Packaged Composite Applications

Packaged Composite Applications is the result of a systematic search through SAP's brain trust for all of the relevant arguments, examples, concepts, and analogies related to PCAs. This book combines the approach of a forward-looking analyst with the perspective of an executive who must make things work, without skimping on relevant technical details. The author examines ideas driving PCAs forward in the marketplace and the problems and solutions that an executive and technologist will encounter in implementation. This authoritative text allows all interested parties to assess the value of PCAs for their lives as executives, technologists, analysts, sales representatives, and users.

Dan Woods, a seasoned CTO, has built technology for companies ranging from Time Inc. New Media to TheStreet.com. He has managed the product development cycle from initial requirements through sales for web sites and software products designed for the publishing and financial services industries. Dan has also navigated all phases of the business cycle: crafting strategy and budgets, building and managing large development teams, writing patent applications, negotiating large vendor agreements, operating data centers, communicating with board members, raising money, and selling and marketing a product. Dan is the author of two books and a frequent contributor to InfoWorld and other publications.

Introduction	p. vii
Preface	p. xi
The PCA Paradigm	p. 1
PCAs Defined	p. 2
Enterprise Services Architecture	p. 5
Flexible Cross-Functional Automation	p. 8
The Business Case for PCAs	p. 10
A PCA for Product Definition	p. 13
Who Will Build PCAs and Who Will Buy Them?	p. 16
Governing Forces in Enterprise IT	p. 20
The Evolution of IT Infrastructure	p. 21
The PCA/ESA Era: Employee and Team Empowerment	p. 28
What the Enterprise Needs	p. 39
The CIO To-Do List	p. 49
Possible Alternatives to PCAs	p. 51
The Case for PCAs	p. 55
Arguments in Favor of PCAs	p. 56
The Case Against PCAs	p. 68
Anatomy of a PCA	p. 82
PCAs and the ESA Platform	p. 83
Gross Anatomy of the ESA Platform	p. 87
How to Build an ESA Platform	p. 92
Stages of ESA Platform Evolution	p. 98
Platform Components and the ESA Platform	p. 108
Business Value and Strategic Impact of PCAs	p. 111
PCAs and the Enterprise	p. 112
How PCAs Will Transform IT Vendors	p. 124
Implications of PCAs for Enterprise Architecture	p. 138
Business Scenarios	p. 140
What PCAs Do	p. 140
A Tour of PCA Business Scenarios	p. 144
xApps Examples	p. 158
The xApps Vision	p. 158
SAP's Strengths in Building xApps	p. 159
xRPM: An xApp for Project Portfolio Management	p. 161
xPD: An xApp for Product Definition	p. 167
The Growing xApps Portfolio	p. 175
The Future of PCAs	p. 176
Index	p. 179
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Packaged Composite Applications

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials