I hope you will excuse me for not using feedback template. I think there is no point in writing the same things like my course mates, just a few thoughts that weren’t posted in SoaMif blog yet.

 Bad things…

During lectures we‘ve spoken about SOA, we‘ve spoken about Web Services – good! I think now we all know what it is and how to apply it – very good! :)

However, the main thing I‘ve missed in this course is SOA projection to business processes. We had Justinas Bedžinskas talk on business collaborations in SOA environment, but we spoke not enough about business processes and their management ways using SOA. I think students were confused about this topic and later forgot it at all, redirecting the focus on the business idea/vision. I think a question “where is the connection between business processes and SOA” was unrevealed at the level it could and should be. No conception of BPM + SOA = the key-concept that makes IT world crazy today!

The answers were not very far… “BPM and SOA: Where does one end and other begin?” and “If all my modules communicate via Web Services, all I have is a bunch of Web Services! I do not yet have SOA!” – these citations from “Software system architecture” course, prepared by Donatas Čiukšys, made me think of SOA as not only (Web) Services, as we were mostly speaking at SOA lectures. D. Čiukšys started his lecture on SOA speaking about BPM and only then about SOA. This quite simple diagram explains why: bpm_soa

This lecture gave another point of view for SOA implementation and was very helpful in understanding the real power and worthiness of SOA.

Good things…

Project management – priceless thing about the elements of project management in SOA course is that first of all its’ concepts are applicable in various fields and even in personal life. A table for assigning project’s priority is a very good example. Secondly, a projection of professional experience into daily life things is an art and shows deep understanding of the topic (remember Raudys lectures). I mean, learning from a professional, who has practical experience background – what could be better! A little bit off topic? But what did we get at university in 4 years?! If I can get much more at SOA lectures – my duty is to take it and apply in practice.

Moreover, Giedrius has experience in business process management, which is the beginning of SOA. Here was the right mashup during lectures :)

Motivation problems – today this issue is critical for youth and many people pay money for it! And will do in the next several years for sure. Now we get it for free or for 500Lt.

We were taught to think, think wider then usually at university.

We were taught to look at things from different perspectives (thanks to Giedrius, I haven’t seen GIS from so many different points of view as he has presented).

We were inspired to create something new, to understand by ourselves the real value of created product and to be able to deliver it to other people.

What would I change?

I would rename the course something like „E-Commerce and SOA“, that it could better reflect what we were doing during the course and while implementing our projects. I don‘t think it would be good idea to make the course more theoretical from SOA perspective.

I would rather leave as it is or even represent it from more commercial perspective, because then the term like „added value“ or “value creation” becomes obvious for everyone and the connection between business and IT projects is understood by developers/IT specialists.

““Value creation” refers to an increase in the business benefit to the client. In the context of this Practice, value creation is more than adding value through the service delivery already being provided. It includes the act of identifying opportunities of greater business value for the client, including innovative business arrangements or technologies.”, – eSCM-SP relationship management.

In real life understanding these concepts can be critical. As J. Briggs said that we need not coders, but developers with ideas. Where are the ideas? Now I have very helpful reference to this question – TED‘s talk, where the tips are given on how to get ideas – listen, observe, be curious, ask questions, problem solve, make connections.

At the end, it was a pleasure to attend this course. It was unique and should be continued… :) Thank you!