Patterns for E-Business

SummeryThe paths to creating e-businesses are repeatable. Many companies assume that they are unique and that therefore very creation of an e-business has to be learned as you go. While this may be encouraged by some service providers and programmers (because it is both profitable and allows programming artistic flair), IBM has learned that in fact, there are lessons and architectural paths or patterns that can be discerned from all these engagements. Whether your company is a start-up or has extensive legacy applications, these patterns allow you to reuse existing technologies so that your projects can be completed quickly
A prescriptive approach

The Patterns for e-business also provide a prescriptive approach. Physicians are formally taught a process to evaluate a patient and arrive at a treatment plan. They do this by quickly assessing the major systems, then honing in on the system or systems with problems. The physician can then follow a standard decision tree logic pattern to arrive at a treatment plan. In the case of the Patterns for e-business, you can start with the customer's wants and needs, their business problems, existing business processes and rules, and any existing systems, data, or infrastructure. You can then follow a structured approach to arrive at a customized solution for the customer that addresses the business functions (such as Customer Relationship Management, Supply Chain Management, Knowledge Management, Business Intelligence, customer or employee Collaboration, e-commerce.

A simple, compelling, prescriptive approach

The Patterns for e-business topologies can also help describe how to construct systems that incorporate existing applications and infrastructure. One of the key points of the IBM Application Framework for e-business is that you can build on your existing infrastructure and systems to speed development. Shortening time to market but also reusing existing assets can greatly increase your likelihood for success, since the core of the new application is well understood and proven. So, you can add new function to existing systems while continuing to use them in the old way, providing a smooth transition. It's a good idea to serve customers or other businesses using the existing channel while bringing a new channel online and providing users and other businesses time to convert or adopt the new access and services.

The Patterns for e-business are equally usable for new businesses or new companies starting on the Web.

Patterns and associated customer uses

Business patterns            e-business solution areas

User-to-Business             CRM, customer self service

User-to-Online buying   e-commerce

Business-to-Business     SCM, shipping, e-marketplaces

User-to-User     Collaboration, customer service

User-to-Data     Business intelligence, knowledge management

Application Integration  Business application integration (key for ERP package implementation)

The pattern names reflect the generalized nature of each of the patterns. The business solution areas are only examples of the general type of application solution provided by the pattern. It should be clear that the patterns can be and often are combined to solve more complex business problems.



Reference
"EPISODES: A Pattern Language of Competitive Development" by Ward Cunningham, in Pattern Languages of Program Design edited by Norman Kerth, James Koplien, and John Vlissides (Addison Wesley)

Design Patterns - Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides (Addison Wesley)

A Pattern Language by C. Alexander, S. Ishikawa, M. Silverstein, M. Jacobson, I. Fiksdahl-King, and S. Angel (Oxford University Press)

Pattern - Oriented Software Architecture: A System of Patterns by Frank Buschmann, Regine Meunier, Hans Rohnert, Perter Sommerlad, and Michael Stal (Wiley, John, & Sons)