Time and balance are <A HREF="http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/04/13/77417_HNsteadysoa_1.html">critical factors in getting an SOA</A> (service-oriented architecture) implementation right, according to executives at European insurance company Helvetia Patria Group. SOA describes how to create and manage IT systems through reusable software and services. "One thing to understand is that the implementation of SOA takes time, it's a journey," Didier Beck, the head of eBusiness Center at Helvetia Patria, said.