MuleSoft Professional Services: Things you Should Know

There are four paths you can take if you are implementing MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform in your organization.

1. A completely new implementation with no prior API usage or experience within the organization
2. Migration from another API integration provider to MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform
3. Implementation of MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform alongside another integration or micro-services platform
4. Implementation of MuleSoft AnyPoint platform with the assistance of a system integrator partner

In this article, I will explain which services may be appropriate for each path. With any path, you will benefit through engagement with MuleSoft professional services. Below, I describe the customer success benefits a consumer can gain using MuleSoft professional services.

Three Pillars of MuleSoft Professional Services

MuleSoft Professional Services Pillars

Business Outcomes

Before introducing new technology into an organization, a clear definition of desired business outcomes should be discussed. This may include understanding how changes could affect the existing organization and what steps could be taken to achieve a successful business outcome. In addition, KPI’s must be defined to measure the success of the changes at an organizational, technical, and business-outcome level.

Organizational Enablement

Organizational changes must be examined in a number of contexts. First, there will be changes required within the technology landscape. Changes may also be required within the organization’s business community, in order to gain maximum benefits. Finally, customers (either internal or external to the organization) may also need to make changes in the way they consume data.

Technology

Prior to the implementation of the MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform, several important decisions must be made. For example, you must decide whether to implement AnyPoint Platform with a cloud-based or on-premise option, or a mixture of both. The decisions are primarily determined by the security-, sensitivity- and risk-based approaches of the organization.

Technical decisions are also required to develop a pipeline. This may include considering the establishment of a DevOps toolset and how it will be staffed and operated. You may also consider whether Agile development methods, such as SCRUM or KANBAN, can be used or whether tools such as JIRA and CONFLUENCE are required.

Engagement with Professional Services

I will group the services provided by MuleSoft consultants into two sub-headings, which support the three pillars described above: strategy and technical. Strategy will cover organizational elements and business outcomes and technical will address elements from implementation decisions to support and technical consultancy.

Strategy

Strategic consultancy can help an organization address the following topics:

• Organizational change, including the implementation of a centre for enablement (C4E) whose primary function is to enforce governance and evangelize the API-lead strategy
• Provide methods for the definition and identification of foundational APIs
• Identification and specification of API request processes to allow the business to request development of APIs
• Specification and development of evangelization materials, such as MuleSoft Community Manager, MuleSoft AnyPoint Exchange, Newsletters, and Websites
• Consultancy on how best to implement support processes for production of APIs
• Identification of KPIs used to measure business outcomes
• Working with senior managers to evangelize the API-lead strategy across the business
• Driving the reuse of APIs to leverage the benefits provided by the API-led strategy
• Working with internal security teams to develop architecture to ensure the security of APIs

Technical

The technical side of the MuleSoft professional services is supported by consultants with a deep understanding of both MuleSoft products and technical development environments, such as DevSecOps tool chains. Each organization will have their own technical environment, whether that be Azure, ORACLE, Open-Source tools, etc. More than one MuleSoft consultant may be required at each stage of the implementation. Technical Consultants provide:

• Knowledge of all elements of the MuleSoft technical infrastructure, including AnyPoint Platform, cloud or on-premise implementations, AnyPoint Connectors, and AnyPoint MQ
• Advice and guidance on API development, design standards, and guidelines
• Provision of API fragments, templates, common error handling, and other foundational assets
• Input to DevSecOps operations, including knowledge of tools such as GitHub, Nexus, Jenkins, SonarQube, Maven, etc.
• Review of technical architectures, implementations, and pipelines
• Advice on the use of AnyPoint Connectors to allow connection to critical enterprise applications and databases
• Development of monitoring dashboards using MuleSoft tools, such as Data Weave
• Assisting in development of governance checklists for both design documents and RAML/OAS design specifications
• Development of code review checklists for the governance of API code reviews
• Quality assurance functions of API designs code

Use of Professional Services in Different Engagement Scenario

So far, I have outlined four possible engagement scenarios for MuleSoft professional services. Though you will gain many benefits, each engagement scenario provides different challenges to the organization. To help make this important decision, I will further describe what MuleSoft professional services can bring to each type of engagement.

