Client Testimonials

Public Sector

Prem Rooplal
Manager of Accounting
Ontario Clean Water Agency

"Michael helped us to do a Gap Analysis in 2002 and a Process Review with review of some System alternatives in 2007. He is an extremely strong professional to work with, I only have good things to say. Michael is extremely knowledgeable, especially in ERP systems, and really knows about Business Process as well."

Armand De Kemp
Controller
Ontario Pension Board

Michael helped in our System Selection project in 2004-2005. He was excellent. Michael provided a high level of expertise in the various software systems, and helped us sort out our requirements. He was very personable, and his billing rates were reasonable and appropriate, compared to the big consulting firms.

Manufacturing

Graham Nash
Interim CFO
Garden Protein International

"Lawrence did exactly what we wanted to have done. We needed someone else to sort through all the systems, and find out which were the best for us. Though we knew the top three, through the work of 180 Systems we decided to select a different system at a much lower cost than one of the top three. Some of us had some experience dealing with evaluating systems but we were too busy to focus, so Lawrence took that "bull by the horns" and ran with it. He took a very disciplined approach to the process and handled all the required legwork. Because of his background, he would ask the penetrating questions and keep the vendors in line and sharp. The way he ran the process, pencils were sharpened sufficiently to offset the cost of 180 Systems fees, so it didn't really cost us anything, in my opinion."

Kevin Semenjuk
Project Manager
Edmonton Exchanger Group of Companies

"We were very impressed with Michael and the work done by 180 Systems. We looked to an outside source to assist us with the system selection process as we did not have much experience with this in house. Michael is very knowledgeable in the field, and his multi-faceted approach to the RFP process is well thought out. Services were provided in an objective, professional manner. In addition, the consulting fees were reasonable. I would unequivocally recommend the services of 180 Systems."

Jess Fagnani
Vice President - Finance
Railtech Ltd.

"At the time, Railtech was looking to replace their existing system, and didn't have the expertise internally. We did some research, but were not making much progress. We asked our auditors for advice, but felt they were trying to fit them into the systems they already knew. Then I saw Michael mentioned in the CA Magazine, an independent consultant who knew the industry, so we decided to start a dialogue. We were looking for someone independent, who had knowledge of the different systems available, and that's what we got with Michael. In terms of Michael's approach, our group found him to be very organized, methodical, and very knowledgeable about the various systems. We were happy with the overall process and results. In hindsight, it might have been helpful to involve 180 Systems during the implementation phase, for advice and oversight."

Karen Schultz
Project Manager
Robeez

"Working with Michael was fine, great, worked for me. He was methodical with how he went about the project. There were lots of people on the internal team, and he was able to get input from the key people. He also worked well with the vendors and provided us with good materials on the various products so we could evaluate them. He had a point system for rating the suitability of the systems which allowed us to narrow the choices and focus the team on those concepts."

Ralph Goldfinger
President
Canada Sportswear

“We needed someone who would be objective and not just sell us a solution. We also needed someone with a strong technical understanding, as well as expertise in our industry—apparel manufacturing and distribution. We engaged Michael Burns who far exceeded our expectations. I hold him in the highest regard, as he was always focused on the best solution for our company. I would highly recommend his company, 180 Systems, if you are thinking about changing your existing system"

Professional Services

Rosemin Remtulla
Accounting Manager
Altus Group

"Michael has been a great help, very resourceful and knowledgeable. We were able to get his assistance with planning and searching for a new ERP system. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a new system. He knew about various solutions out there, and was always available and there for us. Michael will help us with the implementation as well, and is currently advising us on an ROI study and client references as well. It's great to have a third party to provide feedback and advice, to make sure we are not forgetting anything or making mistakes."

Stuart Craven
Chief Financial Officer
Tesla Exploration Ltd.

"Lawrence was very helpful and knowledgeable. He spent significant time on site with us and brought experience we didn't have in house. He had specific expertise in "grilling" the vendors and ensuring we received appropriate documents, seeing the process through, clarifying information and making sure proposed vendors were providing what was needed to make our decision. We have a fairly small head office, and so we needed someone with his background, someone who had been through the process before. It was a useful expenditure."

