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The OracleOpportunity

A Blueprint For Success As An Oracle Consultant

Aidan Duffy

Second edition 2014Copyright © Aidan Duffy 2012

ISBN 978-0-957-62060-5 (Paperback edition)

First published in 2012 by Oracle

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

The OracleOpportunity

A Blueprint For Success As An Oracle Consultant

4 The Oracle Opportunity | Aidan Duffy

ContentsAidan Duffy Biography 6

Chapter 1Know what you knowWhat do you know 11Project Skills 12People Skills 14Oracle Consultant skills 16Consultant Skills 16Technical Skills 19

Chapter 2Know what you don’t knowIdentify Your Resources 21Identify Missing skills 24Oracle Consultant Attributes 25Functional Consultant Attributes 26Technical Consultant Attributes 28

Chapter 3Build your skills and professional profileAssess and build upon your skills 30Oracle consultant knowledge 32

Functional consultant common 33Knowledge areas Technical consultant common 35knowledge areas Create or expand your 36LinkedIn profile

Chapter 4Identify opportunitiesFind Opportunities in Your Area 38Develop a Relationship with 40Recruitment Agencies

Chapter 5Know the project life cycleProject Initiation Phase 47Requirements Gathering Phase 47Design Phase 47Development Phase 48Testing Phase 48Cutover Phase 48Post Go-Live Phase 49Project Handover Phase 49

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CONTENTS

Chapter 6Prepare and conduct a winning interviewPreparing for the Interview 52During the Interview 54

Chapter 7Consider and accept an offer Consider the offer carefully 58Accepting the offer 62

Chapter 8Prepare for transition into your new rolePreparing to leave your current 63jobPreparing to start your new job 64

Chapter 9What to expect and how to get startedGet comfortable in your new role 66Know your project team 68

Chapter 10Prove your worth and build relationshipsProve yourself and put your 70manager at ease Build the Right Relationships 72Interacting with Client Staff 75

Chapter 11The art of communicationOffering Your Opinion 76Communicating your ideas 78When to assert yourself and 79when to back down

Chapter 12Document your work and get paidProject Administration 82Invoicing 84

Chapter 13Build on your success: Moving onNegotiate for an Extension of 86your contract Negotiate for an Increase 86Preparing for Your Next Contract 87

Conclusion 88

Resources 89

Index 90

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Aidan DuffyBiographyFor almost 20 years, Aidan Duffy has navigated through the world of Oracle business computing, mastering Oracle technologies and applications like a maestro of the algorithmic underworld, orchestrating business processes for Pfizer, General Electric, Canon, Alcatel-Lucent, Diageo and other global companies with aplomb and finesse. His very first consulting role was working for Oracle themselves, at their European HQ in London. From intricate code development to leading functional project teams, Duffy has seen it all and fixed just about every issue known to plague Oracle projects. He parlayed his talents into a successful consulting career and has since helped multi-national corporations thrive in an ever-demanding business climate.

Aidan Duffy shares his insights and experience in his debut manuscript, The Oracle Opportunity, illustrating the glamorous world of the Oracle consulting to help other would-be consultants achieve the same level of independent success. Duffy shares a step-by-step approach to making the cross-over in a way that is not only achievable, but helps Oracle


BIOGRAPHY

professionals realize and project their true value within the business world. Duffy understands the intangible attributes that are the mark of confident, successful business professionals and he presents these insights as a battle tested career coach with the proven results to back it up.

Aidan Duffy is a veteran consultant, specializing in Oracle E-Business implementation projects across Europe for much of his career. Duffy has transformed his career through continually seeking more demanding roles, setting rigorous self-improvement goals and taking new approaches to problem-solving challenges. His communication style comes from an expertise in managing clients and diverse Oracle teams while also mentoring other IT professionals throughout his long career.

He is also a writer, having authored business white papers on the subject of implementing business policies using Oracle technologies. Aidan Duffy holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) from University of Ulster. He is currently assisting for a global Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company, serving as a project manager. n



The hours tick down towards Go-Live. Tomorrow morning the new system will be switched on. Billions of dollars of transactions will start to flow through the framework I have created.

