Articles by Dr James Robertson

A comprehensive explanation of how to set-up Microsoft Outlook to organize your emails in a manner that makes it easy to handle the full diversity and complexity of emails that executives and managers typically receive

Prd 033 Why would an Executive buy the JAR&A Analytical Financial Suite

TxM 070 Section 7.14 Conventions and standards

Std 013 Procurement: 05 Software Schedule

The software schedule is a list of all functional software elements that it is assessed are required. This is a basis for bidders to add and subtract the modules and products that they have to offer in order to make up the mosaic that constitutes the complete response to the requirement

The software schedule correlates directly with the Bill of Services and the two should be set up to align with one another

KnE 001 The CEO Side of the I.T. Divide

Cnf 011 The Benefits of Management Information Systems to the Professional Practice -- V3 Consulting Engineers Case Study

Case study with regard to a fully integrated business information system (ERP) with Cubic Business Model in the financial suite which delivered exceptional benefits in terms of management information and management effectiveness as well as substantial efficiencies including head count reduction and drastically reduced audit time and cost

Dr James A Robertson PrEng The Business Information Systems Doctor

Business Systems NOT delivering?

Call the Business Systems Specialist

Dr. James Robinson

Dr James A Robertson -- has been involved in the effective application of Business Information Systems, including but NOT limited to ERP, since 1987 and in the profitable and effective use of computers in Business since 1981.

Drawing on a diversity of experience, including formal military training in Quick Attack techniques at the Regimental Commander level, Dr Robertson has developed highly effective methods of investigating any sub-optimal Business Information Systems situation -- be it an established system or a stalled project or any other source of Executive frustration -- quickly and concisely diagnosing the root cause of the problem and prescribing concise practical actions that Business Executives can effectively act on see the Pulse Measurement page and also the Sample Reports page for redacted real reports.

He has also developed highly effective methods of strategically enriching systems to unlock the full potential of existing investments, see the Precision Configuration page and couples this to architecting small pieces of clever software that harness the full potential of your investment, see the Software page.

If you are having problems with your systems, your project or your IT Department, call The Business Systems Specialist
James@James-A-Robertson-and-Associates.com

Business System Failure is RIFE -- we offer insight into why this happens AND WHAT is required to prevent it.

Failure is at epidemic levels with massive damage done to client companies -- if you are NOT aware of the extent of the problem please visit the About Failure page for a catalog of major failures running to billions of Pounds and Dollars.

All evidence indicates that the established players do NOT know how to deliver stable, reliable high value solutions that WORK.

There HAS to be a better way!

This website provides information relating to that way with a large collection of white papers, presentations, standards documents, etc that you can use to start bringing the situation under control

We also offer high level advisory services with regard to the application of the principles advocated on this website

We offer an ENGINEERING APPROACH to addressing these issues

By Engineering I mean the formal, structured, highly disciplined, highly systematic, highly practical approach that consistently delivers results in ALL areas of human endeavor where formally trained and certified engineers are the ONLY practitioners permitted to operate -- think large buildings, factories, motor vehicles, aircraft -- highly complex systems that work at a level that we take it for granted that they WILL work and where failure is all but unthinkable and, when it happens, attracts immediate public attention and rigorous investigation directed at ensuring that such failures are prevented in the future -- in fact, everything that the management consulting industry that implements complex software systems is NOT

This approach is discussed further on the Engineering Approach page.

Book -- The Critical Factors for Information Technology Investment Success

In 2003 I undertook an in-depth analysis of all the information and experience that I had gathered with regard to the factors giving rise to Business Information System failure including ERP and general IT and classified this information into a number of categories including "The Factors Causing Failure" and "The Critical Factors for Success" based on this I developed a two day Course "The Critical Factors for Information Technology Investment Success" which is still offered today.

Based on this I wrote the book of the same name, which is available in electronic form here for download:

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Random Selection of Articles by Dr James Robertson

TxM 011 Section 1.9 Why Taxonomy coding is important

SNw 053 Strategic Essence: The Missing Link: Part 5 -- Discovering Strategic Essence

Overview of a simple and reliable process that you can apply to determine the strategic essence of your organization

Cnf Shw Showcase of Conference Presentations

The following presentations best represent my conference speaking experience and technique each presentation is tailored to the subject matter of the conference, all follow the same broad theme of the importance of strategy, the factors that cause failure and the critical factors for success, most relate to the Business Information Systems / ERP / IT field although some branch out into related topics drawing relevant parallels as a former member of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa and former Toastmaster presentation technique, animation, etc are reasonably well developed and refined -- I specialize in talks that at some level challenge the status quo and raise the bar in the subject under discussion

SNw 003 Measuring Competitive Performance (Part 2)

Civ 004 ERP implementation is fundamentally an engineering endeavour

Cnf 068 Discovery -- An Essential Element of SOA Implementation

The importance of effective discovery and the issues that arise from inaccurate discovery including understanding the importance of communication in the first hour of engagement

Std 014 Procurement: 06 System Procurement Bill of Services

The Bill of Services is directly comparable to the Bill of Materials on a Construction Project -- it is intended to list ALL the services that are required in order to execute the project and deliver the required business outcome

The Bill of Services is prepared by a person with considerable experience in the implementation of business information systems who is able to draft a comprehensive list. This list may then be fine tuned by bidders to reflect their particular methods and approach

The Bill of Services is the basis on which the bid is priced and the basis on which the contractor is paid -- if it is NOT in the Bill of Services there is NO basis for a claim

TxM 077 Section 9.1 Why your IT project may be riskier than you think - Harvard Business Review -- headlines

TxM 023 Section 2.6 The case for Strategic Customization

SNw 025 Precision Strategic Taxonomies - The ERP (and IT) Missing Link