Chapter Two.

These knights were dragon slayers of the new millennium. Realizing all dragons are unique, each of the seven knights possessed a different discipline to combat the beast. Still, few understood why it took the collective efforts of seven brave warriors to save a kingdom from a single dragon.

Why it's such a difficult problem.

A typical large investment software integration project costs between two and six million dollars (internal and external costs), and takes 12-18 months to complete.

Because of the substantial need for both technical and business expertise, the most efficient vehicle for a smooth transition is a handful of people with cross-functional knowledge of multiple areas, including investment accounting, operations and systems.

Using in-house resources with departmentalized functions often blurs the "Big Picture." As the project progresses, it is unavoidably necessary to resolve issues that cross departmental boundaries. It is necessary to properly conduct training and hand-off responsibilities to in-house staff for ongoing support of the production system.