Business Consultant

JOB TITLE: Centric Business Consultant
LOCATION: Japan
REPORTS TO: Services Director
FUNCTION/DEPARTMENT: Post Sales (Implementation & Deployment)
Key Responsibilities:
Deliver Centric 8 Agile deployment projects on-time, per schedule per responsible technical and business goals of company (e.g. out-of-the-box – OOTB configurations, customer business process mapping, and best practice advocacy).
Provide technical leadership and support to pre-sales and implementation teams in designing and delivering Centric 8 Solutions focused on the Retail. Apparel & Footwear Industry and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and High-Fashion market.
Manage deployment projects per Centric’s Agile deployment methodology, delivering customer solution model per out-of-the-box Centric 8 (PLM) use cases and configuration points and Centric’s Agile processes. Conduct customer business process analysis, information modeling, mapping to Centric 8 configurations and interface control definitions with related systems to be integrated, data and process conversion from legacy PDM systems, provide customer guidance on process-system alignment practices, desktop procedures, process-system validation and training and on-going customer care.
Desirable: Specialized skills in system integration, IT tuning, and optimization, and installation in enterprise environments. Real-world programming skills in web-based system development, database stored procedure, and XML, preferably within 5 years.
Acquire and disseminate FMCG domain and system integration best practices and provide customer scenario details to guide product development, QA, and Customer Support groups as needed.
Key Activities:
 

• Coordinate and collaborate with the customer implementation team and Centric teams to ensure a successful and referenceable delivery.
• Analyze customer business process requirements as a basis to propose Centric 8 (OOTB) Solutions.
• Consult, deploy, tune, configure, optimize, and install Centric software stack within the customer’s IT environment, with a focus on enterprise high availability and system integration dimensions.
• Produce models (i.e. UML models, Centric 8 configurations) to capture business process requirements for proposed solutions and configuration activities.
• Analyze requirements and design solutions to address customer business scenarios within the product scope, with best practice analysis
• Ensure a clear understanding of customer’s technology requirements; provide support for Proposal and Project teams, provide technical leadership and vision to win and deliver large-scale, complex solutions.
• Map and document the Domain Model (Data/Object Model) to meet customers’ requirements.
• Identify, delegate, and execute project tasks including installing and configuring software, deployment training, data migration, and deployment support.
• Mentor other consultants during the delivery of Centric Software-based solutions.
• Provide input into future solution functionality, implementation methodology, and configuration standards.
• Ensure that quality software engineering processes and Agile practices are followed.

Position minimum requirements:
 

• Bachelors or Masters Degree, preferably in Computer Science, MIS, Engineering, or similar (technical and consulting strength with Fashion Merchandizing degrees).
• Minimum of 2 years experience with involvement in real-world PLM and enterprise system integration deployments in domain
• Experience with FMCG, Apparel, Footwear, Fashion, F&B, Cosmetics, and Luxury markets and industry best practices and change management considerations
• Experience in PLM technologies and implementation/ configuration skills
• Proven project management experience as evidenced by successful project delivery
• Strong and confident customer-facing/consulting/expectation management skills.
• Availability for overnight travel.
• Availability for possible calls at night time or morning time with global colleagues.
• Fluent in Japanese and English

Technical competencies:
 

• Experience with modeling methods and techniques (e.g. UML) and enterprise process and information modeling and modeling in general
• Experience in J2EE and web standards stack; software installation, IT troubleshooting, and optimization. Skills in performance tuning optimization and troubleshooting relative to the software stack web environment.
• Experience with Windows operating systems
• Experience deploying and configuring Web Applications
• Experience with web standards and XML, CSS, HTML, and JavaScript
• Experience with SQL, relational database systems (Oracle and MSSQL)
• Experience in enterprise-scale usability, performance, and enterprise delivery system considerations (J2EE), and enterprise system integration (with ERP).
• Experience deploying, tuning, and optimizing enterprise-scale applications for High Availability performance – e.g. Application Server (JBoss) and Database (SQL Server, Oracle) experience with load balancing and clustering environments
• MS Office tools including MS Project and Visio, and related scripting languages
• Expertise in core PLM technologies including document management, PLM, system integration, data and process migration and conversion, security and access control, enterprise scalability and performance management, general project management, change management, and customer/ supplier collaboration processes.
• Expertise and domain knowledge of the Apparel industry and or Global Product Sourcing and FMCG processes and industry best practices; familiar with authoring tools and practices in domain (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite, OptiTex, etc.).
• Experience in process-system re-design and adoption methods as evidenced by deployments in the industry

Deployment skills and experience:
 

• Expertise in the areas of solution development and project management.
• Highly developed problem-analysis and solving skills.
• Ability to develop multi-level relationships of confidence and trust with customers and cross-functional colleagues.
• Exhibit a collaborative working style.
• Ability to adapt to a rapidly evolving technology and commercial environment.
• Technology enthusiast with mature technical leadership skills.
• Confident and multi-level communication skills (oral and written).
• Business and commercial awareness.
• Manage client expectations effectively.
• Understand how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully.
• Communicate effectively with customers to identify needs and evaluate alternative business solutions with project management.
• Exhibit strong self-learning and hands-on ability in new solutions and technology

Behavioral criteria/competencies:
 

• Managing change - Adapting efforts to facilitate change in dynamic environments.
• Team building - Actively working to build a strong team spirit and a sense of commitment.
• Ensuring results - Taking action to ensure that work is delivered to a high standard.
• Communication - Communicating effectively to ensure others are fully briefed and listening to ensure mutual understanding.
• Managing Information - Using management information to take appropriate business decisions and initiatives.
• Internal Networking - Establishing contacts in the organization and interacting effectively with them.
• Credibility - Making an impact and establishing credibility with internal and external customers.
• Ensuring Results - Taking action to ensure work is delivered to a high standard.
• Problem Analysis - Analyzing complex problems to evaluate alternatives and identify sound options.
• Problem Solving - Resolving problems in order to clarify situations and create a way forward.
• Calculated Risk Taking - Making sound business decisions which balance risk with reward.
• Market Orientation -Having a business perspective on developments in the external market place.
• Customer Focus - Ensuring that both the current and anticipated needs of customers are met.
• Creativity - Coming up with new ideas and original proposals.