[Info-vax] VSI Subscription Licensing Exchanges

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 5/25/2021 9:34 PM, Dave Froble wrote:
> Let me relate a story.
> 
> First, to set the stage, many times small to medium companies are built 
> by a knowledgeable person, and they know how to run the company.  What 
> they can do, and what they can't do.
> 
> Now, Dad is running a successful business, and providing the money for 
> sonny to be out partying and whatever.  Sonny has no clue, and doesn't 
> care, cause Dad is taking care of supporting him in the manner he's 
> become accustomed to.
> 
> As time goes on, it's time for sonny to learn how to run the company. 
> Either Dad wants to retire, or is otherwise no longer available, it's up 
> to sonny to be successful.
> 
> Of course, sonny quite often doesn't have a clue, and so, (usually on 
> the advice of some bean counter), the big consulting firms are called in 
> to help sonny out.
> 
> What's the chance the consulting firm will find that the business is 
> being run successfully?  Slim and none.  They will attempt to justify 
> their fees by making recommendations.  Quite often they have no better 
> ideas than sonny, but, they'll never admit that.  Also, when it comes to 
> the IT system(s), you can bet that they'll say the company needs to get 
> with the future, cloud solutions, WEENDOZE, and such.  Got to throw out 
> that old app and system that has been running the company for years. 
> Can't have that.  An integral part of all this is significant billings 
> by the consulting firm.
> 
> And so, this has happened with one of our customers.  I don't remember 
> the name of the app(s), but it's a cloud based solution.  The new system 
> was to go live last November (2020).  Still hasn't happened.
> 
> A test sometime prior converting over to the "new cloud based system" 
> had the new vendor quite proud that they were able to handle 10 tasks in 
> 5 minutes.  This for a company that was handling over 20,000 internet 
> service connections a day, along with all the in-house running of the 
> company's business.  (I'll leave the math as an exercise for the reader.)
> 
> Last I heard, the vendor had decided they had to re-write the core system.
> 
> So, anyone want to replace a rather complex application?

Complex applications get replaced all the time.

But large IT projects are high risk. Over time and over budget are
very common. Disastrous projects that never completes are not
unheard of.

Large IT projects are not easy. And as with everything else
then a difficult task requires good people.

And a large consulting company charging 300 dollars per hour
is not a guarantee that good people will be assigned to
the project. That just guarantees that cost will be high.

Arne