Code reusability in cloud based ERP solutions

Abstract

Cloud based technology created a new software abstraction layer above the implementation layers in and therefore changed the way how Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are developed and implemented over the hardware abstraction layers. The traditional release-by-release update methodology governed by main version change (from pre-alpha to gold release) was changed to a continuous release management. Within the cloud based Software as a Service (SaaS) model, the core business logic is implied above the physical implementation layer. This scenario can predict that the software product can have a longer lifetime, because it is segregated from the always changing physical implementation layer. As the sudden change of technology is present in nowadays IT architecture, the presence of this new abstraction layer seems logical, because the basic business processes are not changing this rapidly. The SaaS type life cycle management means that the heavily technology independent part are not describing the business processes anymore. Previous lifecycle implementations from the assessment phase to the post go-live and support phase dealt the business logic as one entity with its implementation. That means, that the question of code reusability has a different role as in the standard on premise model. This paper introduces a new method of encapsulating and identifying the software parts, which can be later reused in a cloud SaaS environment.