This is where it all begins. My program is the gateway to Oracle. The rest of the processes and the success of the project depend on me.

This Client has implemented Oracle in multiple European markets, but nothing as difficult as this before. They chose to work on this market last. It was expected to be the most challenging; they were right about that.

I have been stretched far beyond what I expected. I have managed a team of inexperienced people. I completed tasks I didn’t think I could do. I have made many personal sacrifices. I’ve put way too much of myself into this, for it to go wrong.

I have learned a lot about myself. I can execute tasks and perform well under pressure, even in the “white heat” of a large Oracle project. At the end of tomorrow, I will present the metrics at the Go-Live meeting. I need to be able to say ‘We had a good first day’. Nothing less will be accepted. Dare I hope to say, ‘everything got through successfully, 100%’?

Despite all this though, I feel calm. I have double and triple checked everything, and tested from every possible angle. I’ve used the experience gained over ten years as a consultant. I have leveraged the relationships I’ve built up over the life span of the project. I am happy this will be enough.

Introduction


INTRODUCTION

My reputation with this Client is at stake. If tomorrow goes well I will have successfully switched roles within the same Client. I have operated at a new level, way out of my comfort zone. I have proved that I can deliver any task assigned to me.

I can’t wait for tomorrow.

I have been an Oracle consultant since 1999. Many Clients have paid me thousands of dollars to help them with Oracle. I have worked with the largest multinational Clients including Accenture, General Electric & Pfizer. I have worked in the hottest locations in the world, such as London, Prague, New York and Amsterdam.

This book will tell you how to position yourself intelligently, package your experience, promote yourself to the Oracle market, and partner with the right people.

Position YourselfWhen I say position yourself, I mean, exactly what do you know about Oracle? Can other people understand exactly what you do? Can you explain it in a single sentence? If you are short on skills, what are you missing? How can you get those missing skills?

Package Your ExperienceYou have some experience in Oracle, but can you communicate that in your resume or profile? Have you really thought hard about what you can do, and where you might fit in a project team?



INTRODUCTION

Promote YourselfA lot of consultants think promoting yourself stops when you start a new role and starts again when you finish up. They couldn’t be more wrong. Promoting yourself is an everyday activity both with your current and potential new employers.

Partner with the Right PeopleAs a consultant you need to partner with your client, with other consultancies and with end client staff, in order to succeed. This book will tell you how to interact with these people. It will also tell you what is expected of a consultant, and how to be retained by a client. One of my managers said the most memorable thing about me was that it was obvious that I really cared about what I was doing. I think we’ve gotten too far away from that in the consulting world. Some consultants have one aim in life, to maximize their billable time. I will talk about how to act with integrity, respect the Clients you are working for, and the people you are working with.

More About MeI am a career-consultant, having worked with Oracle since 1997. I have worked for major multinational companies such as Pfizer, General Electric and Canon, across the U.K. and Europe. I have been re-hired by Clients several times, having worked for one client four times, and have an excellent reputation in the European Oracle Consulting industry. n


Know what you know“Know what you know” means being able to clearly define and communicate exactly what your skills and talents are in non-technical terms, and being able to communicate how you’ll apply those skills to complete the project objectives. You also need to communicate honestly about necessary or useful skills you may not yet have mastered.

Though it sounds simple, this process can be challenging and many consultants miss opportunities because they fail to express what they know and why their knowledge is important. If you’ve ever found that you have a hard time describing what you do in a personal or professional conversation, you’ve experienced how difficult it can be to explain what you know—the language you use will depend on your audience.

When preparing for an interview, it’s helpful to create a list of both Oracle-specific (Project) skills and soft (People) skills, and be sure you can state how and why they are relevant in appropriate, understandable language.

What Do You Know?A “skill” can be broadly defined as “the capacity to carry out tasks often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both.” In other words, skill is the ability to use your knowledge to achieve maximum efficiency in producing a product or result.

Your fundamental abilities as an Oracle consultant include both “hard” skills (project skills) directly related to Oracle projects as well as the “soft” skills (people skills) vital to successful projects, such as effective communication, team building, active listening, and negotiation. Soft skills in particular can set you apart as an effective consultant, so be sure to highlight this skill set when interviewing.

