For at least a decade now, many integration industry analysts and integration solution vendors have been predicting the demise of EDI. Yet thanks to EDI’s reliability, security, and flexibility, global EDI adoption is expected to grow by 13% annually1 through 2030.
This growth, coupled with the EDI staffing shortages we discussed in this post, is creating strong demand for EDI consultants at all levels. For those who are interested in pursuing a career in consulting or advancing to the next level, this post explains the responsibilities and keys to the success of each role.Be aware that titles and duties for each position may vary somewhat depending on the individual company. You can download the Remedi EDI Job Descriptions resource to learn the experience and education, KPIs, and skills demonstration expected at each consultant level.
Keys to Success: To be effective, EDI analysts and EDI coordinators need a passion for interacting with diverse personalities and professionals. An ability to effectively communicate with internal business teams and external trading partners is essential in this role, and why analysts with strong communication skills tend to have long careers. Attention to detail and being organized complete the package.
Keys to Success: While solid communication and collaboration skills are a plus, mappers are more focused on the work they’re assigned within a team structure. As such, they don’t typically have to be as outgoing. Beyond technical chops, what sets successful mappers apart is tight time management. It’s all too easy to lose track of time in the minutia of business rules and other nuances of working with a trading partner’s map or other EDI documents. Mappers who manage it well tend to stay as busy as they desire to be.
Keys to Success: EDI developers who opt to make their mark in EDI consulting bring great communication skills, a passion for problem-solving, and demonstrated technical chops. But the EDI developers who get invited to discovery calls without being asked for a resume have something extra—the ability to see the big picture. They also possess the confidence to step up when needed in the critical meetings that come with big opportunities.
For an overview of the career path for an EDI developer, see “How Do I Become an EDI Developer?”
Keys to Success: Expectations and rewards at this level are high and for good reason. EDI solution architects must quickly grasp the entire landscape of the integration environment, particularly in scenarios where an ERP upgrade is involved. Their solutions often require significant investments of time and capital. Their intellectual work product directly impacts a company’s revenue cycles and trading partner relationships—in other words, the health of the business.
EDI solution architects must also be crack people and project managers. Often, they’ll have a team of mappers and developers working alongside them for whom they provide guidance and set benchmarks and milestones.
At the same time, much of the quality assurance and testing may be carried out by internal customer personnel. These professionals work for the customer and don’t report to the solution architect. Yet, because of task dependencies, they may occasionally need to be asked to adjust their work priorities to accommodate a critical project milestone. Situations like these demand finely calibrated diplomatic skills to avoid ruffling the wrong feathers at a critical juncture.
Bottom line, EDI solution architects who can consistently deliver their solution with maximum efficiency and minimum friction are rock stars in the eyes of customers— and everyone else in their orbit.
If you’re ready to learn more about EDI consulting careers or opportunities with Remedi customers, drop us a line at staffing@remedi.com.
1 2023 Global EDI Software Market Report