Europe and the USA. Customers include major broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, BSkyB and the independent radio groups, major telecommunications providers, including the UK’s five mobile network operators, and the emergency services. Aims were:
Migration and consolidation of the bespoke National Grid Wireless (NGW) systems into the business’ existing Oracle eBusiness Suite to:
- Standardise and optimise back office process methodology
- Deliver an integrated set of services, able to work cohesively with line of business systems
- Integrate peripheral NGW bespoke systems into the existing environment using Oracle SOA Suite and Application Integration Architecture (AIA)
- Minimise the impact of the ERP consolidation programme on business operations to negate the complexity and inflexibility of traditional ERP integration methods
Business Challenge
Following an extremely large merger a few years ago, the business needed a complete migration and integration of bespoke systems into its existing Oracle eBusiness Suite which runs the company’s financial and commercial procurement ERP systems. Enterprise integration was a necessity. What was wanted was to incorporate some key peripheral systems into its environment, such as the NGW Keep System, which provides a master source of site data, including the management of key assets that are distributed across some 9,000 sites. These did not easily fit into the core Oracle suite, and required a middleware offering in the form of Oracle SOA Suite and AIA. Along with various BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) this was the scope of solution:
- Requirements gathering
- Process mapping
- Software development services
- Project management
- Change management
- Implementation
- Data migration
- Testing
- Training and handover
- Ongoing managed services
These were the solutions:
- A business layer between all the ERP applications, rather than point to point interfaces and monolithic applications
- Create an Information Bus and split out applications into component modules
- Provide rich, pre-built applications for use in the Oracle eBusiness Suite
- Enable to ability to reuse and componentise the application suite, increasing efficiency and reducing maintenance and foster better integration across the estate
- Provide complete data migration from the existing bespoke systems into the new ERP estate
- Minimise disruption and the impact of the ERP consolidation programme on day-to-day operations of the business
