Functional v/s Technical Consultants

Technical Consultant  

A technical manager handles all the technical aspects of the system. Actual job titles often vary from company to company, but they are usually programmers or system administrators. Technical consultants are in charge of your software environment's management.  

For example, technical consultants install an upgrade, perform the required configuration on your system, and ensure that all back-end processes run smoothly. If you have bugs that affect the maintenance of your program or certain features, they are a reliable resource. In addition, any problems that occur in your system should be called to help troubleshoot and resolve the problem.  

Their primary responsibilities include: 

• Create and deploy computer systems.  

• Ensure that new programs are installed and configured correctly.  

• Find innovative ways to improve the platform and discover new features.  

• Create adaptations based on an organization's needs and demands. 

Functional Consultant  

Technical managers focus on everything that happens inside the software, while functional managers focus more on the outside, on the business side of consulting. They share business processes and financial insights and make a few technical moves. 

They run your system, make sure it works as expected, make sure the benchmarks are met, and prepare reports for stakeholders and executives. You may have a strong accounting and sales background to properly determine your system and business needs. 

Due to business responsibilities, functional administrators need to be able to: 

• Find remedies to the system's potential flaws.

• Evaluate the data to improve the efficiency and performance of the system.

• Budget and cost control .

• Maintain a working knowledge of new technology.

Distinctions between functional and technical consultants 

While each consultant is in charge of various tasks, they work well together.  

When commencing an ERP deployment, the functional administrators will be the first to collaborate with the client on a strategy. They will know about the company's wants, demands, and objectives, as well as fill in any gaps that may arise.  

A technical administrator will come in and carry out the plan once it has been planned and the procedures have been put in place. As previously said, they will take the ‘blueprint’ and build on it to fulfil the client's needs.  

A functional consultant will typically move on to another client and project after establishing the foundation for the system and ensuring that the implementation and launch went smoothly, whereas the technical consultant will stay and be available for maintenance, updates, and any changes required by the client. 

Significance of functional and technical consultants in business

Some clients only require the services of a technical and functional consultant, while others may require a whole team of developers and industry experts.  

On the other hand, the organization's needs are minor, and a consultant with technical and functional understanding will suffice.  

Perhaps you have already implemented ERP and are looking for a small tweak. If you already have an in-house programmer or developer with knowledge of the system, you may not need a consultant.

One thing is certain: an experienced consultant will do amazing things for your business. Many customers think they can handle their ERP projects themselves, but no one knows the details of an ERP system like a consultant. Also, their expertise is invaluable to the business. 

Contact Jobin & Jismi to learn more about functional and technical consulting.