Principle 1: Think about the business, not the technology
Too often, an organization’s EDA journey begins for the wrong reasons: a developer wants to introduce a cool new technology, or it's positioned as a silver bullet for a technical integration issue. While these can be valid triggers, they miss the fundamental point.
Before embarking on an EDA implementation, you must ask: What is the business process we want to support? What is the actual problem we are trying to solve? And is EDA truly the right fit? Surprisingly, the answer is not always yes.
Your Event-Driven Architecture should be a mirror of your business logic. That's why we prefer to call it Business Event-Driven Architecture. It’s a strategic choice, not just a technical one.
Principle 2: Talk about semantics, not state
When you introduce EDA, the goal is not simply to shuttle data from one system to another. The goal is to create integrations that are based on shared business meaning. We want to integrate on a semantical level.
This means moving away from events that just report a change in state. An event like "stockLevelUpdated": {"item": "XYZ", "quantity": 99} is data, but it lacks context. Why did the stock level change? A much more powerful, semantic event would be RawMaterialsDestroyedDuringManufacturing. This message is clear, understandable on its own, and provides the rich business context needed for other systems to react correctly. Focusing on semantic events is the key to creating robust and meaningful integrations.
Principle 3: Naming is important, but understanding is paramount
It's easier said than done to create a clean, semantic, business-driven architecture. It requires a deep, shared understanding of the business itself, which is a surprising challenge for many organizations. Often, there isn't a complete picture of all the business processes—the happy flows, the unhappy flows, the domain boundaries, and the critical integration points.
This is where building a shared language becomes critical. Tools and methodologies are essential for creating this understanding:
- Strict Naming Conventions: Forcing technical and non-technical stakeholders to agree on a common vocabulary helps eliminate miscommunication.
- Collaborative Workshops: Sessions like Event Storming are invaluable for mapping out business processes and identifying the key events that drive them.
- Alignment Tools: Creating a "town plan" or a domain map helps everyone visualize how different parts of the business interact.
Conclusion: EDA as a strategic business tool
Business Event-Driven Architecture should not be viewed as just another technical bullet point on the IT department's to-do list. When implemented correctly, it becomes a powerful strategic tool that business users can leverage to create a real competitive advantage and deliver more value to their customers.
If you need help navigating these principles and building a true Business Event-Driven Architecture, we're ready to help you get started.
