Functional consultants support a company’s various business units in updating their business processes and deploying new technologies around constantly evolving information systems. He can also support business process managers in the management of an HR, FINANCE OR IT function organization project. He/she carries out various missions according to the projects to be developed, which are specific to each company, depending on the sector of activity targeted. Project governance almost systematically requires a steering committee.
The job of a functional consultant
The functional consultant is an expert in a particular field (HR, Finance, Purchasing …). He is also known as a ” project management consultant ” or “organization consultant”. Many companies and industries turn to a project management consultant to help them meet their rapidly evolving digital process digitization needs.
This consultant is responsible for providing his customers with Council and support in all types of corporate business projects, in order to ensure performance and coherence between the different processes of a function. A functional consultant needs to have a global vision of the project, from the analysis of the company’s needs to the implementation of business processes, as well as managing the various stages of an IS project. It operates in a wide variety of sectors, within both small and large infrastructures, including insurance, healthcare, finance, distribution, automotive and food.
The integration of a new business process in a company usually requires a reorganization of the work of several staff members. This is why the functional consultant needs to communicate clearly and explicitly.
He is empowered to offer training or assistance sessions so that all company employees can familiarize themselves with the new or reorganized processes and information systems.
The projects of the functional consultant can be carried out in delegation at the customer’s and require a punctual intervention, following a peak of activity, to answer specific needs which can generate organizational constraints. In this case, the functional consultant performs a service on his own account.
Invoicing is based on a daily rate (TJM). There is another form of project of fixed price type where the consultant in assistance of control of work is solicited to intervene with a multidisciplinary team to take care of whole or part of the activity of the customer.
The missions of the functional consultant
Project management consultants take on a wide range of assignments. Its main missions involve several stages: organizational audit, business process reengineering, creation of contractual terms and conditions, and project implementation.
Organizational audit
It includes :
- identifying the key players involved in setting up or renewing the project,
- an audit of existing business processes and information systems: the project manager records the relevant information and draws up the specifications,
- determining the impact on company operations (cultural, on roles and responsibilities, on workload, on tools, etc.),
- participation in implementing the terms and conditions of the project contract and related special provisions (charter, specific features, etc.),
- assessment of how the project can be integrated into the company,
definition of project management and governance rules.
Participation in the creation of specifications
It includes :
- project objectives: breakdown of tasks, budget, deadlines,
- evaluation of the various solutions available on the market,
- drawing up a list of possible partners and software solutions,
- concise and precise writing of the project’s implementation steps.
The realization of the project
Its various stages are :
- checking the conformity of work plans prior to project implementation,
- carrying out the various jobs and allocating tasks to the partners involved,
- monitoring work progress and managing unforeseen events,
- communication with the partners involved on the status of the works,
- Supervision of the implementation of the applications.
Skills and abilities required to become a functional consultant
Demanding and requiring functional specifications, the job of functional consultant calls for a certain number of professional skills and personal qualities.
Technical skills :
- knowledge of various sectors: finance, banking, insurance, media, industry, etc,
- ability to understand business processes specific to each company,
- knowledge of project management techniques, management of modeling tools,
fluency in English for international assignments.
Personal skills
- stress management to anticipate and react appropriately to unforeseen events,
- good listening skills to understand customer needs,
- a sense of priorities to draw up operational specifications,
- good communication and teaching skills with customers,
- autonomy to make the right decisions in all stages of the project.
Training to become a functional consultant
People who wish to work as functional consultants must have a degree in finance, management, accounting, purchasing management or HR, depending on the expertise they are looking for. These professional courses are given in an engineering school, a business school or in a university course. There are career opportunities to become a project manager.
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