• Login

Articles by James A Robertson and Associates

TxM 030 Section 3.3 James Robertson's knowledge and experience - as applied to taxonomy development
Created by James on 7/1/2013 2:58:27 PM


Following are some thoughts on the knowledge, experience, etc that I apply in doing ERP and other taxonomy work which I hope you will find of interest and value.

In reading this please keep in mind that you have probably never seen a taxonomy suite that meets the standards set out below, they are very few and far between.

The absence of such precision strategic taxonomies is, I am increasingly seeing, the BIGGEST SINGLE REASON for sub-optimal ERP and other sub-optimal IT implementations:


1.   Business knowledge and experience

Broad based understanding of the different aspects of business that the taxonomies under development will address.

Includes understanding of headline accounting principles (balance sheet and income statement) if working on financially related taxonomies.

Headline understanding of all the components of business.  Detail understanding is where client personnel live their lives, it is the responsibility of the taxonomist, in consultation with executives to lift out the high level order and hierarchical logic that will make the system implementation strategically valuable and model the real world of the business.

When an executive sees any final taxonomy they should immediately say "YES, that is my business".


2.   Strategic insight

Rapidly grasp the essence of the business and how it thrives (strategy) and how this impacts reporting and therefore taxonomies.

Without strategic insight the outcome is a ho-hum configuration that does not support high value decision making.

Taxonomies designed with primary focus on the essence of the business, the business fundamentals, the core drivers, the basis on how the business competes and differentiates itself will ensure that this critical information is at the forefront of reporting and analysis and, indeed, at the forefront of how the software is operated in practical terms in the business.

This will facilitate and support optimum high value decision making as the primary deliverable of the ERP and, it so happens, will result in optimum operational and tactical decision making as well.  Coupled with well designed, logical and intuitive code schemes and rigorous hierarchical taxonomic layout strategic insight in taxonomies results in drop down lists, validation lists, charts of accounts, materials master lists, item master lists, employee categories, plant categories, asset categories, product classes, etc, etc that are intuitive and easy to use.

Clerks remember the codes more readily, navigate to the codes they do not know faster, make fewer posting errors and overall operation of the system becomes easier and more fluid with proper training.

The precise modelling of the real world means that reports can be segmented precisely to correspond to the staff accountable for particular expenditure and revenue and management reporting down to the most junior supervisor becomes more precise and more convenient.  This results in operational efficiencies, improved delegation and resulting broader effective span of control.  The same management team can do more with the same overhead resources.

Strategic focus in all code schemes ensures that when making decisions the focus is always first on the most strategically appropriate information and activities and this, in turn, assists the business to become more competitive and more profitable.  Non-profit organizations will focus most appropriately on their core reason for existence.


3.   Decision making principles

Basic principles of decision making, governance, accountability, reliability of information, cognitive span, drill down, fundamental first principles design.

Understanding how people make decisions and how to present information to facilitate high value decision making, as summarized under the previous point is vital to designing taxonomies.

Information that is laid out in a manner that facilitates rapid and precise inquiry, the ability to get answers to questions that have never previously been asked and were never foreseen are essential elements of a well-designed ERP implementation.

From a decision making perspective the fundamental requirement for an ERP is "provide the answers to every question for which data can reasonably be expected to be in the database".

The flip side to this requirement is "ensure that all classifiers regarding every item of information in the ERP are presented as well structured precision strategic taxonomies and that ALL classification information is contained in the ERP -- add custom fields as necessary".

A further extension of this is "ensure that you activate and productively employ ALL modules of your ERP that have relevance to your business".

Yes, it IS possible to account for everything in the General Ledger, a General Ledger IS just a large book with lots of columns so you can account for anything you like in the GL if you really want to.  BUT there are other modules that are more appropriate to managing components of your business such as projects, plant, people, production lines, product marketing, etc, etc.

Depending on the size of your business you should move more and more information out of the general ledger into sub-ledgers and sub-systems.  A one man business is quite able to manage everything in the GL, a business turning over billions and with thousands of employees should be operating a diverse suite of specialist modules to manage these components.

Each of these modules should be strategically implemented with one overarching taxonomy architecture that extends end to end through the entire suite of business software with the same code segment used everywhere.

The ease of use that results from such rigour and precision in taxonomy design and coding gives huge benefits in terms of ease of use, precision of inquiry, ability to quickly and easily ask and answer questions that would otherwise be difficult, time consuming and expensive to answers.