New Implementation with no Prior API Usage or Experience Within the Organization

In some ways, this is the easiest implementation; however it is probably the most unlikely scenario. In addition, it will present a particular set of challenges, some of which are beyond the scope of MuleSoft professional services.

A professional services engagement would ensure that the strategy of engagement and implementation are on a solid foundation. However, the organization will face the challenge of either recruiting a third party to work with them, recruiting additional permanent staff, or providing education to existing staff through the MuleSoft training program.

While this scenario avoids the challenges of platform and code migration, and the risk of conflict with another API implementation method, it will require a detailed strategic analysis of business’s technical landscape prior to the implementation of the AnyPoint ecosystem.

Migration From Another API Integration Provider to MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform

Organizations with an existing API development tool make several important decisions when adopting the AnyPoint Platform. The largest decision will be the migration path from the existing system to the MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform.

Although not a typical scenario, one could see this as a technology ‘swap’ rather than a complete change of strategy. Under these circumstances, the professional services strategy may not be fully required; however, the technical consultancy will play an important role.

In this particular scenario, it is assumed that the organization has an existing development capability but that their skills will lie with a legacy platform rather than the MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform. In this case, the organization will require training in MuleSoft capabilities including in MuleSoft development, Platform architecture, and Data Weave (either on an instructor lead basis or self learning course). As a minimum, I would suggest that one person hold the Platform Architect Certification, one the MuleSoft Integration Architect, and a number of people the MuleSoft Certified Developer Certification. I would also suggest that MuleSoft professional services are engaged until the technology migration has become stabilized into a business-as-usual operation.

Implementation of MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform Alongside Another Integration or Microservices Platform

A mix of the two strategies previously described will be required for organizations that already have a microservices implementation in operation. This will require a larger element of strategy than the technical migration between platforms.

Strategy should be the first consideration. The organization must decide whether they will run their current microservices alongside the MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform or migrate their current microservices to the MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform to provide a consolidated view of all APIs.

In these circumstances, MuleSoft professional services can advise on the strategic benefits of consolidation while the MuleSoft technical consultants can provide the pathway to support the strategic decisions.

Implementation of MuleSoft AnyPoint Platform With the Assistance of a System Integrator Partner

MuleSoft has a number of partner organizations that are validated to provide MuleSoft design and development capabilities. These organizations are staffed by consultants who hold MuleSoft certifications specific to their roles. However, prior to engaging with third parties, an organization should consider the skills they require to supplement their own internal staff. There are a number of roles which should not be passed to a third party. Here are several reasons why:

• Experience of the organization that may not be available to third parties
• Responsibilities that cannot be passed to a third party, such as financial and investment decisions
• Security clearances that must be held by organizational staff only

It is also important to establish an API-led strategy before any engagement so it can be used to bound the strategy of future engagement. Development of the strategy, with the help of a MuleSoft professional services strategy consultant, will avoid major changes from occurring on the path to a standard API development and reusability capability. The MuleSoft professional consultants have extensive industry experience and knowledge, allowing them to help overcome challenges that may arise while developing a strategy.

From a technical perspective, it is critical to ensure that the system integrator staff hold the relevant certifications. More importantly, they should have the correct level of experience to implement the API strategy using the identified toolset. This will allow your API integration service to be a success and deliver the the business benefits identified during the strategy and implementation development plan.

Benefits Provided by MuleSoft Profession Services

In each of the scenarios above, we have seen what benefits MuleSoft professional services can provide.

Professional services are often not mentioned while learning about MuleSoft implementation; the focus tends to be around business benefits versus cost, technical challenges, and development capabilities. However, if we harness the benefits of early engagement with the professional services, we don’t have to reply on our own, limited experiences. MuleSoft consultants not only have extensive experience using MuleSoft products, they also have access to a wide range of internal resources who have extensive experience, can give thorough advise, and have knowledge of upcoming platform developments.