Benefits of Integration
One of the questions I’m asked is “If my systems are working OK as they are, why should I bother to go through the time and effort (and expense) of integrating?”
It’s a valid question. Why should something that “ain’t broke” be fixed?
The answers are varied – from increased efficiency, increased understanding by the rank and file employees that these things really all ARE connected; and to allow the system to be more aware of how a change effects the system as a whole. For me, it’s often about sub-optimization vs. full optimization. Let me give you an example.
Let’s assume that your business is similar to a symphony orchestra. There are different areas of the system/orchestra that need to do what they need to do, on time, and in balance with other areas. Just as we wouldn’t be thrilled to have the violins overpower the rest of the orchestra, and potentially ruin the sonata we are listening to, we don’t want manufacturing to overpower our balance and sub-optimize another area. If purchasing decides to change suppliers to save a few pennies, and gets in a material that is more difficult to work with, we might see manufacturing costs rise (and even erase and negatively affect the bottom line.) Or if manufacturing uses a different chemical, which is less expensive and therefore makes purchasing happy, it might have a bigger environmental impact (affecting how it is handled, transported, and disposed of). What if the new chemical is more detrimental to worker health?
If each of these systems are operated independently, it may take the organization as a whole a while to understand the implications of these seemingly minor changes. However, if there is an integrated system in place, we have a better chance of reviewing the proposed change and identifying both the positive and negative impacts of those changes, and making a decision that’s better for the ENTIRE organization, not just the organization proposing the change. So, the integration manager can be compared to the conductor at the symphony – making sure that everyone’s playing the same song, at the proper pace/beat, and at the proper volume. The conductor/integration manager is in charge of ensuring that all parts of the organization are working together to produce a perfectly balanced product – one that takes the Triple Bottom Line (people, profits, planet) into account.
