The last items on an integrator’s wish list can be summarized in three words: collaboration, 0penness, and communication. You can also add Trust to that list because, without it, the other items will not produce the results you need. Trust is the cornerstone of successful integration projects, providing a sense of security and confidence. Integrators say that the most challenging projects they work on are not rooted in technical issues. Instead, they become challenging because of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation. Those mis-es happen when each side is marching to the beat of a different drummer.
Bring your most collaborative team members to the table for any integration project. These are the individuals who bring unique perspectives and skills to the project, making them invaluable. Bring your unofficial leaders, project managers, product developers, and marketers. With your needs in hand, open the discussion with what you want to build for your production facility or market. Explain the problem you are trying to solve and the constraints you face. Talk about environmental constraints, available space, and budgets. Bring examples of how you are not meeting your needs today and how a successful project could change your situation. Paint a picture to open a collaborative discussion.
Encourage openness with your team. Get non-disclosures signed so that everyone can speak freely. Ask everyone to listen. Integrators have vast experience that allows them to bring ideas and solutions to the table that may not have been part of the original considerations. They may suggest changes to concepts and specifications that reduce costs, speed up implementation, and increase usability.
And finally, every integrator will tell you that communication is essential to the relationship. It takes many forms, but it begins with ensuring that, as a buyer, you create an open line of communication before, during, and after the project. This open communication is not just a formality but the reassurance that you will be informed and involved at every step. You may need to weed out the nay-sayers and blockers to better evaluate and embrace suggestions from your integration partner.
Those partners have a similar obligation to communicate effectively. They want to bring you the best options and help you thrive in your integration project!
Do you have a success story to share? Your insights can provide valuable learnings for others and foster a sense of community among professionals involved in integration projects. Want more integrator wishes? Right this way.