Enterprise service-oriented architecture (enterprise SOA) is the blueprint for an architecture that enables innovation and standardization in a single environment, allowing IT management to deliver at the speed and efficiency the business requires. But how do you reconcile custom-specific applications with the functionality of packaged applications? And how do you make decisions without disrupting your carefully assembled system?

To address these questions, SAP has developed an adoption program, a formalized – yet flexible – methodology designed to streamline and simplify the move to enterprise SOA. The adoption program is a series of logical steps: discovery, evaluation, implementation, and operations. Each step is supported by a compact portfolio of field-tested "enablers," which include a variety of tools, templates, samples, and workshops. The program's flexibility allows you to select one or two enablers on an as-needed basis.

• Discovery – Tools used during this phase include "opportunity workshops" – interactive sessions designed to explore the value and cost of various implementation alternatives for enterprise SOA. Typically, this is where your organization's IT and business leaders work together to brainstorm on the ways and areas in which a service-oriented architecture could foster innovation and lower costs.
• Evaluation – During this phase, SAP works with you to design a company-specific road map. Workshop activities focus on identifying the scope of enterprise SOA, the business processes that it might enhance, and the corresponding IT projects that are likely to make a company more competitive and more responsive.
• Implementation – This phase of the adoption program is designed to help you put enterprise SOA to work. A key objective during this phase is the selection of the specific support services that will yield the best results. By focusing on matching needs with services, this phase ensures a speedy, secure implementation while minimizing risks and costs.
• Operations – During this phase, SAP provides a number of enablers to help you govern your applications and maintain a consistent strategy over time. There's a close focus on ROI during this stage, with SAP providing tools that help measure results and quantify benefits derived from enterprise SOA and from SAP NetWeaver as the underlying technology platform.