If you have the necessary skills and background, EDI consulting has a lot to recommend it over full-time employment: increasing global demand, high pay and excellent work-life balance. Read on to learn about making the switch.
Prerequisites for Becoming an EDI Consultant
Becoming an EDI consultant requires certain skills and knowledge and/or a specific educational background. In general, the latter is at minimum a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology or a related field (though some organizations that are looking to hire outside EDI help may be willing to accept experience in place of a degree).
In terms of know-how, EDI consulting requires proven expertise working with EDIs. The technical skills you will need include but may not be limited to:
- Solid understanding of EDI transaction sets, standards and practices.
- Familiarity with EDI solutions and portals, including Mercateo, GHX, Hubwoo, Pagero, Ariba and HBS.
- Understanding of EDI translation software.
- A strong handle on technical processes dealing with ERP systems.
- Data-mapping expertise.
- Comprehension of management formats, such as Gs1, Excel, BME Cat and XML.
- A cross-divisional knowledge of IT and relevant business units.
- Proficiency in the entire Microsoft Office suite.
- Knowledge of web architecture and networking protocols.
- Basic knowledge of Oracle, REST API, SQL, PERL, Linux and UNIX shell scripting.
Before hanging out your shingle as an EDI consultant, there are a few other characteristics you will want to cultivate. Make sure your coding skills are sharp, and that you have top-notch customer-servicing abilities and business sense. You should also be able to communicate well (both in speech and writing), and be comfortable taking initiative to get work done without a lot of input from clients. As an EDI consultant, you may find yourself having to make more executive decisions than you did when you were an employee.
Is there Demand for EDI Consulting?
There is a worldwide need for EDI consultants and in coming years it will only increase. In fact, the global EDI market is slated to grow to over $4 billion by 2029, according to market-research publisher Fortune Business Insights.
What’s driving this growth? In large part, a combination of companies playing pandemic-related “catch up” and the likelihood of an imminent economic recession. These factors make the cost savings of hiring outside consultants rather than full-time, in-house professionals not just attractive, but necessary. That means serious opportunity for talented EDI consultants.
EDI Salary vs. Consulting Rate
An EDI consultant tends to earn more than a full-time EDI employee. Why? One of the reasons is likely the many costly-to-employers benefits that full-time workers often receive, including retirement-savings accounts, health insurance, paid time off, cell-phone stipends and more. But another reason is the uncapped earning potential of consultants, who, unbound by employment contracts and typical employee responsibilities, are free to take on as many paying projects as they can deliver.
The average salary of an EDI specialist working full-time as an employee is just over $73,000, while the average take-home pay of an EDI consultant is more than $167,000 a year (and if you have EDI specialties, you can likely command even more). As another point of comparison, the average national salary across industries and jobs is just over $51,000.
EDI Employment on Your Terms
For many who leave full-time work to start their own EDI consultancies, the most compelling reason for doing so is control. Below are just some of the ways you get far more of it as an EDI consultant.
Scheduling flexibility
Most of today’s workforce is made up of millennials, those who came of age at the dawn of the 21st century. For them, scheduling flexibility is a priority. One possible reason: Millennials as a group are in the throes of child-rearing, which even post-pandemic presents a constant challenge for working parents. For example, many employers continue to demand workers’ on-site presence for a specific number of hours per day and/or mandate the taking of vacation hours for child-care emergencies.
When you get into EDI consulting, you don’t have to answer to any boss about how you spend each hour of your day. Need to drop everything to pick up a sick child from school and look after them the rest of the day? That’s your prerogative as a self-employed EDI consultant.
Work location
And what about where you work? In general, as an EDI consultant, that’s up to you. Whether it’s home, a local coffee shop or even a location overseas, as long as you are responsive to your clients and turn in high-quality work by promised deadlines, there’s no reason you can’t take your pick of high-speed-Wi-Fi-enabled places–and set up shop anywhere you like.
Agency
When you are an EDI consultant, you have clients, but you really work for yourself. You set your own hourly or per-project rate and then negotiate as you see fit. And you work with potential clients to set up the terms of your contract, so you have a say in every part of the setup that will govern your work.
As for compensation, how much you make is largely up to you and your drive to earn. There’s no one to tell you how much you can take on, or that, for example, you can’t scout for new clients because you already have several projects in the works. Want to expand your business so you can take on even more? Bring on your own EDI help. The only person you’ll have to clear the new hire with is you.
Conclusion
EDI consulting has a lot to recommend it–increased scheduling flexibility, greater independence and higher pay, to name just a few perks. For those with the relevant experience and/or right educational background, it’s the logical next step. Get started on your journey as an EDI consultant by looking through our listing of hand-picked, top consulting gigs here.
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