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CHAPTER 1 | KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW

Project SkillsIt’s important to highlight both functional and technical knowledge when defining your Oracle-specific skills in language your audience can understand clearly. Below are a few examples of essential Oracle project skills you’ll want to bring up in interviews:

Oracle skill Definition in lay terms

Gather business requirements

Ability to learn and assess business needs and modify or develop applications (forms, scripts, reports) to meet those needs

Understanding of business processes

Know basics of Order-to-cash, Procure-to-Pay and Record-to-Report

Basic understanding of accounting

Awareness of accounting entries behind basic sub-ledger transactions

Downstream impacts of changes

Knowing how modules link together. Configuration in Order Management will affect Receivables. A change in purchasing will affect Payables.

SQL Coding Ability to extract data, update and modify system reports, and perform various data analyses

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Oracle skill Definition in lay terms

PL/SQL programming Ability to import and export data into and out of Oracle systems.

Write test scripts Ability to incorporate business requirements into applications and anticipate test scenarios accurately; create scripts to test systems, diagnose and rectify issues as they occur during test phases.

Design Oracle reports Ability to extend and enhance standard reports to meet specific business needs; design custom reporting solutions if necessary including report development in Oracle Discoverer.

Interface data from external systems

Ability to seamlessly integrate Oracle data with other organizational business data; includes interpreting and converting data in multiple formats and writing import/export scripts.

Create documentation Ability to use AIM (Applications Implementation Methodology) or other standard methodology to create clear, concise user instructions as well as accurately documenting processes and applications development.




People SkillsWhile most consultants are comfortable discussing their technical and functional knowledge, many fail to highlight their soft skills as they apply to project tasks. However, often it is exactly these interpersonal skills, which make or break a project’s success, and pointing out your project abilities can give you an advantage. The ability to express these skills is vital to differentiating yourself from the other candidates. Below are a few examples of talents you may want to highlight:

Project skill Definition

Business Analysis Ability to communicate clearly, ask relevant questions, and actively listen to gain a thorough understanding of client-specific business processes and requirements; includes ability to accurately define “As-Is” system and identify all key stakeholders to determine requirements of “To-Be” system.

Communication Having enough knowledge to talk with other teams in the project, understand their concerns, and avoid actions that adversely impact them. Ability to work with non-project team members; ability to marry the project and non-project team objectives.

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Project skill Definition

Team Building Ability to build solid working relationships, foster trust and cooperation, diffuse tension, and effectively negotiate when working with multiple business units and across teams.

Support Consulting Ability to anticipate and meet ongoing business needs through building flexible, dynamic applications; ability to ask relevant questions and actively listen in diagnosing issues and provide ongoing support.




Oracle Consultant SkillsProject teams hire consultants of two types

1. Functional consultants/Business Analysts (B.A.’s)2. Technical Consultants

Functional Consultants or B.A.’s are the liason between the project team and the business. They gather and analyze the requirements, design, configure and test the solution, and support the business once the project has gone live.

Technical Consultants allow the project to implement customized functionality; to adjust Oracle standard features to suit the business requirement.

There is a third type of consultant, who has a combination of functional and technical skills. The “Hybrid” consultant is becoming more valuable to projects, as there is a significant gap between a pure technical and functional consultant. Hybrid consultants bridge this gap increasing effective communication between the teams. The diagrams below displays the typical Oracle EBusiness Consultant Skillsets. It’s useful to review the next diagrams to see where your skill set could place you on a project team.

Consultant skillsThe following diagrams illustrate the common skill-sets of functional and technical consultants. Over time a consultant may pick up skills in both areas, but the project team will generally hire a person for a “Functional” or “Technical” role.

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Functional skills include:Solution DesignSolution Design is the role of the Solution Architect. This is a critical skill in delivering successful Oracle projects. A solution architect should be an experienced consultant who can recommend a project high-level approach and design. Once the approach is agreed, the solution architect keeps the project team aligned with the overall solution, from the start of the project to the finish.

Gathering Business RequirementsAbility to discover and assess business project needs. Once a requirements list has been created, is it decided if each requirement can be met by standard functionality, or a customising is required.

