Insight: Enterprise Platforms Need 'Agility Layer'
In a recent podcast, Kinetic Data CEO James Davies argued that enterprises suffer from fragmented modernization with disconnected systems across departments. He advocated for building an "agility layer" that orchestrates workflows across different systems of record. This approach contrasts with attempts to build a single monolithic platform, instead focusing on integration and human-in-the-loop processes.
- An agility layer is an architectural pattern that abstracts legacy systems of record (like ERPs), allowing for rapid process customization and innovation using low-code configurations without altering the stable core. This approach is designed to extend the life of significant legacy investments by decoupling the user experience and modern workflows from the underlying, slow-to-change systems. - For platform teams, measuring the success of an agility layer involves tracking both developer-centric and business-value metrics. Key frameworks include DORA, which measures software delivery performance (Deployment Frequency, Lead Time for Changes), and the SPACE framework, which assesses developer satisfaction, performance, and efficiency. - From a technical leadership perspective, this architecture often relies on the API Gateway pattern, which acts as a single entry point for all requests, routing them to the appropriate downstream microservice or legacy system. This simplifies client interactions and can offload cross-cutting concerns like authentication and logging. - The "human-in-the-loop" component addresses the limitations of full automation by intentionally inserting human oversight at critical decision points. This is often triggered by predefined business rules, low AI confidence scores, or regulatory compliance requirements, blending machine efficiency with human judgment. - Fragmented modernization efforts often fail not because of technology, but due to a lack of strategic alignment, leading to data silos, inconsistent security policies, and increased complexity. An agility layer aims to solve this by creating a unified orchestration platform that harmonizes information and workflows across disparate tools. - This architectural choice impacts engineering team structure by aligning with Conway's Law, which posits that a system's design will reflect the organization's communication structure. Building an agility layer can centralize cross-functional efforts on a platform team, enabling other product teams to move faster without needing deep expertise in the underlying legacy systems. - James Davies, who became CEO of Kinetic Data in October 2024 after more than a decade with the company, advocates for designing around the employee journey first, not the systems of record. His leadership philosophy is informed by his own career beginnings at a help desk, emphasizing a focus on reducing operational friction for end-users. - For organizations with significant monolithic systems, an agility layer offers an alternative to a costly and high-risk migration to a full microservices architecture. It allows for incremental modernization, enabling new, flexible services to be built on top of the monolith without breaking what already works.
