February 6, 2011 from The Enterprise System Spectator – “…My hypothesis is that, due to a reluctance to say “no” directly, ROI calculations are often a convenient way to refuse projects that management simply doesn’t want to do. This “ROI trap” can take several forms: Management argues the project budget is underestimated Management argues the benefits are overly optimistic Management argues the benefits cannot be connected to the proposed initiative…” Read more 180 View – We disagree. The so-called traps are in fact exactly the questions management should be asking. Often the people who are driving the project want it […]
Changes to the 2011 Rules of Golf
180 View – Just what I needed. Check it out […]
Successful ERP Implementations: Fact or Fiction
2011 from ProjectTimes – “…What is a successful ERP Implementation and how do we measure whether it was successful or not…” Read more 180 View – The article brings up a great subject but misses the mark in how to define success. The article discusses success in terms of scope, timing, budget with the bottom line that the client is pleased. Clearly all of these are important but we think not enough. We believe that the project should start with a definition of critical success factors (what an organization must do well in order to be successful) and the measurements […]
Talking Twin Babies
180 View – Babies have a lot to say. Check it out […]
What is that?
180 View – And so do our parents/grandparents. Check it out […]
The 90/10 Principle
From Stephen Covey – “Have you read this before? Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations). What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down….” Read more […]
Best practices not always best
October 22, 2010 from The Enterprise System Spectator – “…The term best practices has at least two major and totally different definitions, and second, in many areas of business, there is not generally agreement on what are the best practices…” Read more 180 View – This is good article that reflects our philosophy. The major vendors and consulting firms always pitch best practice to their prospects and clients and that they are the source for best practice. I often see proposals that are based on the assumption that best practices will be applied to an implementation. But some processes are […]
How to negotiate software contracts
January 2011 from CAmagazine and written by Michael Burns – “A major acquisition such as an ERP system should be considered a lifetime investment. It’s not just a software purchase; it’s a contract that includes maintenance fees, which will exceed the cost of the software in four to five years. A good dose of due diligence is in order — not only in testing the software and assessing the vendor, but also in reading the contract… ” […]
Biggest ERP failures of 2010
December 28, 2010 from InfoWorld – “No year in the IT industry would be complete without a number of high-profile ERP (enterprise resource planning) project failures, ones that burn through mountains of cash, bring company operations to a standstill, generate bad publicity for vendors, and toss careers in the trash. There’s no one reason why ERP projects run off the rails. In fact, you can equate a typical project to a three-legged stool, with the customer, vendor, and systems integrator each serving as a leg. Customers have to plan well, budget enough money for training, and evolve their usual way […]
Developing An Effective KPI Plan
November 29, 2010 from Dashboard Insight – “When looking at the BI landscape and available solutions, dashboards give the biggest bang for their buck. After all, with high levels of interactivity, strong data visualizations, and general capabilities that provide the quickest way to monitor performance and manage what is happening within the organization, it stands to reason that dashboard use would be gaining in popularity. Despite the positive aspects of making BI and analytics easier to access and to interact with, the reality is that effective dashboards don’t design themselves. Simply implementing a dashboard and monitoring metrics does not mean […]