Foreign languages in a Consultant’s Armor

As per Thomas Freidman the “World is Flat”. This has never been more relevant.

 France opening up its IT market to Indian companies, Germany scrambling around for export deals, Russia, US and France leaving no stone  unturned for securing Nuclear and Defense  deals from India, France signing a 10 billion dollar trade deal with China, Japan opening up R&D centers in India, Australia mulling mining partnerships with Indian firms, China and Indian Oil companies (ONGC and CNOOC) contemplating joint bidding possibilities for overseas oil exploration projects, Dubai government setting up IT parks and inviting Indian IT majors to set up shop there and the list goes on and on.

With ever more Indian IT Consultants travelling on short term and long term assignments across the world, one of the differentiating factors in the Consultants portfolio will be his foreign language and etiquette skills.  In this article, I attempt to provide foreign language options and their relevance available to Consultants.  This article will enable the Consultant to short list one or more foreign languages to get trained in, based on his regional preferences. I once again reiterate that with a gamut of tools and methodologies, available for Consulting, Business Analysis, System Analysis, Project management the next level of differentiation will come from his foreign language skills and his ability to cut across multiple cultures.

Also with a host of translation tools, video and audio tutorials available online on every leading international language (all thanks to Web 2.0), it’s never been more simpler to learn a foreign language provided consultants are willing to invest some time/effort and follow a disciplined study schedule.

Disclaimer: the primary objective of this article is to provide consultants with a high level view of the important languages mainly from a perspective of the leading geographies where Indian IT companies operate. It is not meant to discuss demographics of the dominant languages in the world

I provide below, Geography/country/language wise information: (though this is not an exhaustive list, is covers most of the leading and emerging countries where Indian IT companies operate)

North America and Canada region:

Dominant language 1: English

Dominant Language 2: Spanish(North America) and French(Canada)

Good proficiency in English is enough to interact with Client teams with proficiency in French an added advantage in Canada for informal meetings and rapport building.

Europe:

This geography is the most complex in terms of language divergence with three languages being the most dominant namely English, German and French

• United Kingdom and Ireland – English is the only language in these countries. However both are established Outsourcing countries for Indian IT companies
• Germany – German is the only language for this country. This is an emerging destination for IT companies
• France- French is the primary language spoken in this country. This is also an emerging destination for IT companies and packs huge potential for big ticket IT deals
• Spain- Spanish is the primary language spoken in this country. Though Spanish is one of the dominant languages worldwide, its dominance in Europe is somewhat restricted to Spain

For the remaining countries across Europe, there is a mix of countries speaking German, English, French in addition to their local languages. However, knowledge of English may be sufficient to interact with client teams here (E.g Sweden:Sweidish and English, Norway:Norwegian and English)

Germany and France seems to offer good promise in this geography, mainly because these countries have been relatively closed to outsourcing in the past and they have been difficult markets to penetrate for Indian firms due to legal and language issues. Its only lately that these countries have bitten the outsourcing bug more seriously and there are huge deals to win in these 2 countries

Ref: http://business-standard.com/india/news/infy-bullisheurope-kris/101254/on

Middle East:

The official language for this region is Arabic (Hebrew for Israel). However English is an acceptable business language and hence consultants will not find a compelling need to learn Arabic while on assignment in these regions

Popular choices here (for the Indian IT consultant) are UAE (mainly Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Israel (partnership with Indian firms is on the rise)

Asia:

Here the language landscape is little complex similar to Europe with no clear dominant language. However one’s country preference will decide on the choice of language. Even here, if your choice is only English there are countries to choose from as given below:

• Singapore- official language is English
• Malaysia, South Korea- though the official language is Malay and Korean, English is an accepted second language and hence consultant will not have many barriers in communication
• China- official language is Chinese.  Though English speaking population is on the rise, at present the Consultant will need to be well versed in Chinese for informal communication
• Japanese-official language is Japanese. Though speaking Japanese is a clear advantage for informal communication, the Consultant may subjectively survive with only English. However for long term assignments, getting trained in Japanese is definitely an advantage

 Ref:

http://business-standard.com/india/news/infy-plans-rs-440-cr-china-campus/412351/

Australia:

In Australia, the official language is English

South America:

Once again like Europe and Asia, the language landscape is complex, fragmented and diverse. Here I discuss only some of the emerging economies where Indian IT majors have set-up near shore centers

• Brazil- the official language is Portuguese. However English is well accepted as a second language
• Argentina- the official language is Spanish. However English, French and German are accepted second languages
• Venezuela- the official language is Spanish. However English is an accepted second language
• Columbia- the official language is Spanish. However English is an accepted second language

Africa:

Here I cover only the major economies from an IT perspective.

