Understanding the Economic Potential of Service-Oriented Architecture.

Author List: Mueller, Benjamin; Viering, Goetz; Legner, Christine; Riempp, Gerold;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2010, Volume 26, Issue 4, Page 145-180.
Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is one of the most discussed topics in the information systems (IS) discipline. While most computer scientists agree that the service-oriented paradigm has clear benefits in terms of technical quality attributes, it has been difficult to justify SOA economically. The few studies that have investigated the strategic and economic aspects of SOA are mostly exploratory and lack a more comprehensive framework for understanding the sources of its economic potential. Based on IS and SOA literature, our work goes further in suggesting the SOA economic potential model, which describes the causal relationships between the SOA's style characteristics and value it can provide on the business side. Using this model, we investigate 164 SOA cases published between 2003 and 2008 to explore the economic rationale for adopting SOA. Our findings suggest that SOA's business benefits are currently mainly driven by operational and information technology infrastructural improvements. However, enterprises also realize strategic benefits from SOA; for example, by electronically integrating with their business partners by means of SOA. We use the results of our study to derive propositions and suggest a research model for future studies on SOA's economic potential.
Keywords: business benefits; economic potential; IS value; service science; service-oriented architecture; services
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#246 0.225 strategic benefits economic benefit potential systems technology long-term applications competitive company suggest additional companies industry operating costs difficult substantial total
#17 0.145 empirical model relationships causal framework theoretical construct results models terms paper relationship based argue proposed literature issues assumptions provide suggest
#43 0.144 architecture scheme soa distributed architectures layer discuss central difference coupled service-oriented advantages standard loosely table services classification layered included update
#292 0.117 information research literature systems framework review paper theoretical based potential future implications practice discussed current concept propositions findings provided extant
#220 0.089 research study different context findings types prior results focused studies empirical examine work previous little knowledge sources implications specifically provide
#21 0.084 research information systems science field discipline researchers principles practice core methods area reference relevance conclude set focus propose perspective inquiry
#143 0.069 value business benefits technology based economic creation related intangible cocreation assessing financial improved key economics assess question created create understanding
#211 0.051 service services delivery quality providers technology information customer business provider asp e-service role variability science propose logic companies especially customers