Typically, systems, applications and interfaces have been developed and maintained within their separate departments or functional areas, with limited levels of integration. Today’s data systems—many of which were built and designed for legacy systems of the past decade, supporting far less data—are not up to the task. Complicating this vision is the fact that in today’s information-rich world, there is no one single source for relevant data; the typical enterprise today has a vast array of data types and formats moving through its systems, from both internal and external sources. Organizations are drawing data from a range of sources—not only from core enterprise applications such as financial, CRM, ERP, supply chain and HR—but also from unstructured sources such as productivity applications, sensors, and social media postings.
Moving to real-time requires enterprises to look at various emerging techniqes and technologies.
The key to achieving the real-time enterprise vision is to design a multi-faceted architecture that recognizes that selected datasets and analysis are meant to be speedily delivered to decision makers. Regardless of latency requirements, such real-time-capable architectures need to be unencumbered by today’s functional and departmental silos. The ability to build such an architecture above and beyond the current state won’t happen overnight, of course, but requires an enterprise retooling and intelligently tiered approach to information management, processing and storage. Both batch and real-time processes can co-exist quite comfortably. But it’s going to take a deep understanding of what the business wants, needs, and can afford.
“Deploying real-time solutions is similar to process re-engineering,” says Tabrizi. “Change management programs must bein place to ensure success. Entrenched business units and employees can be resistant to change, and appropriate rewards and training must be implemented to encourage them tosupport the initiative. Real-time initiatives exacerbate the already costly integration problem that organizations face.”
Continue reading this article in DBTA's May Thought Leadership Special Section: Enabling the Real-Time Enterprise.”