It continues to amaze us that statistics showing the failure rate of IT implementation projects remains consistently high.  There have been numerous studies that show the failure rate for CRM, ERP and other digital transformation initiatives.  Simply googling “ IT Project Failure Rate ”, as I did, and you’ll see numbers from reputable sources that show the 2023 trend isn’t looking good.   While a few positions/reasons are given as to why this is the case (talent, executive alignment, culture etc), we’d wager that there’s one other glaring reason why implementation projects, even those that DO make it to go-live, are still considered failures.  It has to do with the disconnect between technical requirements in the Request for Proposal (RFP) vs the business case that set the project in motion in the first place.   Typically, especially with line-of-business (LOB) applications, a need is uncovered to solve a series of latent or very overt pain.  It’s...

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of sitting down with Cindy Wagman of The Good Partnership to chat about all-things-cloud for her podcast, “The Small Nonprofit”.   During the session we talked about everything from what the cloud actually is, why it’s beneficial to invest in and how to measure the value out of those investments.   There were topics we covered that are near and dear to the mission of GreenMerits Consulting given our focus on the successful research, selection and analysis of cloud solutions and data.   The informal approach used on the podcast was reminiscent of conversations I’ve had with nonprofit staff, executive directors and board members, each of whom had varying levels of experience and comfort with cloud technologies. It was a great chat with a forward thinking colleague in the nonprofit consulting world about what it means to bring technology into a nonprofit organization.   As nonprofits have had to change and adapt how they operate...

At the end of June we were again delighted to be asked to present on the important topic of Digital Transformation. Our friends at TechSoup Canada (the Ontario Chapter) wanted to bring this message to the Eastern part of Canada for this go-round. The slides are still  live on Slideshare  for those interested in getting a copy.    While the presentation is mostly the same as what was delivered back in May to the TechSoup Canada Western Chapter, there were a couple of small changes and additional anecdotes that helped underpin the importance of building trustworthy, transparent relationships with cloud technology providers. Have a listen below and be sure to check out other great  TechSoup sessions !    

Last week, I presented to non-profit leaders and consultants about the importance of establishing meaningful relationships with their SaaS/Cloud technology partners. This roughly 40 minute session was also live streamed on LinkedIn, as well as recorded and posted to YouTube (shared below) for future viewing by those that weren’t able to attend. A copy of the slides was also posted to SlideShare . Many thanks to the team at TechSoup Canada (Western chapter) for the opportunity to share my background and experiences on this topic.  The session served as a chance for those embarking on a digital transformation journey, to think deeply about how to view and work with technology partners. These partners underpin an organization’s ability to be successful over the span of a multi-year subscription contract. I spent time focusing on things that strain these partnerships, signs that the relationship may be in jeopardy, and finally how to go about addressing these challenges.  Wi...