This is the second of 3 related posts. When, Why, and How to Utilize an EDI / EAI Integration Consultant.
Utilizing An Integration Consultant – The WhyThere are many types of roles that need to be played within the integration group of an organization. It is helpful to consider these roles, particularly the roles you need to staff, the frequency you need to staff them, and for what duration they need staffed. The outcome from this consideration might have you staffing roles with company personnel or with consultants depending on the consideration factors. By clarifying the type of position you need to staff, and assuming you take the consultant approach, you will know what requirements to communicate to a consulting company. And will also know how you will determine if the consultant presented is a good match. Below are different roles you might staff with a consultant, each with common factors as well as differing factors.
- Education Roles
Education and training roles require good communication skills, people skills, and knowledge of the subject matter being taught. Training experience and a solid training plan are also important. Training plans can be developed custom or utilized in an off the shelf manner and each has its advantages. - Technical Roles
Technical roles involve data mapping, software installation, system interfacing and upgrade projects. Skills possessed and demonstrated by the resource is obviously the most important requirement for technical roles. Depending on the need, good people skills and team play may or may not be as important as technical skills. - Strategic Roles
Strategic roles may or may not overlap with other roles depending upon the requirements of the project. Strategic resources are often needed to address evaluation, selection, and requirements definition type projects. Research and analytical skills are of heightened importance in filling strategic positions. - Management/Project Management Roles
Examples of tasks in this role include leading a system integration initiative, leading a business network implementation project, or organizing / restructuring an EDI/EAI team or department. Good people skills and communication skills are required for these roles. Those that have good organizational skills, presentation abilities, and are task driven also thrive in these roles. - Outsourcing Roles
Outsourcing requires role analysis at a broader level. In an outsourcing arrangement one must determine what is to be outsourced, and then analyze which roles will be best handled by the outsourcer versus handled in-house. In an outsourcing arrangement, assess the abilities of the provider to be technically proficient, objective, self-directed, quality / service oriented, and time-efficient. - Co-Sourcing Roles
Co-sourcing requires an even greater degree of partnering and communication than outsourcing. It also requires more management involvement on the part of the client company. With co-sourcing, role analysis is of paramount importance. If your Co-source partner is handling your day-to-day operations the resource offered requires a wider / different range of skills than a resource offered who would staff your vendor portal hot line. Similarly, if the Co-source resource is to communicate with business partners on your behalf on a daily basis, you need to consider the importance of good people skills in your prospective consultant. In a Co-sourcing relationship, your partner must act as an extension of your integration team. Therefore, it is important that the service provider have the expertise and insight to approach the engagement with the same motivation and goals as your in-house team.
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