If you had to pick a single business benefit that service-oriented architecture (SOA) can provide, it is the ability to respond to change. Change occurs continually in a multitude of places that affect the enterprise: the market, the supply chain, strategic processes, regulations, and so forth. SOA can enable the creation of an agile environment that creates stability in the face of change because it restructures automated functions into reusable pieces that can be quickly reconfigured into new or modified processes.

But an architectural approach alone will not create agility. Agility comes from having the right pieces from which agile processes can be assembled. Developing, refactoring, or acquiring the right services requires a deep understanding of your business.