Executives, managers and supervisors do NOT want to spend time trying to figure out how to ask the question and get the answer, they want an immediate answer to the question or a rapid answer to complex questions and then they want to be able to ask more and more questions.

Inherently this implies that the data from your operational database will be uploaded daily into a data warehouse equipped with an appropriate business intelligence tool (read sophisticated data analysis and reporting tool) which enables them to quickly and easily make complex inquiries.

BI tools are ONLY truly powerful, valuable and cost effective WHEN they are commissioned to sit on ERP and other data that is highly structured with highly effective precision strategically aligned taxonomies.  In the absence of precision strategically aligned taxonomies NO software (ERP, CRM, ECM, etc, etc) will deliver high value strategic outcomes.  There are ADDITIONAL factors that must be addressed which are discussed at the Executive Briefing listed at the end of this email and also discussed in various previous newsletters and articles copies of which are available on request.

Where it can be reasonably foreseen that a particular measurement will be required at some time in the future this should be accommodated in the ERP implementation, either by user defined fields or through customization or the development of supplementary tables alongside the ERP.

Medium sized businesses and larger businesses should employ a full time or part time analyst to design and execute sophisticated queries, build complex economic and other models and generally assist the business to harvest the strategic insight that well designed taxonomies give into operational data.


4.   Semantics

Semantics of the target language (English or other) for the taxonomy are vital.

The words in the drop down lists, chart of accounts, etc are the ONLY basis on which the operator or the person producing a report have to choose where to post or what to report on.

Precision choice of language and abbreviations is absolutely essential, choose words that accurately and distinctly describe a specific line in the taxonomy.  “Hear” what the client is “actually” saying and interrogate inconsistencies and anomalies.  Meaningful abbreviations and, where applicable, code mnemonics.

In developing taxonomies give the client what they NEED NOT what they say they want.

The role of the strategic taxonomist is to understand the business sufficiently to engage in the facilitation process in such a manner that where client representatives use language which is not precise they pick this up, ask questions and investigate until the correct languaging and hierarchical content is defined.

This can be a tedious and at times frustrating and even emotional process.

People are used to using imprecise language such as "factory" when they mean "manufacturing" and such-like inconsistencies.  The problem is that the person who types in factory may know they actually meant manufacturing but the next person to post to the taxonomy or to draw information out based on it will NOT know this and will frequently make mistakes.

Note that very few code schemes that I have seen in implementations across the full spectrum of small and big ERP products would meet even the most basic criteria to be classified as taxonomies, let alone hierarchical taxonomies and even less Strategic Engineered Precision Taxonomies (SEPT).

In reading this article it is vital to consider that I am writing about something that you may NEVER HAVE SEEN IN PRACTICE...


5.   ERP / IT knowledge

In order to design really effective ERP taxonomies it is vital that the taxonomy architect knows how ERP's work, the essence of IT, the essence of databases, what programming languages do, the basics of numeric processing, the reality that computers work with binary data, principles of grouping, etc.

The ability to quickly grasp how the individual tables will interact with one another and the software, the distinction between configuration relating to parameterization and configuration relating to integration, etc must all be understood.  A clear headline understanding of entity relationship mapping and other data modelling concepts is also vital in the context of deducing the entity relationship model on which the software is based and identifying the optimal code design and information gathering approach for that software and business.

There must also be informed insight as to alternative courses of action in cases where specific data is required which the standard product cannot accommodate.  When to use user defined fields, when to add custom tables and custom software functionality.  The taxonomy architect must understand the technology in sufficient detail to give guidance with regard to all aspects of the technology implementation and to steer the overall project to the desired strategic outcome.

This includes a robust understanding of the compromises that result from failing to use all relevant modules in an ERP, the problems associated with overloading the General Ledger with detail that should be managed in sub-modules, the implications of using third party modules instead of the modules that come with the EPR and the basis of decision making whereby a third party module would be selected in preference to a standard module.

Together with this must be a very high level of awareness that integration is primarily a data and corporate politics (people) issue and a strong focus on achieving integration by maintaining precise data and taxonomy harmony and correlation between software from different suppliers that may not integrate at all electronically but which share the same data.

Awareness that the best ERP implementations are meticulously planned and that the coding schemes are developed as part of a single over-arching integrated view of the business and ALL modules is vital.

