Analyst Insight: Some have said SOA is dead, killed off by overambitious zealots, underperforming products, and bloated service engagements. Perhaps the SOA of their dreams is dead, but the real SOA is very much alive. It just happens to look a lot like past software...only a bit faster, cheaper, and better.

Analyst Insight: If an organization fails to accurately manage its warehouse, it runs the risk of selling stock it doesn't have or retaining stock it should have sold. Both of these situations result in lost revenue and potentially unhappy customers.

Analyst Insight: The automotive industry has one of the most complex supply chains, upstream (hundreds of part and accessory suppliers) and downstream (thousands of car dealers, repair shops, etc). Most, if not all, automotive manufacturers use different software systems in different locations, but even at the same location, for different purposes. Often, these systems are old or incompatible, which makes integration difficult.