News & views - 180Systems

Break it to them gently

January 13, 2026 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

The linked song “Break it to them gently” has nothing to do with subject of letting the vendors know what is happening during the contract negotiation phase of a software selection project. By this time, the vendors have worked hard in responding to an RFP, prepared for/conducted demonstrations and have spent a lot of time trying hard to win your business. At some point, you need to let the vendors know what is happening. You could wait until the very end, but in our opinion, that’s not the right way. Preferred Vendor You want the preferred vendor to be competitive […]

The Value of Independent Consulting Services

January 12, 2026 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

Most organizations don’t use independent consulting services to help with the selection of a new system. They may think they have the expertise already and that independent consultants will add unnecessary costs. Although we are independent in terms of vendor neutrality, we are clearly not independent in recommending independent consultants. However, we think that there is a misconception about the value independent consultants provide, which is the reason for writing this article. Save you time We have a proven methodology with the knowledge, templates and processes that makes the selection process go relatively quickly. Time delays occur while waiting for […]

The January Reality Check: Technology and the First 100 Days After a Merger

January 6, 2026 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

January has a way of sobering everyone up. The decorations come down, inboxes refill, and that ambitious end-of-year deal suddenly becomes very real. The contracts are signed, the announcements are out, and now someone has to make the merger actually work. This is where the first 100 days quietly decide whether the deal settles in nicely or becomes the thing everyone politely avoids talking about by March. Post-merger integration is often framed as a people and process exercise, but technology is the backbone holding the whole plan upright. You can have alignment workshops, leadership town halls, and beautifully worded vision […]

This is Christmas and what have you done?

December 16, 2025 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

John Lennon asks a good question, and hopefully we have done good deeds in the past year. Although we are not able to solve the many big problems in the world, we can all make a big difference to our families and friends as well as a little difference to all the people we meet briefly. I am fortunate to meet so many people who work for our clients or who are offering services to our clients. Our objective is to become a trusted advisor to our clients, and we try hard to make a positive difference. It’s harder on […]

Looking back

December 16, 2025 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

180 Systems is having our best year with revenue growth of about 40% over last year. It’s ironic that we are growing so quickly now, when as some of you know, I have been doing this kind of work for a very long time. In fact, most of my colleagues, friends and even my spouse retired years ago. The reasons for growth have a lot to do with my partner, Alex Miles, who is young, smart and ambitious. We have also hired a great team – there are 8 of us now and hopefully you will have the opportunity to […]

The Canvas Behind the Field Service Showpiece (1)

From Shadows to Structure: The Canvas Behind the Field Service Showpiece

December 11, 2025 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

Field service looks simple from a distance. A customer calls, a technician arrives, the problem gets fixed, and everyone moves on with their day. In reality, it resembles a Rembrandt painting. What appears calm from across the room reveals far more depth and tension when you step closer. The surface may look tidy, but the truth lives in the low light. The most common field service problems rarely burst in like a spotlight. They behave more like the shadows Caravaggio and Da Vinci loved to paint, subtle and creeping in from the edges. They hide in small inefficiencies and only […]

Why Technology Due Diligence Matters Before a Merger (3)

The Holiday Surprise You Do Not Want: Why Technology Due Diligence Matters Before a Merger

December 11, 2025 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

Mergers often feel like the corporate version of the holidays. There is excitement, anticipation, big plans, and the optimistic belief that everything will come together beautifully. But just like the holidays, the part that looks magical on the outside usually hides a fair amount of scrambling behind the scenes. And while leaders gather around the deal table making lists and checking them twice, technology due diligence somehow gets treated like the last-minute gift someone remembers on the way to the party. A quick stop, a rushed decision, and a hope that everything works out. Spoiler alert: it usually does not. […]

The AI Boom is a House of Cards

November 19, 2025 | 0 Comments | Michael Burns

The Freepress published an article “Open AI’s House of Cards“, on November 17, 2025. There’s a lot to unpack in this article, but the highlights are: AI companies account for 80 percent of the gains in U.S. stocks this year. ChatGPT is only three years old, and its burn rate (the amount of money it loses each quarter) may be the highest in history. ChatGPT is more of an upgrade on Google Search than a productivity-raising miracle. The bulk of ChatGPT use is by people seeking practical guidance, information, or technical help. By contrast, according to an MIT study, 95 […]

M&A Without the Migraine

November 18, 2025 | 0 Comments | Amanda David

Everyone loves a merger until someone opens the shared drive. Suddenly, the spreadsheets do not match, half the files are named “final_v7,” and the CFO is wondering why there are three versions of the customer database. The headlines make mergers and acquisitions sound glamorous, but anyone who has lived through one knows it is more caffeine than champagne. The part that rarely makes the press release is the operational reality. The systems, data, and processes that quietly keep businesses running do not always get along. Integration becomes the invisible risk that can turn an impressive deal into a slow-motion headache. […]

Friends Don’t Let Vendors Drive Demos

November 12, 2025 | 0 Comments | Jeremy Turner

When I was in ERP software sales, I knew exactly where my product shined. In early demos, I led with the most advanced and polished features, often contorting the narrative to make my best tools and features fit the prospect’s workflow. I knew that if decision-makers left believing that my software was sophisticated and user-friendly, I’d already won half the battle. They would influence their team to think of my offering favorably, which would give me a leg up when I finally had to show end users the less attractive elements of the system during days-long, marathon demonstrations. It’s hard […]