Taxonomies are one of the front end inputs to an ERP implementation and are FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN PROCESS MAPPING.  Headline level understanding of business processes is relevant at the start of an ERP project but the DETAILED specification of business processes is a project OUTPUT and should be defined in concert with the laboratory stage.  Thereafter the process specifications should ideally be embedded in Computer Based Training  (CBT) material.

The solution architect should insist on rigorous testing in a formal laboratory where a laboratory is a test set up which accurately simulates the real world and rigorously tests ALL valid scenarios with small quantities of high quality representative data that tests every facet of the implementation at a level that can be signed off by the auditors BEFORE GO LIVE.


6.   Coding / taxonomies

Fundamental principles of taxonomies and code schemes.  Different types of code schemes (I have identified nine distinct categories), coding principles, use of delimiters, when mnemonic codes are appropriate, principles of numeric and alphanumeric coding, how people interact with code schemes, how taxonomies and code design drive ease of use and value delivery exponentially.

Formal training in a taxonomic discipline such as Information Management (Library Science), Zoology, Botany, or similar is helpful (I have formally studied and applied zoological taxonomies in detail and also studied and applied information management catalogue design in detail in my PhD research, knowledge and experience of large corporate filing systems is also a relevant source of experience.

I have experience in all these areas and first applied this knowledge practically and in depth with regard to ERP implementations over 23 years ago.  Ever since then "data engineering" or "precision strategic taxonomies" have been a central and vital element of my approach to every ERP implementation I have been involved in.

The benefits are huge, a wealth of management information, the answers to every practical question, greatly improved efficiencies, better decision making, increased profitability, leaner growth, operational efficiencies including unplanned headcount reduction and reduction in audit fees to name but a few.

I have been using complex taxonomies since 1978 and structured taxonomies with ERP and other IT projects since 1987 with great success and huge productivity and strategic decision support benefits.

I suspect that there is an element of "I do not know what I know at a conscious level"!!

 7.   Attention to detail and precision

Precision in code table design and maintenance is vital to a high quality, sustainable outcome that is truly efficient and effective.  An effective suite of software tools will assist with this.

 The person doing the detail design of the taxonomy and the coding scheme must be a high detail person who is naturally precise to a level of being pedantic and who will be rigorous and consistent.

It is a reality that many people do not have the knowledge and experience to develop precision strategic taxonomies and code schemes so the personnel to be deployed in this area must be carefully selected and trained.

The use of Psychometric instruments such as the Predictive Index and others should be seriously considered to help select the right people.

It is vital that the person who maintains the code schemes after deployment has training in these principles and is precise.

The opening of a single code or account in completely the wrong location leads to an IMMEDIATE DEGRADATION in the effectiveness of operation of the ERP or other IT system in the same way that leaving one bolt out of a critical component of a motor car can result in major damage.

The value of a dedicated coding professional, even if only on a part time contract basis, cannot be over-stressed.


8.   Analytical thought leadership

The person who leads the taxonomic (and solution architecture) functions must analyse the requirement from a fundamental first principles perspective and tie semantics, business understanding, ERP understanding, etc, etc together to deduce what will actually work in practice and guide the client to a high value outcome.

The client knows their requirement in broad terms but seldom if ever in a structured manner.

As a general principle it is a mistake for the client to lead the project and dictate strategic architecture and taxonomy design decisions.  The strategic solution architect is the translator who is required to understand the essence of the clients business and interact with the client to facilitate a high value outcome.

It is a serious mistake to undertake any major ERP or IT project without a highly experienced strategic solution architect leading the team.

This person must have strong analytical and deductive skills, excellent command of language and the ability to distill the essence of the problem and the requirement and develop a solution architecture and high level strategic design that will deliver exceptional lasting business value.


9.   Other

There may be other elements I apply without thinking but I think these are the main knowledge and experience areas that I use in developing taxonomies.

Excellent taxonomies are the difference between ho-hum or frustrating outcomes and high value outcomes.

