The SOA framework does not replace the ERP or any other enterprise system. Rather, it complements and leverages them. The following flowchart excerpt demonstrates an example:

The process of adding a new customer includes three steps among others; the first is to add a record for the customer in the Customer Relationship Management system, in order to manage the customer’s requests, complaints and communication history. Another step is to add a record for the customer in the ERP in order to open the necessary accounts to allow proper recording of all financial transactions involving that customer. Finally the relevant customer documents, such as contracts and Service Level Agreements, need to be generated and stored.

This example portion of the process includes three different systems. If these systems are isolated islands then each of the three steps has to be manually done to make each system up-to-date and consistent with the others. Manual integration is time consuming and is susceptible to errors and beats the very purpose for which these systems were bought. At the same times these systems cannot replace each other and an organization would need them all in addition to others. The SOA framework leverages these systems and the investments made in them in a simple and straight-forward manner.