Everyone has their part to play – a comprehensive guide to understanding roles

Function-oriented companies traditionally have hierarchical structures. Senior management sets the business strategy. Middle management makes up the first task level, followed by the team lead level and then the team itself. This ends up with tasks being processed in a way that is oriented towards results. There are clear jobs with clear job descriptions. The function determines the position in the company.

Process-oriented companies also determine their operational alignment by starting with the strategy. The plan set by senior management is now mapped using process models. Middle management is not necessarily divided by discipline – in this situation, it is the process types that determine how everything is divided and assigned. Teams are oriented towards process chains and work through their tasks in a customer-centric manner. The roles determine the positions in the company.

There is no right or wrong way

People prefer one of the two structural models mentioned at the start of this blog post based on their personal view and inclination, or the company’s corporate culture dictates which model is used. The function-oriented model, which stemmed from Taylorism, proved to be a perfectly feasible option in the twentieth century. But while this model worked during a time when there was little competitive pressure, its weaknesses were quickly revealed once market pressure started to ramp up. The functional areas (departments), often referred to as silos, prevent the company from interacting in the way it needs to in order to be competitive.

The sluggish market situation was replaced by dynamic and network-driven customer expectations. But despite this, the fact still remains that it is not easy to change corporate structures – especially since this change involves a top-to-bottom reorientation.

Everyone has their part to play

Below, I have compiled a list of typical roles found in function-oriented companies and process-oriented ones. The roles can be divided into business roles and technical roles. Within this, there is a difference between the roles found at the strategic level and the operational level, as shown below. In addition, there are other roles from the organisational structure or the implementation project.

Strategic level: business roles - More likely to be consultancy roles

Managing consultant

The managing consultant provides consultancy on organisational management, verifies the business case together with the client and clarifies ambiguities with regard to the work order. They accurately assess the context and provide recommendations for action on the procedural strategy, the roles involved and what they need to do and, at the end of the project, on how to proceed next.

The management consultant, on the other hand, is largely focused on pure corporate strategy consultancy.

Main skills: strategic, solution-oriented, innovative, transparent, strong communicator

Managing mentor

The managing mentor lends additional support with decision-making questions by providing situational comparisons within and outside the topics. They present other points of view, thus enabling decision-makers to consider other perspectives and increase the likelihood of making a better decision.

Main skills: experienced, solution-oriented, innovative, empathetic, direct, discerning, curious

Managing coach

The managing coach develops managers and executives in seminars by pointing out possible courses of action in business management situations. They clarify the most important fragments, goals, motivations, methods, models and tools in their field of expertise.

Main skills: methodical, structured, objective, innovative

Business analyst (non-technical)

The business analyst is responsible for discovering, synthesising, analysing and evaluating relevant business information from a variety of sources including tools, processes, documentation and other data, primarily to uncover business weaknesses.

Main skills: analytical, meticulous, thorough, methodical, objective, empathetic, direct

Business requirements engineer

The business requirements engineer identifies the necessary stakeholders and is responsible for determining, analysing, specifying and validating all business requirements according to the objectives.

Main skills: has process experience, structured, curious, innovative, objective

Business architect (non-technical)

The business architect is responsible for validating and operationalising business strategies by mapping structures, processes, methods and tools, in harmony with and aligned to the corporate goals and culture.

Main skills: knowledgeable about the business model and the process and system landscape, innovative, objective

Process analyst

The process analyst is responsible for presenting the processes to be analysed, the actual analysis of these processes and the evaluation of them in a way that allows them to be used to identify weak points in the process that hinder all the actual requirements from being met.

Main skills: analytical, meticulous, thorough, methodical, objective, empathetic, direct

Process designer

The process designer is responsible for the cross-departmental design, selection and sequencing of workflow and process steps.

Main skills: has process experience, action-oriented, objective, customer-centric and solution-oriented

Operational level: business roles - More likely to be implementation roles

Business requirements manager

The business requirements manager is responsible for organising, planning, initiating, controlling, monitoring and meeting all business requirements according to the objectives.

Main skills: has process and project experience, structured, objective

Business product manager

The business product manager is responsible for a product, a service package or an individual service. They create the business use cases and take charge of the business planning, management and control of their product, service package or individual service during its life cycle.

Main skills: market-conscious, has process experience, customer-centric, innovative

Process coordinator

The process coordinator is personally responsible for the process landscape of the core and support processes. They take charge of designing the assigned processes to make them efficient and of ensuring they remain effective according to the strategic alignment of the company.

Main skills: knowledgeable about business model and processes, aware of their role and the roles of others, objective

Process owner

The process owner is personally responsible for an assigned process. They are responsible for designing their process to make it efficient and ensuring it remains effective.

Main skills: has process experience, aware of their role and the roles of others, solution-oriented, objective

Business application coordinator

The business application coordinator is personally responsible for the application landscape. They are named by the overall management in order to align the applications used with the strategy in a way that fits the process landscape from a business perspective.

Main skills: knowledgeable about system and process landscape, aware of their role and the roles of others, objective

Business application owner

The business application owner is personally responsible for an application. They are responsible for designing the assigned application to make it efficient and ensuring it remains effective from a business perspective.

Main skills: has system experience, aware of their role and the roles of others, solution-oriented, objective

Key user

A key user specialises in a product or system and has a deeper understanding and a higher level of expertise than other users. The key user is often the first point of contact for questions about the product or system.

Main skills: has application experience, communicative, solution-oriented, proactive

Power users

Power users use certain process or system features more intensively than other users. Similar to the key user, the power user has a deep understanding of the process or system thanks to their intensive use of it. The power user is familiar with all the properties and specifics of a process or a system.