DESIGNCOMMUNICATE

DELIVER

GATHERREQUIREMENTS

ANALYSIS

SUPPORT/CHANGE MGT

TESTING

CONFIGURE

SOLUTIONDESIGN

OracleFunctional Skills




Functional skills include:AnalysisThe ability to analyze a problem or issue, and create a solution that is acceptable to project and business teams.

Support/Change ManagementSupporting a system is important to ensure the customer can operate the new system, in the way intended by the project team. The Support phase happens directly after go-live, and is managed by the project team initially. Once the solution is stable, the Business as Usual support team takes over.

TestingTesting is required to be sure your solution is robust. Testing should be carried out on standard processes and customizations, and should provide a comfort factor that the solution will operate as it should.

ConfigureConfiguration of the Oracle application is setting up the system so that it meets the business requirements. Configuration should control access to the system and prevent incorrect data flows.

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Technical skills include:ReportsThe application is delivered with a number of standard reports, which will meet most business requirements. Once an additional requirement has been agreed, the Technical consultant decides if an existing report can be modified, or if a new report is required.

InterfacesAn interface transmits data from one system to another. The technical consultant builds the architecture so that the required data can be successfully transmitted and understood by both the sending and receiving systems.

SQLPL/SQL

REPORTS

INTERFACES

WORKFLOW

XML

CONVERSION

BUSINESSINT. TOOLS

OracleTechnical Skills




Functional skills include:WorkflowMany of the Oracle EBusiness suite transaction flows are now controlled by a Workflow. Oracle standard workflows are designed to implement most common business flows. If a new requirement in this area is identified, the technical consultant modifies the workflow to manage the new requirement, and ensures no impact on standard transaction flow.

XMLXML is used in Oracle Ebusiness suite to create reports & to transmit data according to document standards. These standards specify a message architecture to describing an object, and allow more efficient communication between systems. For instance the Open Applications Group Integration Specification(OAGIS) specifies message architectures called Business Object Documents(BOD’s) that define the fields contained in a sales order, for example. Once an XML message meeting this sales order message architecture is created, it can be transmitted and understood by different systems in an Oracle supply chain.

ConversionWhen a business is migrated to Oracle, historical data is required in the new Oracle application. This data can be defined as master data (customers, vendors etc), or transactional data (historical invoices, purchase orders). Import of these data types into the new system allows the system users to leave the old system behind. Conversion specifies what data types need to be imported, what range of each data type will be imported, how the import will be achieved, and how the results will be validated.

Business Intelligence ToolsBI tools allow the collection and display of correct information to a business audience. Data is typically reported, summarized, analyzed and distributed to various business users. The information provided is then used to enable business decision-making. Technical consultants provide the architecture and design the reports to meet the business requirements. n


In ConclusionBuild and Maintain Your ReputationBuilding and maintaining your reputation is the most crucial element in your future success as an Oracle consultant, so you need to think about this every day. As a beginning Oracle consultant, you need to start building a solid reputation from the very first day you start your first contract. You’ll build your reputation by performing well at what you do and making a meaningful contribution to the project.

Your sound reputation is valuable equity you will draw upon when seeking future employment. The world of Oracle consultants is smaller than you might think, so you should consider the decisions you make every day, and the impact they might have on your future career.

The popularity of social networking sites such as Linked-In make the Oracle consulting community even smaller and more interconnected than it’s ever been; this increases the likelihood in any given situation that someone will know you or someone who has worked with you on a previous project. Independent consultants are frequently asked for references, and someone you’ve had a problem with will not recommend you.

So, your future success as an Oracle consultant is really in your own hands. If you take care to follow the recommendations laid out in this guide, act with integrity, and apply your knowledge and skills effectively, you should find your reputation grows in strength with each contract. Once you’ve established a solid reputation, you will reap the benefits of a thriving career for many years to come. n


Make sure you stay in touch with me using one, or all, of the following methods.

Websitewww.ILoveOracle.comMy website is the place to find more information onn Consulting and Advice on all things Oraclen Oracle EBusiness training courses & materialsn Information on the latest Oracle EBusiness topicsn Free reports on Oracle consulting topics

LinkedIn Pagewww.linkedin.com/in/aidanduffyConnect with my extensive network of Oracle Consultants & Recruiters using LinkedIn, the worlds’ best networking tool.

