Strategies for enterprise data management (EDM) and service-oriented architecture (SOA) are often pursued as separate, disparate programs and initiatives within organizations, both as a business requirement as well as an IT implementation perspective. However, there are important overlapping and interdependent components, processes, and quality checkpoints for each in which coordination is necessary to ensure the success of either strategy.

Furthermore, by coordinating these strategies, organizations will realize opportunities to optimize:

• The business value of enterprise data and services (e.g., increased operational efficiencies/quality, increased business services utilization and profitability, and decreased development/maintenance costs)
• Economies of scale and synergies in key EDM/SOA processes, infrastructure, tools, and roles (e.g., increased organizational effectiveness and decreased infrastructure costs)

There are several reasons driving the coordination of EDM and SOA strategies, including asset value, organizational efficiency, profitability, and cost optimization.

The CIO Perspective on Data and SOA Dependencies
The need for coordinated data and services, under the guidance of coordinated EDM-SOA programs, has recently been raised to the executive office. As shown in Figure 1, CIOs are focusing on data-centric initiatives such as Customer Data Integration (CDI) and Master Data Management (MDM) as drivers for service-oriented architecture projects. Even traditional non-SOA business analytics or knowledge management programs are now key drivers for SOA, according to surveyed CIOs.

This survey also demonstrates the realization by most CIOs that SOA creates interdependencies between systems requiring high-quality data, which further suggests that the full benefit of a SOA program cannot be gained without coordinated EDM strategy components.

The "Perfect Storm" for EDM and SOA
Interrelated factors across industries are creating an environment ripe for organizations to develop EDM and SOA strategies/programs in parallel timeframes and a coordinated fashion. Figure 2 lists major contributing industry trends resulting in corporate initiatives driving requirements for coordinated EDM and SOA capabilities, including joint governance programs.

EDM Framework and Component Considerations
Let's take a look at the EDM framework in Figure 3 to see which components have potential dependencies and synergies with SOA strategies/components. This will help identify where we should focus strategic efforts for coordinated EDM-SOA strategies.

Enterprise Data Management initiatives generally consist of activities addressing several of these components, simultaneously or at least in coordination. When considering which EDM components have a significant impact on SOA strategies, and which are significantly impacted by SOA, we see that some have direct major considerations (primary coordination points) in joint EDM-SOA strategies, while others have a smaller impact (secondary).

Organizations should start with identified primary (coordination) EDM components and SOA strategy impacts, dependencies, and synergies for emphasis, then determine which secondary components are pertinent for coordination within that particular EDM-SOA environments and initiatives.