Q&A with MCA Connect Manager Pete Craven
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Pete Craven emphasizes the importance of soft skills over technical knowledge in consultants for his team at MCA Connect's Delivery Services Organization. Day-to-day activities involve improving business processes through collaboration with clients and adapting to their needs. The team's culture promotes knowledge sharing and teamwork, with growth opportunities available for those looking to advance their careers.
Q&A with MCA Connect Manager Pete Craven
- 1. Q&A WITH PETE CRAVEN Insights into Pete’s team in MCA Connect’s Delivery Services Organization (DSO)
- 2. PLEASE GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHAT YOU LOOK FOR IN A GOOD CONSULTANT. I look for people with good communication skills, not just a “talker,” but also a listener. We can teach the software knowledge needed to perform our job but the necessary soft skills are more important and often harder to grasp.
- 3. GIVE US A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE DAY TO DAY IS LIKE FOR A MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM. Much of what we do on a daily basis is trying to understand what people do and trying to improve business processes. As a functional consultant, we work closely with our customer team, seeing how they perform their jobs and showing how their requirements can be met with AX. This involves some show and tell and often some process change which is usually not a comfortable topic with users but listening and understanding makes the task easier. Our technical consultants work closely with the functional team to come up with solutions for requirements that can’t be met with the standard software. MCA Connect developers don’t just sit in a cubical and write code, they are often working at client site, seeing how the functional design and the technical solution come together.
- 4. WHAT’S THE CULTURE LIKE WITHIN THE TEAM AND DEPARTMENT? As we grow, we may not know everyone at MCA Connect but you should always make an effort to know the consultants in your functional area. The software is too big to know every detail but chances are that someone in your department knows something that you don’t. At MCA Connect, people are always willing to help out their coworkers and share their knowledge. While every customer is different, our onsite goal is always to meld MCA Connect with the customer team. We never want an “us and them”, it should always be one team working together.
- 5. CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES? COMPANY/GROUP OPPORTUNITIES? While MCA Connect is one of the larger AX partners, we are still small enough that anyone can make a difference and get noticed (hopefully in a good way). A brand new consultant can work their way up to a senior level and then an architect in a few years. In addition, management roles are there for people with leadership aspirations.
- 6. WHAT IS YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE LIKE? I enjoy what I do and I like my team members to have positive attitudes about what they do. Since most engagements last a year or longer, I try to mix some fun with the work, always trying to keep things fresh. Recognizing people for their contributions and social activities after work are some ways I do this.
- 7. LEARN MORE AT mcaconnect.com/about/careers “MCA Connect is a team of professionals, driven by a shared set of core values, passionate about exceeding our customers’ expectations.”