Twitterhttp://twitter.com/aidanjduffyStay up to date with my growing Twitter community to join in real-time Oracle discussions

Facebookwww.facebook.com/ILoveOracleBecome a fan of the “I Love Oracle” page to stay in touch with my network of Oracle EBusiness consultants.

Resources


www.linkedin.com/in/aidanduffy

http://twitter.com/aidanjduffy

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Indexadministration 82agencies 38, 40Agents 38, 40, 41, 53, 84business processes 12, 14, 27, 33, 34, 75Certification 31client pipeline 37communicate 11, 14, 27, 29, 33, 34, 51, 73, 76, 78communication 11, 14, 16, 20, 24, 27, 29, 33, 76compensation 59consultant 11, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21,

22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 47, 52, 54, 58, 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 71, 72, 73, 75, 76, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 87, 88, 89

contract 21, 30, 37, 52, 58, 59, 62, 66, 68, 72, 75, 79, 83, 84, 86, 87, 88

documentation 13, 22, 61, 66, 83, 87extension 75, 83, 86format 13, 20, 36, 54, 67, 87independent contractors 68, 79

interview 11, 12, 24, 36, 52, 51, 54, 55, 58, 59, 63, 70, 87

invoice 20, 34, 84, 85key players 70, 73, 86, 87keywords 64layoffs 75LinkedIn 36, 41, 57, 89manager 21, 24, 37, 47, 54, 63, 64, 70,

71, 72, 75, 76, 82, 83, 86, 87market conditions 59market trends 37modules 12, 33, 77Monster.com 38negotiate 15, 58, 59, 62, 86, 87network 37, 38, 39, 41, 88networking 36, 41, 88notice 62, 63, 64, 68Offer 30, 33, 58, 59, 60, 62, 63, 71outsourcing 75pay 31, 62, 82, 84permanent staffers 68personalities 81PL/SQL 13, 30, 79politics 75


INDEX

Project Management 29, 67, 72, 77project team 16, 18, 24, 25, 27, 32, 36,

53, 54, 58, 67, 71, 72, 71, 75, 77, 80recruiters 37, 41, 89Relationships 15, 37, 40, 63, 64, 70, 71,

72, 73, 75 reputation 23, 38, 58, 62, 63, 64, 87, 88requirements 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19,

20, 21, 24, 25, 29, 32, 47, 48, 58, 59, 60, 78

Resources 21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 39, 47, 52, 89

salary 59skills 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21,

22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 38, 40, 53, 58, 59, 63, 70, 76, 87, 88

social media 30, 36Soft Skills 11, 14, 53SQL 12, 13, 30, 33, 36, 79stakeholders 14, 24tax return 82, 83terminology 47verbal agreement 58


The Oracle OpportunityThe Oracle Opportunity reveals the blueprint for success as an Oracle Consultant. If you want to enter or dominate the Oracle consulting market this is your guide.

Author Aidan Duffy, an Oracle Consultant since 1999, reveals a twelve-step plan for creating a successful career in Oracle consulting. Aidan tells you how to build your consulting career using the four pillars of his own consulting career: Position Yourself, Package Your Experience, Promote Yourself & Partner with the Right People.

With Insider Knowledge, Oracle consulting secrets, case studies, and stories from his long consulting career, this book will transform your career in Oracle Consulting.

Author Aidan Duffy, himself a very successful and internationally respected Consultant, pulls back the curtains on this sometime secretive industry and shows you how to become an influential and highly paid Oracle Consultant through following his own career built working for international blue-chip clients such as Pfizer, General Electric, Canon, Diageo and Motorola. Aidan has taken Oracle consulting roles in the hottest locations and coolest cities in the world such as London, New York, Amsterdam & Prague.

If you have ever wondered “Could I work in Consulting?” or “How can I improve my Oracle Consulting Career?” then this is the book for you!

The Oracle Opportunitywww.ILoveOracle.com | Twitter: http://twitter.com/aidanjduffy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ILoveOracleLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aidanduffy


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