What is a functional consultant?

Answer 1

Here is a list of rolls and responsibilities of functional consultant during his assignment to different types of SAP Projects.

The functional consultant has to understand the modules they are implementing and the set up and configuration options available, the key skill is being able to map the requirements of the customer to the capabilities of the ERP system. A mistake often made is to try and configure or customize the ERP system to match exactly an existing business process, rather than look to improve the processes.

1. "A functional consultant is expected to generate knowledge about the current business process, design current business flows, study current business processes and its complication - in all we can say that this is getting through with the current business setup. Flow diagrams and DFDs are prepared, all this forms the part of the AS IS document."
2. "Everything configured has to be documented according to their categories in the form of predefined templates; these then have to be approved by the team leads or who ever the consultant is reporting to."
3. "Mapping and GAP analysis is done for each module."
4. "Before starting configuring future business processes in SAP, the DFDs/ERDs are prepared, this documentation is called TO BE, which can be also said as the result of mapping and gap analysis."
5. "Sometimes Functional consultants are also expected to prepare test scripts for testing the configured scenarios. Testing may also include Unit testing, System Integration Testing, Performance Testing, User Acceptance Testing, Regression Testing or any client specific software testing."
6. A configuration document showing all the setting done by the consultant is also comes under the area of role & responsibilities of consultant.
7. "End user manual and user training is also expected from Functional Consultants."
8. There will also be interaction with other modules consultants.
9. Updation of project status to Project Manager & other concerned persons.
10. Interaction with core team members, end users & other team members (consultants).
11. A Functional consultant has to be a good communicator he has to communicate with Customer ERP core team, implementing team, Technical consultant and his project leader. Written communication skill is to be demonstrate by a functional consultant to e-mail to different groups, documentation about the erp, reports generation. Verbal communication is to understand the requirement , interact with customer, to explain and convince the customer.