This will be my last installment of the Superfriends series but certainly not the least. I write this blog in tribute to the rare women in this field. We work in a male dominated field so typically the women that work in the roles of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) consulting tend to be exceptional. The several I have come into contact with certainly have reinforced this impression with me. Possibly because of their ability they tend to gravitate toward the more challenging aspects of PLM consulting, system integration and data migration. For the purposes of this article system integration will be defined as linking different enterprise applications together i.e. PLM to ERP or CRM. Anyone who provides consulting for PLM or has implemented PLM knows that these two areas always tend to be the most challenging aspects of a PLM project so the person tasked with these activities must possess special characteristics. This article will review the skills needed and challenges presented in data migration and system integration and what it takes to successfully complete these tasks.
Most of my recollections regarding Wonder Woman stem from the 70's TV show starring Linda Carter. From my extensive research (Wikipedia) I have learned that the show was a pretty faithful adaptation of the comic book which was also the basis for the Superfriends version. Wonder Woman had the lasso of truth, a Magic Tiara, Utility Earrings and Unbreakable Bracelets. I am not sure Integration/Data Migration woman has quite so many accessories. The other special power Wonder Woman possessed was that because of her Amazon origins she did not age. If anyone has seen Linda Carter lately I think we can agree that she must have inherited this from the role because she looks pretty much the same as she did on the show. Unfortunately the job description for Integration/Data Migration Woman causes the opposite effect, premature aging due to the stress and difficulty of the job. These capabilities come in handy for Wonder Woman and her crime fighting and also might be useful for doing integration and data migration especially when it comes to defining and maintaining scope.
The key to success with both integration and data migration is a well-defined scope document. Many times because of the glitz and glamor of the PLM application itself and the value it will deliver this aspect of the project is underserviced. The experience that Integration/Data Migration Woman brings to the project is to make sure this does not happen. Fully understanding what information needs to flow between two systems and how it will be accomplished is a critical element for success. Sometimes the definition of the ERP or CRM solution is still being created so companies do not fully understand what they want to move across. This is a dangerous place to be for integration. Having a moving standard for integration usually means late stage changes that can have ripple effects in design which can prove costly and time consuming. Having a lasso of truth to "encourage" clients to think this through would be very handy. The same thing is true for data migration. It is important to understand up front exactly what data needs to be moved into the new system and how this will be achieved. There also needs to be a clear understanding about what changes will be made to the source system as the project is underway since this can impact timelines and strategies when it comes to moving the data. Having the knowledge and experience to make sure that this portion of the project is well defined and ensuring that all participants are aware of the parameters is a key characteristic for Integration/Data Migration Woman.
One of the other key requirements for success in integration and data migration is to fully grasp the condition of the data that is moving into the new system. This is particularly critical for data migration. I covered this topic pretty thoroughly in my "Migration Madness" blog series but the point remains, "garbage in, garbage out". Using the Magic Tiara which is actually a deadly boomerang Integration/Data Migration Woman must cut out incomplete or inaccurate information to avoid corrupting the new system and perpetuating errors. If data or fields are tagged to be moved into PLM the information must be fully qualified by the client. Poor schemas or flawed data can have a huge impact on a PLM implementation and can undermine confidence in the entire system so it is critical that there be no compromising in the quality of information coming into PLM. This also means that Integration/Data Migration Woman needs to have a complete understanding of PLM so that she can discern the impact of this information in the system as well. Just moving bits and bytes around is half the battle. Being familiar with the implications for certain fields missing information and how data from one system needs to manifest itself in the other is a mandatory requirement for success.
I am not sure how to work in the other accessories other than having unbreakable bracelets that will help fend off the attacks of clients trying to change things or other team members failing to consider the implications to integration and data migration. I think the invisible plane is definitely a metaphor for the fact that this activity tends to fly under the radar and to be underestimated by both clients and consultants. Having a strong person in this role that understands the perils and pitfalls of these two activities can definitely mitigate risk and ensure a successful project. Failure to understand the critical nature of these elements of a project can lead to some major cost and time impacts. In order for PLM to succeed it need to be integrated into the framework of a company and legacy data is almost always required to achieve quick time to value. Obviously, gender is somewhat irrelevant when it comes to the roles of data migration and integration but it does require a well-rounded person who understands both system and process. I hope you have enjoyed the series and extracted value from the articles. I try to find ways to make reading about PLM and project management entertaining and educational at the same time which can be a challenge. I think you will like the next article since it has elements of both but we will move away from superheroes for now.
