Articles by Dr James Robertson

Articles Published by James A Robertson and Associates

There is a substantial collection of articles in the Articles database on diverse subjects, please browse the list below to see what is available

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Aug27Cnf 067 Improving your strategic involvement in the business by actively engaging in the day to day running of your I.T. Systems and ensuring an effective I.T. Infrastructure is in place
Created by James Robertson on 8/27/2014 9:26:38 AM

Enabling executives to better understand their Information Technologies and thereby bring more effe...

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Random Selection of Articles by Dr James Robertson

TxM 035 Section 4: Important Principles

Prd 011 Cost drivers in building taxonomies

SNw 040 Strategic Essence: The Missing Link: Part 1 -- Strategy Defined

"Strategy" is a widely used, widely abused and little understood term. This article offers a robust definition of strategy as the "essence of the organization and how it thrives"

SNw 052 Robust Procurement: Part 3 - Exec Engagement, Bid Compliance, Adjudication and other matters

A discussion of the importance of executive engagement, bid compliance evaluation, a structured approach to bid adjudication and other matters

Std 026 Old Software IS Viable

Many business information system projects are motivated on the basis that the existing systems are obsolete. This article challenges that argument with regard to a significant number of systems and presents information that will enable executives and managers to take a pragmatic view of this debate

Std 022 Procurement: 13 Skeleton Agreement

This is a broad framework for a contract. The exact contract will need to be drafted by your organization's legal advisors based on the legal jurisdiction in which your organization operates

TxM 061 Section 7.5 Preparatory steps for a SEPT project

SNw 022 Your ERP is a precision instrument - are you using it that way?

Cnf 074 A Moral and Ethical Dilemma -- Systems that Fail

The prevalence of IT project failure, the factors that cause failure, the Critical Factors for Success, the problem of IT people who lie, issues of integrity, morals and ethics, the need for a regulatory body and legislation

Std 025 The Engineering Approach to Business Information Systems Defined

Throughout this website I make reference to The Engineering Approach. The Engineering Approach is central to who I am and the way I think about projects. It was core to my original intention in 1989 "to bring the disciplines of Engineering to the IT Industry". This article provides an overview of my understanding of The Engineering Approach 25 years on

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

SNw 010 I.T. CAN add value

Cnf 060 Why Information Technology In Managed Healthcare Does Not Deliver What Is Expected And How To Fix It -- Slides

Healthcare industry standard codes like ICD 10 and CPT 4 are amongst the worst examples of bad computer data engineering practice in the world today, there is huge scope for improvement in ways that will allow the application of computer based maintenance management techniques to be applied in countries where there is a severe shortage of qualified medical practitioners, the case for investing in such code schemes is present

Cnf 061 Analysing The Two Most Critical Factors for I. T. Investment Success: Executive Custody and Strategic Solution Architecture

Executive Custody of large integrated business information system projects is one of the critical weaknesses, this presentation discusses some of the key considerations with regard to this and also discusses the importance of strategic alignment and strategic solution architecture in achieving high value solutions

TxM 017 Section 2: Definitions and examples

Cnf 067 Improving your strategic involvement in the business by actively engaging in the day to day running of your I.T. Systems and ensuring an effective I.T. Infrastructure is in place

Enabling executives to better understand their Information Technologies and thereby bring more effective governance to bear, addresses the direction that IT is taking, the basis for replacing systems and many other subjects

Prd 005 What are the essential components of Value Creation through Precision Configuration, Based on Precision Taxonomies?

SNw 049 Strategic Essence: The Missing Link: Part 4 -- The Essence should be the Point of Departure

The strategic essence of the organization should be the point of departure AND the focal point of every business information systems project -- THIS is the component of the business that should be jealously protected, strengthened and enhanced and it is the part of the business that is most vulnerable to bad decisions and botched projects

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

Cnf 070 South Africa -- Engineering to Thrive

The application of the principles that I have developed and successfully applied in the business information systems and IT arena to the broader technology arena in South Africa with regard to the challenges being faced in the South African economy with a view to developing an initiative to turn the economy around from a technical perspective

TxM 068 Section 7.12 Coding steps