There ARE many other facets to achieving successful outcomes such as executive custody, strategic alignment and architecture, change facilitation, an engineering approach to project design and operation, etc but the ONE factor above all others that will destroy value in an ERP implementation if not correctly executed is the data engineering in the form of precision strategic taxonomies.


print
[MAKERATING] The comment feature is locked by administrator.
Sort by:
Return


Random Selection of Articles by Dr James Robertson

Cnf 000 List of Conference and other Public Presentations

Comprehensive list of Conferences and Presentations by Dr James A Robertson
Sem 02 ERP and IT Procurement that Delivers Results

Much of what goes wrong with business information systems is that the procurement process is NOT robust enough to filter out lightweight and doubtful bidders and does NOT result in a tough contract that has the teeth to ensure that the successful bidder delivers on their sales promises
Cnf 018 Designing and Implementing an Integrated Risk Management System

A small, rapidly designed and built loss management software solution with accompanying Precision Configuration built and deployed in a matter of a month delivered very substantial strategic management information value together with unexpected dramatic efficiencies
Std 028 Why Regular Communication between the Project Leader and the CEO is Vital

A business information systems project that extends across the full ambit of the organization is almost certainly the most difficult and most challenging project that any organization can undertake.  This MUST be driven by the CEO as custodian and supported by a highly experienced and very mature Project Leader.  These two people must communicate constantly and effectively in order to ensure that they remain aligned to give the CEO the solution that is required

Subscribe to our StratNews newsletter

Click here to send us an email subscribing to our free newsletter -- all articles posted by James Robertson will be emailed to you

Dr James A Robertson PrEng The ERP 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

Click here to read more about the Engineering Approach

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:

Connect with James Robertson on LinkedIn

James has a very detailed profile on LinkedIn should you require further information about him.

You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/DrJamesARobertsonERPDoctor

James has an open networking profile -- click on "Connect" and use email address James@LinkedIn-at-JARA.com.

Contact Us

You can contact us on

Email: James@James-A-Robertson-and-Associates.com

LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/drjamesarobertsonerpdoctor

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/james.a.robertson.393

Mobile: +44 (0) 776-862-2875

Landline: +44 (0) 207-059-0007

Fax: +44 (0) 844 774 4580

Articles by James A Robertson and Associates

There is a large body of white papers, articles and other content produced by Dr James Robertson available on this website

Please click here to visit the detailed listing of articles


Random Selection of Articles by Dr James Robertson

Sem 05 IBIS – The Strategic View of Business Information

A three hour Executive Briefing that outlines the most important aspects of what I advocate with regard to Integrated Business Information Systems, including ERP
Std 002 Standards for Custom Software Specification

A set of outline standards for the specification of custom software
SNw 058 The Critical Human Foundation

Everything we do with business information systems and is dependent on people.  This articles addresses in some detail a diversity of factors that influence the success or failure of business information system projects