• South Africa- although there are 11 official languages in south Africa, English is the most widely accepted and spoken of them all
• Algeria- the official language is Arabic. The second language is French with most of the population well versed in French since this was a former French colony
• Ethiopia –the official language is Amharic. However English is a widely spoken second language
• Kenya – the official language is Swahili. However English is a widely spoken second language
• Senegal, Rwanda and Madagascar – the widely spoken language here is French

I have summarized the language diversity in a table:

Based on this article the consultant will get the first level view of choosing a foreign language he wants to be trained in. It may also enable him to short list geographies for working on projects.

For some countries like Germany, France and China it may be perennially important to get trained in their local languages before going for long term assignments

Whatever be the case, getting trained in one important foreign language like French, German, Japanese, Chinese will always be strategically important to get preference for projects in certain countries, establish informal rapport with client managers and teams and blend with the local population and carry on day-to-day tasks after accepting long term relocation assignments

PS: Assuming that this article is mainly targeted at Indian IT Consultants, I assume that all of them are well versed in English (by virtue of their job needs and education system in India) and hence I treat English as a native and not a foreign language

Appl. Enhancement, migration, streamlining

(Consultants in a typical “Application enhancement /Operational streamlining/Application Migration to a new platform “ deal )
 
With the Indian IT industry, cruising towards the next level of maturity (I call it phase 2.0), the onus on companies is to show they bring substantial value addition on the table and not just plain cost cutting. With multinationals like Microsoft, Accenture, Cap Gemini and IBM setting huge offshore development centers in India, the cost arbitrage is diminishing. In order to increase stickiness and make clients regularly come back for more, Indian companies must continuously add value to every deal signed and this can be achieved only if the company is focused on grooming Consultants specialized for every domain it is doing business in. I call such an organization consultant centric.

The term Consultants is interchangeably used with Domain experts, Systems Analysts, Business Analysts, Project Managers, Operational Analysts, Functional specialists and a gamut of other terms.

For me a consultant is synonymous to a Doctor in the Real world. He is a doctor for the IT industry. The below article explains why !!

Through the below article, I endeavor to showcase the role of Consultants in a typical “Application enhancement /Operational streamlining/Application Migration to a new platform “ deal.

Phase 1: Defining the Problem statement:
(Terms used for this phase: GAP Analysis, Due-diligence, Process streamline recommendation) 

   

A typical client organization is aware of GAPs but is not in a position to formally define them. The application pain points/enhancement needs are felt via one of the following: (this is not an exhaustive list)

• End user productivity issues
• Having to employ more manpower than industry standards (specially for manufacturing, Billing and  Telecom companies)
• System based on legacy platforms, which are expensive to support and scale up
• Changes in business model and industry brought about by competitor (s)
• New products/services introduced by the company or need to scale up operations

The first step for the company is to undertake a Consulting Initiative to understand the short-comings.

This can be done in one of the following ways:

• Hiring Consultants via some of the established IT consulting companies in the market
• Hiring free lancing Consultants for a specific period of time
• Entrusting  one of the internal users or application support employees who are associated with the application long enough to know application functionalities and are well versed with the technological platform

The consultant can be one or all of the following:

• Domain expert associated with the industry
• Business analyst/functional analyst who has done requirements gathering or system designing for similar applications
• System Architects who have worked on similar systems
• Technical experts, who have developed similar systems

(In a typical scenario a team comprising of Consultants with the above skill sets work on the due-diligence exercise. It again depends on the size, functionality of the application)

Method used by the consultant:

• Gap analysis workshop – with the pain points and the expected end result to be achieved
• Stakeholder interviews to understand application functionality
• All documentation existing on the application
• Industry standards set by competitors and the latest technologies/platforms/processes available for the client business
• Future trends envisaged for the industry in which client operates (via reports from Gartner, Forrester and similar organization)

The “Problem definition phase” can vary from a few weeks to a few months depending on the size of the application, complexity, the spread of the user teams across geographies and the availability of end user times.

The primary skills required for the Consultants at this stage will be:

• Deep domain knowledge
• Analytical abilities
• Quick ramping up abilities (they will need to soak and absorb a lot of information in a short time)
• Good communication skills and ability to read between lines
• Ability and maturity to manage client expectations (this is most important, as most Business managers are impatient and also term Consultants as magicians who can achieve any target)

Ideal candidates: Domain experts, Business Analysts with minimum 4 years of consulting experience should be part of or head any such consulting team. Junior system analysts/business analysts/Consultants/domain experts should be made to shadow the senior analysts during such assignments with a view of grooming for the future. Also these junior analysts can be given an anchor role to perform if the company wins the projects after the Proposal phase

At this stage the consulting team does not have a clear view of the final expected solution. What is enough to derive at the end of this exercise is the broad band in which the cost of implementing the solution will reside, the projected gains (both cost and productivity) along with the time lines to be achieved after the solution is delivered.

In some cases the client organization may also demand the break even road-map in order to seek funding from finance.

