What Are The Critical Skills That Drive Benefits In Oracle Optimizations?

Clients make the decision to optimize their Oracle environment for a variety of reasons. Typical goals of optimization projects are to gain additional operating efficiencies though streamlined business processes or gain additional functionality to simplify the user experience.

These types of activities often require advanced technical skills or product knowledge - and this is evident during the selection process. More so than clients with other project types, clients seeking to get the most from their Oracle systems tend to focus on the following questions during the selection process...

Do they have the technical Oracle skills to improve our systems? Can they put in place the measurement systems we need to monitor performance over time? What will it cost? How flexible are their services and how does this work to our advantage?
When it comes time to deliver, there are three components of Oracle delivery that are important regardless of the nature of the project: timely delivery, staff quality (consulting skills), and staff experience (relevant Oracle skills). To no one's surprise, clients want highly skilled experts to delivery their project on time.

When it comes to optimizing or extending Oracle systems, clients are very focused on the end game - obtaining measurable benefits. Clients place a strong focus on post-implementation planning and want an integrator that will prepare the organization to operate and maintain the systems after go-live.

Focusing on these delivery components tends to deliver results. Of the four project types studied (initial implementations, upgrades, geographic roll-outs, and optimizations/extended applications), client goal attainment is higher among clients with optimization projects. Compared to clients with other project types, clients with optimization projects report higher levels of goal attainment in three key areas: increasing revenue, improving business processes, and reducing IT costs.

There are three problems that are more common among clients with optimizations than for other project types - business/performance results not measured, deficient management of resources, and insufficient transfer of knowledge to technical team/system users.

Clients provided detailed performance assessments of their Oracle systems integrator. The Overall Performance Score is a measure of each Oracle systems integrator's performance across the delivery lifecycle. Individual components of delivery were assessed and are highlighted below as well.

Seventy-two of the 175 optimization projects were completed in 2006. The Oracle systems integrators with the highest 2006 Overall Performance Score for Oracle optimizations and extended applications are (in alphabetical order) BearingPoint (n=7), CSC (n=5), and IBM (n=17).

For optimization projects completed in 2006, clients report that the following Oracle systems integrators have a combination of above-average performance scores and better than average problem management in each of the following areas:

Measurement: Oracle Consulting Post-Implementation Planning: BearingPoint, IBM Staff Experience: CSC
Conclusions:
Clients that have optimized their Oracle systems report higher levels of goal attainment for increasing revenue, improving business processes, and reducing costs. Oracle optimizations require strong Oracle skills and a focus on the post-implementation environment. During the selection process clients are most keenly focused on an integrator's technical and measurement capabilities. The possession of strong project management and Oracle skills are critical components of the delivery process and enable higher levels of goal attainment. BearingPoint, CSC, and IBM receive the strongest performance ratings for Oracle optimization projects.

Optimizing your Oracle environment can yield measurable long-term benefits. Clients considering an Oracle optimization project should focus on a consultancy's measurement capabilities, plans for training end-users, and relevant consulting and product expertise during the selection process. Poor resource management and insufficient knowledge transfer are among the most common problems for Oracle optimizations. Clients should fully understand how each integrator intends to deliver on the project (including the use of offshore resources) and the specific plans for training users.

About This Research

This research was conducted by Performance Monitor, an independent marketing research firm. The research includes 864 Oracle systems integration projects that have been completed over the last three years. This article was based on the 175 optimization projects by the leading Oracle systems integrators, including Accenture, BearingPoint, Capgemini, CSC, Deloitte, IBM, and Oracle Consulting. For more information, please visit www.performancemonitor.net.

Paul Reynolds

Chief Research Officer, Performance Monitor

As Chief Research of Performance Monitor, Mr. Reynolds has conducted several major market studies that measure the field performance of the leading service providers in the enterprise application marketplace, including ERP systems integration, CRM systems integration, application outsourcing, and application development and maintenance. Mr. Reynolds' expertise includes methodology development, data analytics, and research process design.

Prior to co-founding Performance Monitor, Mr. Reynolds served as the Vice President and Director of Quantitative Research Services at META Group (acquired by Gartner), a Connecticut-based IT research and advisory firm. In this capacity he was responsible for all North American primary research conducted by the firm. He received the 2002 META Group AnalyClients make the decision to optimize their Oracle environment for a variety of reasons. Typical goals of optimization projects are to gain additional operating efficiencies though streamlined business processes or gain additional functionality to simplify the user experience.

These types of activities often require advanced technical skills or product knowledge - and this is evident during the selection process. More so than clients with other project types, clients seeking to get the most from their Oracle systems tend to focus on the following questions during the selection process...

Do they have the technical Oracle skills to improve our systems? Can they put in place the measurement systems we need to monitor performance over time? What will it cost? How flexible are their services and how does this work to our advantage?
When it comes time to deliver, there are three components of Oracle delivery that are important regardless of the nature of the project: timely delivery, staff quality (consulting skills), and staff experience (relevant Oracle skills). To no one's surprise, clients want highly skilled experts to delivery their project on time.

When it comes to optimizing or extending Oracle systems, clients are very focused on the end game - obtaining measurable benefits. Clients place a strong focus on post-implementation planning and want an integrator that will prepare the organization to operate and maintain the systems after go-live.

Focusing on these delivery components tends to deliver results. Of the four project types studied (initial implementations, upgrades, geographic roll-outs, and optimizations/extended applications), client goal attainment is higher among clients with optimization projects. Compared to clients with other project types, clients with optimization projects report higher levels of goal attainment in three key areas: increasing revenue, improving business processes, and reducing IT costs.

There are three problems that are more common among clients with optimizations than for other project types - business/performance results not measured, deficient management of resources, and insufficient transfer of knowledge to technical team/system users.

Clients provided detailed performance assessments of their Oracle systems integrator. The Overall Performance Score is a measure of each Oracle systems integrator's performance across the delivery lifecycle. Individual components of delivery were assessed and are highlighted below as well.

Seventy-two of the 175 optimization projects were completed in 2006. The Oracle systems integrators with the highest 2006 Overall Performance Score for Oracle optimizations and extended applications are (in alphabetical order) BearingPoint (n=7), CSC (n=5), and IBM (n=17).

For optimization projects completed in 2006, clients report that the following Oracle systems integrators have a combination of above-average performance scores and better than average problem management in each of the following areas:

Measurement: Oracle Consulting Post-Implementation Planning: BearingPoint, IBM Staff Experience: CSC
Conclusions:
Clients that have optimized their Oracle systems report higher levels of goal attainment for increasing revenue, improving business processes, and reducing costs. Oracle optimizations require strong Oracle skills and a focus on the post-implementation environment. During the selection process clients are most keenly focused on an integrator's technical and measurement capabilities. The possession of strong project management and Oracle skills are critical components of the delivery process and enable higher levels of goal attainment. BearingPoint, CSC, and IBM receive the strongest performance ratings for Oracle optimization projects.

Optimizing your Oracle environment can yield measurable long-term benefits. Clients considering an Oracle optimization project should focus on a consultancy's measurement capabilities, plans for training end-users, and relevant consulting and product expertise during the selection process. Poor resource management and insufficient knowledge transfer are am