Execution considerations

One-stop versus full-management

An enterprise effort requires the interaction lot of components and disciplines such as strategy, planning, business intelligence, metrics, governance, business and technical architecture, modeling, software development, testing, deployment, project management, change management, etc. The question to ask yourself is, what level of skills exist within the organization and how would you like to manage the effort. On one extreme, some people prefer to hand over the whole operation to a vendor, while on the other extreme, some people would like to do all that themselves. In the former case, the cost may spiral and you may lose control, while in the latter case, it may become a management nightmare. In many cases a blend may be the best option. The advantage of a blended approach could be the following:

Leverage the internal knowledge as best as possible, while supplementing for gaps through a vendor
Maintain overall control of the work, while letting vendor control the details
The interactions with the vendors can be streamlines through one to two people
Shared accountability
Less chance of cost overruns, and higher probability of on-time delivery

Expense models

When using a vendor or consultant, different expense models are possible on the execution. In many cases, a fixed cost model is best for the client because they know what they will receive for the price. On the other hand, it could be expensive, but the additional cost can be thought of as the premium for peace of mind. Fixed cost also helps the client in budgeting. Cost plus is used when the client is more certain about the costs, and is agreeable to pay a ‘service charge’ for the implementation. Time-based is usually unfavorable for the client because the vendor has little incentive to finish the work as fast as possible. Since the work is ‘open-ended,’ there is risk that it may never get done within the given amount of time or budget.

Solution customization

In most cases, the cross-organizational challenges that your company is having are different from the challenges at other companies. In all likelihood, there is not one solution that fits everyone. As they say, “for a person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” some vendors will try to address all challenges with a single solution - be it a tool or a methodology. Look for vendors or consultants who can solve your specific challenge while bringing their knowledge and expertise of what has or has not worked at other companies.

Dedicated team

In today’s business environment the pressure to ‘drum up business’ is high. As a result, many vendors place their top people in the sales or sales support positions. This SWAT team comes in, makes the sales and goes on to the next one, while the client is left with a second tier team to handle their challenge. On an important effort such as this, get assurances on who will be eventually working with you. This team has to be experienced, knowledgeable, dedicated and most importantly, stick with you till the work is completed to your satisfaction.

Vendor neutrality

Bridging silos require a good understanding of the systems, processes and technology that’s already in place. You can’t simply ‘rip and replace’ all your assets; rather, you may have to ‘migrate’ to a connected enterprise. There are many tools and software applications in the market that can ease this move, but what may be great for one company may be lousy for another. So it’s in your best interest to call in vendor neutral consultants, or consultants who have the ability to recommended an overall optimal solution and approach that potentially includes some of their competitors products as well.

Multi-disciplinary

Bridging silos requires an approach that borrows from multiple discipline. Identify vendors and consultants who can solve your problem; not teach you a discipline. A car is a solution to people’s transportation problem, but it is built on the disciplines of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Thermodynamics, Physics, Art and Design (so the car looks good), Finance (so the cost is affordable), etc. Just mechanical engineering would only give us a good engine. Similarly, enterprise connectivity calls for a multi-disciplinary approach. Again, find people who can solve you problem, not teach you a discipline.

Technology expertise

Technology is an integral part of today’s business. As a result, any solution to your enterprise challenges should include the technology component whenever required. Either you need in-house expertise to implement the proposed solution, or the consultants and vendor have to have a commitment to see the solution implemented. If that’s not the case, be wary of consultants tell you what to do, but are never around to see the solution implemented effectively.

Strategy to implementation

Bridging silos usually start with a goal and strategy in mind. The critical questions you will have to answer include, why are you trying to make the enterprise more connected, what are you goals, how do you plan to accomplish those goals, how to do ensure alignment of projects across business units, etc. This is followed by the phases of understanding, modeling, and analysis. The solution design follows that and implementation and deployment eventually results in the realization of the business value set through the goals. Each and every link in this chain is critical for business success and the realization of value. It is critical for your organization to understand this end-to-end approach, albeit you may choose different methodologies and best practices within each phase. Ensure that the team you work with can deliver on all these phases.

Dynamic and scalable model

Inevitably, there will be varying degrees of experience, knowledge and talent within the organization to execute on an enterprise effort such as bridging business areas. Therefore there is a strong need to effectively leverage internal resources, while supplementing for gaps in skills knowledge and experience through external resources. You may consider working with a vendor or consultant who can scale to your requirements. Larger consulting firms are usually interested in delivering the full solution with ‘their people.’ While this is good sometimes, in many cases your team will get minimal knowledge transfer, and the proposition is usually expensive for you because you end up using external resources for things that you already have expertise in-house. A good consultant or vendor should be able to dynamically scale based on your needs. Also, don’t make the mistake of going with placement organizations which typically provide people for specific tasks, but do not have a solution focus.

Guaranteed results

This is probably the most critical need for you, but is difficult to find among vendors or consultants. If you know what you want to achieve, (and sometimes consultants can guide you if you don’t), then it’d sure be nice if you can get a guarantee on the work considering the money you are spending on it. This can be worked into the contract with some consultants. If you can, get a guarantee.

TopSigma Consulting

Bridging Silos to Connect Your Enterprise