Many of Smoothstack’s most exciting and most dynamic partnerships are with large systems integrators.
Case in point: A large U.S. systems integrator has an engagement with a partner based in Washington, D.C. On short notice, the project requirements changed. Our systems integration partner needed to find specialized software engineers to fill new mission-critical roles – as quickly as possible.
Sometimes, systems integrators can quickly find tech resources to meet emerging needs and challenges, even during the contract period. However, this is much harder when the specs are unique and the project demands personnel with a particular skill set. Our partners found themselves in this situation – and they came to Smoothstack requiring urgent assistance.
The Challenge: Hard-To-Find Tech Personnel
Sudden changes to the project requirements put our systems integrator partner in a tough spot. The project required high-demand, difficult-to-source technical resources, which our partner didn’t have on their roster. Had the requirements been more straightforward, they would have been fine.
However, the new software engineers needed to possess the following tech skills and certifications:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (Level 3)
- Terraform Associate
- Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
- Salesforce Certified Administrator
- Salesforce Certified Platinum App Builder
- Salesforce Certified Platform Developer 1
On top of this list, the new personnel needed to be local to the D.C. metro area – a severe challenge at a time when remote work has become normalized, and many organizations are accustomed to sourcing from across the country. Finally, the new engineers must satisfy citizenship requirements and pass comprehensive background checks.
Taken together, these criteria added up to a particular profile. It was beyond the internal capabilities of our partner to source such personnel as quickly and as effectively as the project required.
The Solution: Creating Critical Tech Personnel with Smoothstack
Realizing the full scope of the new project requirements and their limited window, our systems integrator partner turned to Smoothstack.
We designed a custom immersive training curriculum that mirrored the partner’s distinctive tech stack, then sourced, screened, and hired the appropriate resources.
Our cohort of new personnel completed their 12-week immersive upskilling program, and the candidates acquired the customized skill set our systems integrator partner needed.
After completing their training, the software engineers emerged with high levels of proficiency to meet the specific project requirements – they were also equipped with the leadership and soft skills necessary to slot seamlessly into the project.
The Result: Urgent Project Needs Fully Met
The Smoothstack program successfully produced high-quality, custom-trained, niche tech resources that the systems integrator wholly aligned to the partner’s project needs across three different tech stacks.
A total of 42 hard-to-source software engineers were trained and deployed: 30 Java engineers, 8 DevOps engineers, and 4 Salesforce custom engineers.
These resources satisfied the exact specifications the systems integration provider needed to meet – including certifications, citizenship, and background requirements. By undergoing intensive and immersive training based on the partner’s tech stack, the Smoothstack cohort effortlessly integrated with existing partner teams.
The partner described Smoothstack resources as “extremely sharp” and an “excellent fit” who “arrived fully equipped.”