ArticleTagCloud for Articles Published by James A Robertson and Associates

7 steps to FIX your ERP      80:20 regarding software replacement      aborted projects      abstract      abstractness      accounting      actionable      adjudication      Advantage Data Transformer      advisory      agreement      all possible classifications      all reports      all software elements required      all spreadsheets      all tasks required to execute the project      Alpha Omega      analysis of data      analytics      animation      answers to the questions we have NOT yet thought to ask      Armscor      arrogant ignorance      art of strategic business information system project leadership      ASCO      attendance register      attorney      audit      audit cost reduction      bankrupt organizations      basis for achieving alignment      basis of payment      basis of pricing      better way      bid adjudication      bid adjudication score sheet      bid compliance      bid compliance checklist      bill of materials      bill of services      BIS      BIS failure      BIS success      boots in the mud      BPM      BPM dangerous      BPM distracting      BPM ineffective      brainstorming      break it until it does NOT break anymore      break it until it will NOT break any more      budget      budgeting      business engagement      business executives      business improvement      business information system      business information system failure      business information system success      business information system taxonomies      business information systems      business information systems procurement      business information systems projects      business integration      business intelligence      business intelligence models      business knowledge and experience      business participation      business process      business process mapping      business requirements focused      business requirements specification      business simulation laboratory      business systems      business systems laboratory      business understanding      by the book      care      case studies      case study      CEO      CEO -- project leader communication      CEO as custodian      CEO definite views      certificates      challenges      challenging presentations      change facilitation      change for strategic reasons      chart of accounts      classification schemes      clever software      client changing scope      client compact      clinical codes      coaching      Cobol      COBOL CAN be retained      Cobol still viable      code schemes      coding conventions and standards      cognitive span      collapse      communication      competitive advantage      competitive advantage through precision configuration      competitiveness      compiler      complexity      compliance      compliance checklist      comprehensive testing      Compuware      conference speaking      conferences      confidentiality      configuration      consultant NOT delivering what required      contract      contract certificates      contract law      contracting      contractors      corporate planning      cost      cost-quality-time      CPT 4      CPT4      critical factors      critical factors for IT investment success      critical factors for success      critical factors for technology success      critical human foundation      critical issues      critical issues analysis      critical requirements      CRM Risk Control      cubic business model      custom development      custom software      customer focused      data      data content      data engineering      data entities      data warehouse      DB2      definitions      design against failure      design and development      design for success      determination of strategic essence      determining strategy      diagnostic code      diamonds in the dust      differentiated      differentiation      diffusion of innovations      discovery      dislike of failure      dispute resolution      do NOT change systems because of alleged software redundancy      do things competitors could NOT do      document pack      Dr James A Robertson      Dr James A Robertson PrEng      dramatic benefits      dramatically improved strategic management information      driver of success      Dunning-Kruger effect      ease of use      economic collapse      economics      effective communication      effectiveness      efficiencies      efficiency      efficient filing of emails      eliminate light bidders      email      engineer against failure      engineered data      engineering      engineering approach      engineering approach to strategy      engineering failure      engineering laboratory      engineering services      engineering solution design      engineering techniques      enhance differentiators      enhance the differentiators      enhancing the value of your present investment      ensuring project success      enterprise resource planning      ERP      ERP configuration      ERP failure      ERP procurement      ERP success      ERP taxonomies      ERP value      essence IS different      essence of business      essence of the business and how it thrives      ethics      examples      exceptionally bad code design      executive briefing      executive briefings      executive custody      executive decision support      executive engagement      executive forum      executive frustration      expose hidden agendas      facilitation      factors causing failure      factors causing IT investment failure      factors causing technology failure      factors to manage for success      failure      failure to address soft issues      fashion      file table of contents      Financial Information System      financial information systems      financial management      fixing your ERP      focus for projects      folder design      foundation for delivery      full training      functional entities      future      Gantt Chart      gap analysis      general ledger      George Paton      go-live      go-live certificate      governance      governance = care      governance failure      group consolidation      Group Consolidation Chart of Accounts      growth      gut feel factors      hand holding      harshest judge of governance      hate failure      head count reduction      health management software      hierarchies      high level requirements      high road      high value      high value implementations      high value solutions      high value systems implementation      highly effective chart of accounts      holistic view of solution      how do you achieve executive custody      how the organization differentiates itself      how to      how to do it      huge opportunity      human foundation      hype      Hyperion      IBIS      ICD 10      ICD10      importance of executive custody      improved management information      in-box rules      incremental enhancement of existing systems      ineffectiveness      inefficiency      information required from third party suppliers      information technology      information technology failure      Information Technology Strategy      information technology success      Informix      in-house courses      innovative software solutions      innovator      inside head of CEO      insightful      instructions      intangible      integrated business information system      integrated view of business      integrity      intelligent data      