Lean Integration Using Open Source Based Infrastructure and an Integration Competency Center Approach

In this paper a set of successful Enterprise Application Integration projects are analyzed and common characteristics are identified. These characteristics are then distilled into a set of key success factors. The empirical foundation for this study is the active participation in a number of successful EAI projects, as a consequence thereof we classify the research method as action research. We can note that common key success factors are the use of common canonical formats for data exchange, open source and ESB for EAI infrastructure, enterprise integration patterns, and the establishment of an integration competency center. The possibility to enable successful and maintainable EAI should be of crucial interest for basically all of todays businesses, where we only see an increased need for successful EAI both in a business as well as in a business to business perspective.