Professional Services

We had a good experience working with Michael and Alex. They did RFP walkthroughs to understand our needs, which were quite detailed, and they were very patient with us. Michael is also straight to the point, and everything was done in a timely manner.  We appreciate that they were quick to respond and always available.

I really enjoyed working with Michael and his team at 180 Systems. They were very thorough including business requirements analysis and RFP generation, with an excellent scoring system.  And when there were bumps in road, they were the voice of reason.  I would do it again.

We found 180 Systems to be very professional and experienced. They have a good understanding of systems, with vendors strengths and weaknesses.  Where they added the most value, was having someone on the hook to manage, document the process and keep us on track. We could have possibly done that ourselves, but it was good to have someone else doing that so we could focus on our core business activities.

180 Systems assisted with the selection and implementation of an ERP system. We appreciated their cut-to-the-chase approach, detailed interview technique and getting the essential requirements defined. They provided the process and analysis we needed to help make a selection, and helped us with a very tight deadline in implementing the new system. We worked long and diligently and went live on-time.

We were searching for a new financial system, he helped us write an RFP, and to boil all the information down to narrow down the list of vendors. Then he was with us for the vendor demos, and he was really really good at helping us focus on the difficult things. His ability to help focus you on the important stuff is invaluable and his ability to boil down amounts of business information into empirical hard data is great. His approach was very casual and matter-of-fact, and still brought all the gravitas based on his experience and professionalism. He was able to cut through all the noise to understand what we were really looking for. I would recommend him to anybody. I would say if you’re looking for someone to help you with selecting a business system, call him.

Michael understands what we do at Zebrano very well. We have worked with him several times over the years. We needed to automate accounting processes, and started a year ago. We looked at various options, already programmed or custom. We hired Michael to define our needs and use them to develop an RFP to present to the vendors. He was on all the calls with suppliers. Michael was quite tough on the vendors which we liked. In the end we went with a custom solution. Michael paired the programmer with a database programmer who was excellent. We were able to keep our existing system and convert all the data. We're using it and it's working really well. Michael put us together with the right people.

"Michael Burns helped us beat the bushes, see what was out there and narrow down the suppliers. We didn't know what was available, Michael is obviously much more up on what is out there. He did a very thorough analysis of what we needed. He also did a process analysis and turned it into an RFP which we could submit to vendors once we got to that point. We're glad that we used him to get through that process. I can't imagine trying to get through that maze without his experience and knowledge. He has a thorough approach, he tries not to leave any stone unturned, because it is a very specialized kind of thing. This is not kitchen cabinets, this is mission critical stuff. Once we got signed up with the vendor, Pat Wade took over as external project manager. We had been working with her for several years before Michael so we were thrilled that we were able to work with her on this. She is not involved in day-to-day nitty gritty things. She has a lot of knowledge and expertise in the business. Her depth of knowledge is amazing, I don't believe there's anything in an ERP implementation she hasn't seen before."

We did an extensive search for the appropriate expert consultant for a litigation on a systems related issue. Michael's qualifications and background fit our requirements. Michael always dealt with us in a professional way. Michael provided two reports commenting on the system that was put into place in the matter under litigation. We enjoyed working with him both on the phone and in person.

Michael did an excellent job on the work that he did for my client. Michael was very clear upfront about his budget and schedule, and came within the budget he set out and basically on schedule. He was very diligent and thorough in his approach to the issues, and he provided his report very promptly. He worked very hard, including working over holidays and weekends and late evenings. His turnaround time was very fast; he was responsive, he listened to feedback that was provided and incorporated that into his work product.

A trusted friend and financial professional recommended 180 Systems as an expert in financial software applications for mid-size companies such as ours. The recommendation proved to be right on the money as they were a perfect fit for our requirements. Not only are they focused action-oriented and a quick study, but also have expert knowledge base that is as deep as it is wide. We were very pleased with the process that 180 Systems lead us through and recommend them without reservation.

My thumbnail on Michael - we got along really well and he was extremely helpful. I just give him plus marks on everything. He was so fair, honest with us, reasonable with his price, just a class act. We learned so much doing the ERP with Michael. The vendor always says they can do anything for you, then you get into a relationship, and that's dangerous. With Michael, we were able to ask the tough questions and not be swayed by the vendor's marketing.

I would like to take a moment to thank you for the very professional way that you handled this assignment. You proved to be an experienced and expert advisor as you led us in the selection of our new accounting system. I am very pleased with the process that you took us through and with the choice that we made. I am looking forward to what looks to be a straightforward implementation of OpenAir system and want to wish you good luck with your future endeavours. Please feel free to use us as a reference; I would not hesitate to give you an excellent one. Thanks again for your help.

Michael's expertise was invaluable in helping us choose our PSA solution. With his guidance, we were able to quickly identify our critical requirements, narrow the field down to a handful of vendors that met our needs and shaped a best-of-breed RFP process. Investing in his company was the smartest move I made in the process. I cannot recommend him highly enough

My experience working with Lawrence was very positive. This was the first time I had worked with an IT consultant retained directly by our company rather than a vendor, and it was a very different experience. I am happy with the work that was done, and would not hesitate to retain 180 Systems in an advisory capacity as we move forward with this project to review our business needs analysis to make sure we are not omitting any key components and to provide advice during the configuration and implementation phases. Lawrence provides value for money, is easy to work with and very down-to-earth. He quickly established a very good working relationship with our Steering Committee and developed a reputation as being an honest and positive broker for our firm.

Lawrence was very helpful and knowledgeable. He spent significant time on site with us and brought experience we didn't have in house. He had specific expertise in "grilling" the vendors and ensuring we received appropriate documents, seeing the process through, clarifying information and making sure proposed vendors were providing what was needed to make our decision. We have a fairly small head office, and so we needed someone with his background, someone who had been through the process before. It was a useful expenditure.

Michael has been a great help, very resourceful and knowledgeable. We were able to get his assistance with planning and searching for a new ERP system. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a new system. He knew about various solutions out there, and was always available and there for us. Michael will help us with the implementation as well, and is currently advising us on an ROI study and client references as well. It's great to have a third party to provide feedback and advice, to make sure we are not forgetting anything or making mistakes.