interactive training material      interview      invitation to bid      isolated CEO = explosion      IT      IT and strategy      IT Audit      IT failure      IT governance      IT lies      IT management      IT mythology      IT non-performance      IT people who lie      IT personnel socialization      IT procurement      IT projects that fail      IT strategy      IT systems      IT systems procurement      IT the harshest judge of governance      James Robertson      Jof Nelson      key performance indicators      Kirsten Speer      knowledge management      laboratory      lack of an engineering approach      lack of precision configuration      lack of strategic alignment      lawyer      leadership      legal agreement      legislation      lies      list of required software      listen carefully      litigation      logical entities      loss information      low road      loyalty      MacDonald      maintain code schemes      maintenance      maintenance management      Malcolm McDonald      management      management information      managing contractors      manual      marketing hype      master data      master data classifications      master test data      mature facilitation      mature facilitator      measurable      measures of alignment      mentoring      Microsoft Outlook      misrepresentation      missing link      mistique      morals      Munich      mystique      mythology      new future state      New South Africa      no drill down      non-disclosure      NOT classic project management      obsolete is a fashion statement      obsolete software      old software IS viable      once software works it always works      on-line seminars      opportunities      opportunity to turn the economy around      organizing Microsoft Outlook      orientation of IT staff      own business experience      passion to enable clients to thrive      people are part of the system      personality matrix      planning      platform for a tough contract      precisio      precision      precision configuration      precision configuration advisory      precision configuration leadership      precision data      precision taxonomies      Predictive Index      preparatory steps      prescribed table of contents      presentation technique      presentations      preventing failure      preventing falure      preventing project failure      pricing      principles      problem statement      procedure code      process      processor ignorant of language      procurement      procurement timeline      professional speaker      Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa      profitability      programming languages are for the programmer      project facilitation      project leader      project leader -- CEO communication      project leadership      project management      project management IT project management      projects      prove it works      PSASA      psychology      psychometrics      public conferences      public presentations      public speaking      Pulse Measurement      quality      REAL issues in Business Information Systems      REAL value      recognizing failure      redaction      reduced audit costs      reduced head count      reference documents      Reg Barry      regulatory body      relationship Almighty      relationship orientated      remediation of existing systems      Rennies Group      reports      reports not reliable      request for proposal      requirements specification      results orientated      RFP      right things      rigorous process      rigorous strategic planning      risk management      Robert Priebatsch      robust business information systems procurement      robust business systems procurement      robust contracts      robust procurement      robust solutions      SAICE      SAP ABAP is similar to COBOL      scheduling procurement      scientific professional      score sheet      screen design      seminars      SEPT      service orientated      Service Orientated Architecture      simple techniques to enhance business information systems value      simulation      sloppy configuration      SOA      socialization      software      software assets      software design      software does NOT wear out      software is instructions for the bricklayer      software schedule      software specification      software specification standards      solution experience      solution knowledge      South Africa      South African Institution of Civil Engineering      speaking      Spirit Led      standards      strategic      strategic advisory      strategic alignment      strategic analysis      strategic analysis and design      strategic business improvement      strategic custom development      strategic definition      strategic discovery      strategic driver      strategic driving force      strategic engineered precision configuration      strategic engineered precision taxonomies      strategic essence      strategic financial information      strategic gap analysis      strategic governance      strategic information      strategic management      strategic management information      strategic plan      strategic planning      strategic project leader      strategic snapshots      strategic software      strategic solution architect advisory      strategic solution architect leadership      strategic solution architecture      strategically designed chart of accounts      strategy      strategy defined      strategy focused planning      Strategy Snapshot Toolset      StratGap      StratSnap      strengthen differentiators      structured analysis      structured chart of accounts      substantial management information      succeed by engineering against failure      success      successful deployment      survive      system knowledge and experience      table of contents      tailored presentations      take notes      taxonomies      taxonomy      taxonomy software      technology      technology failure      technology issues      technology management      tender document pack      tender pack      tender pack table of contents      test data      testing      The Critical Factors for Information Technology Investment Success      the Critical Factors for Success      the essence of the business      the essence of the business and how it thrives      the essence of the organization and how it thrives      the factors causing failure      the first hour      The REAL Issues in Business Information System success      things right      third party suppliers      third world countries      thrive      time      tipping point      tough certificates      tough contract management      tough contracts      tough procurement      tough terms      training      training material      treatment code      understanding of data      understanding the engineering approach      Uniface      unlocking value      use different languages for new components      V3 Consulting Engineers      validation data      value      versus process      video      webinar      webinars      weighted factors      what is executive custody      what is strategy      what is the essence of this organization and how does it thrive      what to do      where is IT going      why executive custody is required      why the organization exists and how it thrives      why your business information system is NOT delivering and HOW to FIX it      why your ERP is NOT delivering and how to fix it      workflow      writer     

