Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    sales and data analytics
    How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
    9 Min Read
    data analytics and truck accident claims
    How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
    7 Min Read
    predictive analytics for interior designers
    Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
    8 Min Read
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
    big data and remote work
    Data Helps Speech-Language Pathologists Deliver Better Results
    6 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: People, Process & Politics: Integration Competency Centers
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Uncategorized > People, Process & Politics: Integration Competency Centers
Uncategorized

People, Process & Politics: Integration Competency Centers

RickSherman
RickSherman
8 Min Read
SHARE

IStock_000006846616XSmall different teams In our “People, Process & Politics” series we have discussed how non-technical aspects of business intelligence, data integration or data warehousing projects are the critical components of success. Sorry product vendors, but no matter how impressive the tool, if a company fails on the 3 Ps, then the projects using those tools will fail to produce reasonable business value.

On the technology side, enterprises need to organize their integration efforts using an integration competency center (ICC) approach. An enterprise needs to identify the scope of its data integration efforts, define its vision and architecture, and then implement that vision. A blueprint is necessary to build what you want but you also need your resources to effectively execute to build what the business needs. 

ICC Organizational Models

Too often people envision an ICC to be a centralized group that controls all integration work. In addition, ICCs are perceived to be a large corporation creation that just does not fit in a small to medium enterprise. On both counts, they could be but they do not have to be. 

More Read

A coincidence occurred. Film at 11.
Why Overfitting is More Dangerous than Just Poor Accuracy [PART 2]
Mobile Business Intelligence: Who is Hot in 2014?
A Timely Reminder
Email Marketing Isn’t Dead!

There is a wide spectrum of choices from simply …

IStock_000006846616XSmall different teams In our “People, Process & Politics” series we have discussed how non-technical aspects of business intelligence, data integration or data warehousing projects are the critical components of success. Sorry product vendors, but no matter how impressive the tool, if a company fails on the 3 Ps, then the projects using those tools will fail to produce reasonable business value.

On the technology side, enterprises need to organize their integration efforts using an integration competency center (ICC) approach. An enterprise needs to identify the scope of its data integration efforts, define its vision and architecture, and then implement that vision. A blueprint is necessary to build what you want but you also need your resources to effectively execute to build what the business needs. 

ICC Organizational Models

Too often people envision an ICC to be a centralized group that controls all integration work. In addition, ICCs are perceived to be a large corporation creation that just does not fit in a small to medium enterprise. On both counts, they could be but they do not have to be. 

There is a wide spectrum of choices from simply agreeing on common practices to actually having a centralized integration development group. The options fall into four categories:

  • Common practices
  • Technology standards
  • Shared services 
  • Centralized development

Although the ICC organizational choices above are listed in an increasing level of control, scope and size, it is neither necessary nor recommended for an enterprise to step up the ICC organization ladder. The organizational approach that best fits an enterprise is dependent on its situation rather than some esoteric, one-size-fits-all model.

Common Practices

The simplest ICC model is one that documents and shares common practices across integration projects. Each independent project is able to leverage what was learned from previous integration development efforts without reinventing the wheel. It saves time, reduces costs and enables each project team to concentrate on expanding the overall enterprise’s integration expertise, thereby contributing new or improved practices based on what they’ve learned. In this manner, enterprise integration expertise continues to grow project-by-project rather than being lost as each project is completed and resources inevitably scatter. 

In addition, there is a considerable amount of industry knowledge gained from successful and unsuccessful integration projects that has formed a set of data integration best practices. Tapping into that pool of best practices should improve an enterprise’s integration efforts and help avoid many of the learning mistakes everyone new encounters. Just to set expectations: there is no single recipe that applies to all situations, but rather a data integration cookbook of best practices that an enterprise needs to pick which recipes apply to them.

Technology Standards

The second ICC model involves not only establishing common practices that can be used by all integration projects, but standardizing on a common integration platform. This approach goes beyond sharing ideas by creating a technology platform each independent integration project can tap into. This approach avoids the costly and time-consuming tool evaluation and selection process; avoids the cost of redundant or overlapping software and supporting infrastructure; and, if the integration standard is followed, provides the potential for a common pool of expertise in the enterprise that might be enlisted to work on various projects. 

Standardizing on integration technology enables the integration projects to concentrate on creating business value rather than continually tying up resources in the evaluation, selection, purchase, training, development and deployment of multiple integration technologies.

Shared Services

The third organizational ICC model involves creating a group of dedicated people, but in a virtual or decentralized manner, to develop the integration components of all projects. The ICC determines the strategy, designs the architecture, establishes the common practices and selects the technology platform as prerequisites to its development efforts. The individual integration project teams are still responsible for the development activities and deliverables, however, the ICC assigns resources from their common pool of talent to work on those project. This is a terrific approach to developing and nurturing integration talent and expertise (from an employee perspective) and a very productive manner to leverage individual skills thus reducing costs (from an enterprise perspective.)

Centralized Services

The final organizational model is a completely centralized ICC operation. Typically, with this approach, an enterprise-wide integration program is established with a business governing group to fund and prioritize the integration portfolio. In the centralized services model, the ICC operates as the systems integrator responsible for all integration work throughout the enterprise. All data integration components are pulled out of projects and placed into the integration program. Just as with the shared services model, the ICC determines the strategy, designs the architecture, establishes the common practices, and selects the technology platform as prerequisites to its development efforts. However, unlike the previous model, the ICC operates the entire integration program.

Next

We will examine the pros and cons of each ICC model so that you can determine what may work best for your enterprise in follow-up posts in this series.


Link to original post

Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

sales and data analytics
How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
ai in marketing
How AI and Smart Platforms Improve Email Marketing
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive Marketing
AI Document Verification for Legal Firms: Importance & Top Tools
AI Document Verification for Legal Firms: Importance & Top Tools
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive
AI supply chain
AI Tools Are Strengthening Global Supply Chains
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

You Might also Like

Foster integrative thinking and collaboration across fields

3 Min Read

The Social Employee Manifesto

5 Min Read

Clearest Introductions to Information Theory

4 Min Read

Will the New Apple TV Revolutionize the Conference Room?

4 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

data-driven web design
5 Great Tips for Using Data Analytics for Website UX
Big Data
ai in ecommerce
Artificial Intelligence for eCommerce: A Closer Look
Artificial Intelligence

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?