As people and organizations focus more on the cross-cutting processes that generate the greatest value, artificial barriers that create a segmented, or siloed, understanding of roles, information and systems are also breaking down.
There are still many organizations and systems that are deeply siloed. However, as technologies like Enterprise Architecture and Business Process Management software have become widely recognized as mission-critical, we are finding that these silos are easier to break down than we once thought.
For example, Enterprise Architecture models enable business and IT to speak a common language?bridging the communication gap. These models?which require the skills of IT, yet cannot be created without the insight of business?provide IT with a better understanding of business, and business with a vehicle to communicate effectively with IT.
Business Process Management, too, enables business and IT to better communicate and collaborate on the day to day execution of the enterprise by enabling business users to take ownership of their processes, suggest or even implement changes, and ?do? technology while experiencing first-hand the agility and productivity created by the investment.
Furthermore, the ubiquity and velocity of e-mail and now social computing is helping to break down barriers even faster.
It?s a very exciting time. These technologies are coming together to create an environment where silos are a thing of the past?and perhaps to prove to us that business and IT are not so different after all.
-Greg Carter
Chief Technology Officer & VP of Development at Metastorm, inc.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