Dr. David Christiansen BA PhD
Corporate Business Manager
R J Burnside & Associates Limited

"My experience working with Lawrence was very positive. This was the first time I had worked with an IT consultant retained directly by our company rather than a vendor, and it was a very different experience. I am happy with the work that was done, and would not hesitate to retain 180 Systems in an advisory capacity as we move forward with this project to review our business needs analysis to make sure we are not omitting any key components and to provide advice during the configuration and implementation phases. Lawrence provides value for money, is easy to work with and very down-to-earth. He quickly established a very good working relationship with our Steering Committee and developed a reputation as being an honest and positive broker for our firm."

Ben Craigo
Assistant Vice President
Global Lead, LLC

"Michael's expertise was invaluable in helping us choose our PSA solution. With his guidance, we were able to quickly identify our critical requirements, narrow the field down to a handful of vendors that met our needs and shaped a best-of-breed RFP process. Investing in his company was the smartest move I made in the process. I cannot recommend him highly enough"

Dr. Jacob Shapiro
President
Cantox Environmental

"I would like to take a moment to thank you for the very professional way that you handled this assignment. You proved to be an experienced and expert advisor as you led us in the selection of our new accounting system. I am very pleased with the process that you took us through and with the choice that we made. I am looking forward to what looks to be a straightforward implementation of OpenAir system and want to wish you good luck with your future endeavours. Please feel free to use us as a reference; I would not hesitate to give you an excellent one. Thanks again for your help,  Jacob"

Distribution

Vincent Hendriks
Director of Special Projects
Widex Canada Ltd.

"Michael Burn’s services opened our eyes to diversity of features available in modern ERP systems. His guidance and assistance was significant in all steps of the process from structuring our requirements in generic terms to sorting through the large number of variables to choosing an appropriate supplier."

Richard Stangl
Vice President
Unitec Industrial Gases

It's been a good experience working with Lawrence. He is well organized, concise, and it's a good exercise because it makes me and our employees understand a little more of our own business processes. Doing the business assessment with us before putting out the RFP helped us to recognize what we should be doing. Lawrence keeps us focussed, and I appreciate how well Lawrence is able to cut through and work quickly. His involvement in our software selection project was definitely worth the money.

Francis Liu
Vice President of Operations and Finance
Cosmoda

"Michael has led us from the very beginning in compiling a detailed RFI document right through the end of picking a vendor. His strong technical background in the IT industry has made the selection process so much more effective and easier for me. He is highly organized with his work and always has his answers at the finger tips. I want to thank Michael for all the efforts he has put in this last few months. I really appreciate it."

Shai Burstein
President
Trend Marketing

"I thought Michael was very professional, thorough, well organized, detailed, and overall a pleasure to work with. He assisted me in a very detailed software selection project with many vendor companies. Michael provided us with a methodology and we are using it. He performed the preliminary inquiry phase, sent out questionnaires to potential companies, gathered and compiled the materials, and helped me navigate the process, including online demos, and even visiting companies in Montreal."

Marketing

John Pavkovic
(formerly) Senior Manager, Information Technology
ICOM Information & Communications

At the time I was with ICOM, and Michael was engaged to help us with a System Selection project, first in 2006, and a second round in 2007. For us it was the most cost effective way to do the work. We looked at several people who could help with RFP generation, but they didn't have the business contacts or understanding, so their RFPs were more boilerplate. Michael understands our business processes, and also is familiar with many of the vendors, so he identifies what is standard with all the vendors, and focuses on what is special about our company. He matches that to the vendors to ask the right questions and simplifies the process to identify our unique requirements. This is the real value add.
Michael works fast. He knows the processes, knows the vendors, and can cut through their "fluff". He gave us very good value, and I would certainly use him again.

Aubrey Ferguson
Managing Director
Davis

“A trusted friend and financial professional recommended Michael Burns as someone who was an expert in financial software applications for mid-size companies such as ours. The recommendation proved to be right on the money as Michael was a perfect fit for our requirements. Not only is he focused action-oriented and a quick study, he also has an expert knowledge base that is as deep as it is wide. We were very pleased with the process that Michael lead us through and recommend him without reservation.”

Mining

Raman Randhawa, CA
Director of Finance, Canada & US
Goldcorp Inc.

I found Michael to be knowledgeable of the IT environment and practical in terms of understanding our requirements and determining appropriate systems to evaluate. Michael provided good value in terms of system selection.

Real Estate

Dave Harman
Controller
Hayhoe Homes

"Thank you for your considerable assistance in our selection of a solution which we believe is the best fit for our specific requirements. Your grasp of our business process, your structured approach to system evaluation, your technical insights, and your third-party perspective have all been vital to the successful completion of this phase of our project."

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