Most of the times, such initiatives are undertaken on a “Time and Materials” costing. In some special cases, if the company has a preferred vendor status with the client organization and has assurance of securing the project once finance approval is achieved; the vendor organization may undertake the exercise as a good will (free)

Outcomes from Phase 1:

• Analysis document, underlying the pain-points/shortcomings
• Technology analysis of the various tools/packages available to achieve the To-Be solution along with the deployment and annual maintenance costs
• Road-map for the new application to break even
• Cost and Operational efficiencies to be achieved along with the reduction in man-power needs

The outcome from Phase 1 may be directly taken by the client organization to secure funding from Finance or they may tailor the findings as per templates and methodologies existing for the company

Phase 2: (optional phase):

This phase may require the client organization to hire Consultants on a need basis. As per my experience, if the company has not given a preferred vendor status to a vendor or if the preferred vendor does not have the skill sets to migrate the application, the company will float a RFI.

In order to formulate the RFI, the company may hire the same consultant team which had submitted the study during phase 1.

The primary inputs that go into the RFI are:

• Analysis submitted after the phase 1 exercise
• Technology platform for the To-Be system
• Expected functionalities in the To-Be system
• As-Is application details, technology, functionalities
• Broad Expected Project time-lines

Based on referrals, notices, size of project and technology skill sets required, vendors will respond to the RFI. (From my experience, the vendors to whom the RFI are sent are kept to a select few based on previous business done and track record in the region)

Based on the timelines given to respond to the RFI, vendors will submit detailed proposals underlying the costing and timelines for the various milestones (usually dates are allocated within which the vendors must seek any clarification in order to submit the detailed proposals)

Based on the proposals submitted by vendors, client may shortlist up to 3 vendors for final presentations and negotiations. (Consultant team may be involved in the short listing of vendors)

After final presentations, costing, negotiations client will finalize on the best option and award the project to the suitable vendor (before this some specific terms and conditions may be negotiated with the vendor)

Phase 3:(Paving the path for Execution):

 

The vendor will begin project after a formal project kick-off presentation.

Normally, the vendor will arrange for a team of Consultants to travel to client location in order to be in close proximity with the end users/ business users.

The specific tasks assigned to the consultant team at this phase of the project are:

• Define the detailed WBS for the project with low level artifacts and milestones
• Document the As-Is system
• Document the functionalities expected in the to-be system
• The road map for the migration of the project to the new platform

This is also the time when, the vendor may be assimilating the team with resources with the required experience and skill sets. 

One of the most important tasks for the consultant team during this phase is to establish the initial bond/rapport with the client business users and stake holders.

Typical skill sets for the consultant at this phase:

• Domain knowledge
• Exposure to project management, costing (ability with making project plans via mpp of other similar tools)
• Business Analysis/ System analysis exposure
• Analytical skills
• Documentation skills
• Desire to gather as much information as possible in the shortest possible time
• Excellent communication skills
• Exposure in managing onsite-offshore co-ordination
• Ability to appreciate technology (if they are solely from functional track)
• Maturity in handling fluctuations in work-load since during this phase, tasks are not completely defined or planned
• Ability to foresee/predict next set of tasks in the planning

During this phase, the objective should be to gather and document maximum information as possible (get them validated from business users/stakeholders) and pass them to the team through formal channels (KT sessions, presentations, documents, collaboration tools like googledocs, live meetings)

Normally this phase is referred to multiple terms like Requirements Gathering, Due-Diligence etc and is spread from a few weeks to a few months depending on the size and complexity of the project

Phase 4: (actual development/ migration/ enhancement phase):
 

Based on the documents submitted by the consultant team in phase 3, the development team will begin with the migration to new platform of functional enhancement of the application.

During this time, there are various options available for the consultant team which includes ramping down the consultant team (with members allocated to other consulting initiatives) or relocating some of the members offshore

For the onsite Consultants the primary tasks will be the following:

• Updates to the client stakeholders on the progress achieved (via presentations, progress plans and charts)
• Requirements clarifications from the Business users on functionalities
• Onsite – offshore co-ordination
• Managing client expectations
• Contingency planning for schedule slippages and unforeseen risks (E.g Visa issues for team members scheduled to travel onsite)

For the offshore Consultants, the primary tasks will be the following:

• Requirements Elicitation to the development and testing teams
• Single point contact for the onsite Consultants in conveying change requests, changes in requirements or plans
• Defining application testing strategy
• Preparing artifacts for the next phases namely UAT Testing, User Acceptance and End-user training phase

Phase 5: (UAT phase, Acceptance phase):

During this phase, the migrated/enhanced application is handed over to the client.

During this phase, the onsite Consultants are responsible for the following:

• Reviewing test results to access conformity to requirements
• Defining schedule for functional and UAT testing
• Ensuring that functional discrepancies raised by the end users/business users are resolved via formal channels (if it is a new requirements then via CRs, if it was an existing requirement then getting the correct functionality from development team)
• User Acceptance presentations to the clients
• End user training sessions

Typically a consultant who has been associated with the project from phase 1 is preferred at this stage, since he would be aware of the big picture and would be in a better position to resolve functional scoping issues.

 

This is the role and responsibility of a consultant in a typical application migration/ application enhancement initiative