What Does a Technology Integration Specialist Do?

A technology integration specialist assumes a leadership role in an organization. The specialist makes recommendations on how technology can be combined with work or learning methods to improve outcomes. Integration specialists are responsible for maintaining and troubleshooting data applications. They may also provide support to clients and test, develop, or modify programs.

Part of the job responsibilities of a technology integration specialist is to assess an organization's work tasks and desired outcomes. Since the specialist knows how different software can improve the efficiency of those tasks and deliver acceptable performance, he works to integrate it into the organization's operations. He may provide training and support on commercial or self-created applications that the organization's employees will use.

For example, a technology integration specialist who works for a school district may be responsible for ensuring that software helps to improve the way that the school provides learning materials. Colleges and universities that deliver classes in an online format may employ several integration specialists who develop and maintain online learning platforms. The design process may entail writing programs that facilitate assignment handoffs between students and professors, lecture delivery methods, and discussion boards between students that replicate a live classroom environment.

In addition to designing a software platform that mimics a physical classroom setting, a technology integration specialist who works in education may provide active support to students and teachers. Technical issues can arise from time to time with different functions. For example, students may not be able to upload or download certain documents due to programming errors, viruses or periodic updates. Integration specialists also assist with access violations and ensuring that student or professor passwords and logins are working correctly.

A technology integration specialist who works in a corporate setting may install new system platforms on individual computer workstations and lead employee training sessions on the new systems. Integration specialists will most likely be responsible for assigning different users unique user ids and logins to different database management systems and password protected enterprise software. They will actively look for gaps in functionality between the current applications that are being used and what the firm desires to accomplish with its work tasks.

Along these lines, an integration specialist may redesign or tweak a project management software program to accommodate a new function. One example of a new function would be one that enables users to automatically copy their supervisors on account level activity. This eliminates the need for duplicate communication through another software program, such as e-mail.