A Transaction-oriented architecture for enterprise systems

Many enterprises risk business transactions based on information systems that are incomplete or misleading, given that 80-85% of all corporate information remains outside of their processing scope. It highlights that the bulk of information is too unstructured for these systems to process, but must be taken into account if those systems are to provide effective support. Computer technology nonetheless continues to become more and more predominant, illustrated by SAP A.G. recognising that 65-70% of the world's transactions are run using their technology. Using SAP as an illustrative case study, and by bringing in the benefits of technologies such as Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Architecture Frameworks (EA) and Conceptual Structures, a practical roadmap is identified to a Transaction-Oriented Architecture (TOA) that is predicated on the Transaction Concept. This concept builds upon the Resources-Events-Agents (REA) modelling pattern that is close to business reality. Enterprise systems can thus better incorporate that missing 80-85% of hitherto too-unstructured information thereby allowing enterprise systems vendors such as SAP, their competitors, customers, suppliers and partners to do an ever better job with the world's transactions.