Sometimes the easiest way to describe something to non-technical people is to leave the technical bits out of your description and just talk about the functionality.

I personally feel this way about most technical processes, but I think that Dan North has hit a home run using that method to describe SOA in terms of how it might have worked in a 1950's era enterprise. I'm only sorry I missed this article when it was originally published last May; props to Joe McKendrick at ZDNet for linking it again today.

While North provides a good explanation and description of SOA in particular and the various processes and pitfalls associated with it, what I really like is the method he uses to explain it. If you're a CIO dealing with a decidedly non-technical management team, this may be your way to go in pitching any technology project.