You have to be one step ahead of the market. Every step of the way, your expertise is challenged and your skills are put to the test. As a result, you have to constantly keep on top of things. It's so easy to get left behind due to the speed of current development. Ian Shepherd, Lan product manager at Telindus K-NET, says this need to keep pace with technological developments is essential to becoming a successful systems integrator.
Value adding involves engineering.
If you are going to offer value-added services such as system design, implementation, training and support, then you must have the engineering expertise to deliver them. Naturally, this implies a good working relationship with suppliers and it means committing yourself to building on the skills within your organisation required to implement the latest solutions. Some believe that becoming a successful systems integrator involves more than just being technically competent. Systems integration can be extremely time-consuming and many integration projects span months if not years. As a result, systems integration often has to be viewed as establishing a long-term relationship with customers.