Main skills: has application experience, solution-oriented, proactive

Strategic level: technical roles - More likely to be consultancy roles

Technical analyst

The technical analyst is responsible for discovering, synthesising and analysing relevant technical information from a variety of sources within an organisation including tools, processes, documentation and other data.

Main skills: analytical, meticulous, thorough, methodical, objective, empathetic, direct

Enterprise architect (technical)

An enterprise architect derives the technical business requirements from the corporate strategy in order to implement them with the help of the technical options based on external and internal factors. The enterprise architect has an overarching view of the organisation.

Main skills: knowledgeable about the business model and the process and system landscape, innovative, objective

System architect

System architects are responsible for planning, developing and modernising system architectures. System architects design functional IT systems and specify them according to the respective requirements.

Main skills: knowledgeable about the business model and processes, innovative, objective

Solution architect

The solution architect is responsible for evaluating the business needs as well as working out, developing and optimising technical solutions in order to harmonise the IT and business strategy in practice.

Main skills: knowledgeable about technical and business models, strong communicator

Technical requirements engineer

The technical requirements engineer is responsible for organising, planning, initiating, controlling, monitoring and meeting all technical requirements according to the objectives.

Main skills: has process experience, structured, curious, innovative, objective

Operational level: technical roles - More likely to be implementation roles

Technical requirements manager

The technical requirements manager is responsible for identifying, analysing, specifying and validating all technical requirements according to the objectives.

Main skills: has system and project experience, structured, objective

Technical product manager

The technical product manager is responsible for a product, a service package or an individual service from a technical perspective. They create the technical use cases and take charge of the technical planning, management and control of their product, service package or individual service during its life cycle.

Main skills: market-conscious, has system experience, customer-centric, innovative

Technical application coordinator

The technical application coordinator is personally responsible for the application landscape. They are named by the overall management in order to align the applications used with the strategy in a way that fits the process landscape from a technical perspective.

Main skills: knowledgeable about system and process landscape, aware of their role and the roles of others, objective

Technical application owner

The technical application owner is personally responsible for an application. They are responsible for designing the assigned application to make it efficient and ensuring it remains effective from a technical perspective.

Main skills: has system experience, aware of their role and the roles of others, solution-oriented, objective

Key developer

The key developer is an indispensable member of the development process. They have an excellent understanding of the system landscape’s operational architecture as well as a very good understanding of the core of the software.

Main skills: knowledgeable about system landscape, has system experience, solution-oriented

Frontend developer

The frontend developer develops user interfaces for dynamic applications and designs modern, easy-to-use user interfaces and responsive designs for websites, e-shops and other web applications.

Main skills: user-oriented, solution-oriented, communicative

Backend developer

The backend developer develops and programs the server for an application or website. This also means they are responsible for the technology and the programs that run in the background of an application.

Main skills: user-oriented, solution-oriented, creative

Test manager

The test manager takes charge of the planning, coordination and control of the various tests. They are responsible for developing and defining suitable test methods and test tools. Their tasks also include the business management and control of the test team as well as documenting the test and preparing the results.

Main skills: solution-oriented, creative, consistent, precise, thorough

Software tester

The software tester performs the operational tests. They are responsible for performing manual software tests, creating new test cases and maintaining documentation.

Main skills: solution-oriented, creative, consistent, precise, thorough

Other roles involved

Senior management

Senior management is responsible for developing a corporate vision, developing the strategy and goals derived from it and selecting the components of the solution. They are also responsible for the communication and the business coordination of the business organisations.

Middle management

Middle management defines the operational and tactical objectives based on the strategy. It derives and implements the appropriate structures needed for the organisational and process aspects of its area.

Project manager

The project manager is responsible for the operational planning and control of the order. They are responsible for achieving the material objectives, meeting the deadline, remaining within the budget and hitting the quality targets of the order based on what type of order it is.

Main skills: methodological expertise, structured, strong communicator, diplomatic

Change manager

In operational change processes, the change manager supports the management and the employees in successfully navigating the change the company wants to make.

Main skills: empathic, strong communicator, diplomatic, credible

Change agent

A change agent is a specialist in constructively bringing about clarifications in decision-making and conflict situations as well as in change processes in terms of the personal, organisational, economic, technological, political and social aspects.

Main skills: empathic, strong communicator, diplomatic, credible

Management coach

The management coach provides consultancy on models, concepts, methods and procedures in the context of their subject area to raise awareness of the individual elements involved, among other things.

Main skills: subject matter expert, empathic, methodical, strong communicator

Subject matter expert

A subject matter expert is someone who is an expert in a particular domain, area or topic. They have acquired a vast amount of experience from both studying the theory of their subject and applying it practice.

Main skills: subject matter expertise, solution-oriented, application-oriented

Works council

The works council is an institutionalised employee representation body in workplaces, companies and corporations. The works council has a say in a large number of company matters and should therefore always be involved in all consultative projects, not least because of the very nature of the works council.

Conclusion

There are other roles in a company beyond the official positions. These roles are often not adequately described or filled. With the function-oriented view, a company often denies itself the potential of process-oriented roles. Being aware of the different roles in the company makes it easier to understand the tasks, assume responsibilities and meet expectations.

What we have to offer

Transformations impact on how we understand roles. adesso provides support in identifying the areas of responsibility that are needed and establishing roles.

Our organisation management specialists are easy to reach and more than happy to discuss ways to make your company even more successful in the future. Contact us at Organisationsberatung@adesso.de

You can find more exciting topics from the adesso world in our blog articles published so far.

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