Search Articles

Table of Contents

Home

About Dr James A Robertson PrEng -- The Business Systems Doctor -- and Other Topics

Catalogue of Major Business Information System Failures

About the Engineering Approach

James Robertson's Value Add

Attributes of a HIGH VALUE solution

Recognizing Business System Failure

The Critical Human Foundation

Old Software IS Viable

From South Africa

Competencies of Dr James A Robertson PrEng

About Professor Malcolm McDonald

Table of Contents

About my relationship with the Almighty Creator, Yah the Eternally Self-Existing

Comments relating to the Business Systems Industry and other topics

Testimonials and other positive material regarding James Robertson

Reference Articles

List of Articles

Article Catalogue

Achieving High Value Business Information System outcomes

Executive Custody -- What is it and HOW do you get it?

The REAL Issues in Integrated Business Information System Success

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2 -- Mythology and Lack of Executive Custody

Part 3 – Strategic Alignment and Precision Configuration

Why your ERP is NOT delivering and HOW to FIX it

IT Project Management

Pulse Measurement

CEO Anthony Lee Comments on his experience of the Pulse Measurement

No Charge Guarantee on the Pulse Measurement Service

Examples of Pulse Measurement Outcomes

Critical questions regarding the Pulse Measurement™

The Pulse Measurement Workflow

The Critical Factors for Business System (ERP+) Investment Success in the Pulse Measurement

Indicative Pulse Measurement Durations

What is a JAR&A Pulse Measurement?

Survival of the fittest – why it makes sense to measure the pulse of your business

Examples of Pulse Measurement Outcomes over 24 years

Sample Pulse Measurement Reports

Strategy

Strategic Essence: The Missing Link in Business Information Systems

Strategic Essence: Overview

Strategic Essence: Part 1 -- Strategy Defined

Strategic Essence: Part 2 -- Differentiation

Strategic Essence: Part 3 -- The Essence IS Different

Strategic Essence: Part 4 -- The Essence should be the Point of Departure

Strategic Essence: Part 5 -- Discovering Strategic Essence

Strategy -- the Essence of the Business: What is it and how do you develop actionable strategic plans?

Simple Steps to Increase the Strategic Value of your ERP Investment

Free Strategic Snapshot Toolset and Manual

A strategy focused planning system beyond traditional budgeting

Tough IT and ERP Procurement and Contracting that Works

Robust Business Systems Procurement

Part 1 -- Introduction

Part 2 -- Bill of Services, Laboratory, Go-live Certificate, etc

Part 3 -- Executive Engagement, Bid Compliance, Adjudication and other matters

Procurement Documents

Guidance and Advisory Services

The Art of Project Leadership

Why Regular Communication with the CEO is Vital

The Business Simulation Laboratory

Precision Configuration and Strategic Business Information Architecture

Precision Configuration based on Strategic Engineered Precision Taxonomies

The JAR&A Cubic Business Model

Highly Structured Strategic Chart of Accounts -- a Vital Element of your Corporate Information Arsenal

The Product Catalogue -- an Essential Element of any Precision Configuration

Attributes -- answers to the questions you have NOT yet thought to ask

Case Studies of Notably Successful Projects with high value Precision Configuration

092 Doing things differently and better -- ASCO Case Study 2-- BPM Summit 2013

088 Strategic ERP Invesment -- ASCO Case Study -- Service Management Conference and Exhibition Africa

026 Information Architecture and Design of FIS for Rennies Group -- Financial Information Systems Conf

018 CRM Risk Control: Designing and Implementing an Integrated Risk Mgmt Sys -- Integrated Risk Mgmt Conf

011 V3 Consulting Eng: Benefits of MIS to Professional Practice -- SAICE 15th Ann Conf on Computers in Civil Eng

Strategically Enriching your Business Information Systems

Part 1 -- Introduction

Part 2 -- Principles of Data Engineering

Part 3 -- Steps in applying these recommendations

Simple Steps to increase the strategic information value yield from your Business Systems Investment

The Full JAR&A Taxonomy Manual

Part 1: Introduction, Problem Statement, Definitions and Examples

Part 2: Why Use JAR&A, Required Knowledge and Experience, Cubic Business Model and Chart of Accounts and Taxonomy Software

Part 3: How to do it, Case Studies and White Papers and other References

Example General Ledger Manual

Business Process -- Irrelevant, Distracting and Dangerous

The RIGHT Approach

Custom Strategic Software Design and Oversight of Construction

Standards for Custom Software Specification

What IS Software?

IT Effectiveness

Organizing Outlook

Critical Factors for I.T. Success

A Moral and Ethical Dilemma -- Systems that Fail

Case Studies examining Business Information System failures

The BBC Digital Media Initiative Debacle

The Bridgestone -- IBM Conflict

Speaking and Training

Showcase of Conference Presentations

Most Viewed Presentations

Briefings and Seminars

Why your ERP/BIS is NOT delivering and HOW to FIX it

ERP and IT Procurement that Delivers Results

The Critical Factors for IT and ERP Investment Success

Other Seminars

Conferences and Public Presentations

Conferences 80 to 99 -- 2009 to Present

Conferences 60 to 79 -- 2005 to 2009

Conferences 40 to 59 -- 1996 to 2005

Conferences 20 to 39 -- 1994 to 1996

Conferences 01 to 19 -- 1989 to 1994

On-Line Seminars (Webinars)

Webinar on Preparing and Presenting Webinars

Contacting James A Robertson and Associates Limited