Enterprise Applications Consulting
Joshua Greenbaum, Principal
Technology, business, culture, people, society – change for the better.
Technology can solve many business and social problems, but only if people use it correctly. This means that enterprise software and its supporting technology and services have to be selected, implemented, managed and supported in ways that make sense for the users, not for the vendor or its service provider partners.
Josh Greenbaum discusses IT project success and failure and what can be done about it
The Next Generation SAP Enterprise Architecture Forum Field Report: Setting the Stage for Customer Success One Architect at a Time
The recent Next Generation SAP Enterprise Architecture Forum, engineered by SAP community impresario Paul Kurchina and hosted by SAP in Newtown Square, was one of those rare events that’s so rich and varied I know I’ll be mining it for ideas and inspiration for months to come. So bear with me as I try to summarize in a few hundred words a three-day event with over 30 presentations. I may have to write more than one post to do it justice. It’s important to start with understanding the different types of SAP stakeholder in attendance – the who question. Without…
Zoho Day 2024 and the Mother of Exiles: A Chance Encounter with History in McAllen, TX and Why Zoho’s Different Approach Matters
There’s always a surplus of things to write about following a Zoho event. There’s the great customer stories, the new technology offerings and the growing number of applications under the Zoho One umbrella (50+). Other great topics include CEO Sridhar Vembu’s take on capitalism and transnational localism, the sensible position Zoho is taking on AI, the growing number of data centers they’re opening to keep their customers away from profit-hungry hyperscalers, Zoho’s burgeoning partner program, and the company’s side hustles in organic agriculture and medical devices. And that’s my short list. The post I’m writing this time around doesn’t fit…
Acumatica’s Summit 2024: Refreshingly Grounded in Customer Reality
I don’t often have the pleasure of talking to as interesting a set of customers as I met at the recent Acumatica Summit in Las Vegas. Not just because all the meetings were unstructured, no artifice, no-handlers-present conversations – which means that everyone, customer and analyst included, can truly get the most out of a relatively short interaction. And it wasn’t just because none of them really wanted to talk about GenAI, or any other kind of AI for that matter, which was a relief after the incessant AI yowling that has seemingly turned the entire industry into a mouthpiece…
What do I do? Here’s a short list:
Strategy
Creation, critique, alignment, advocacy. I can help your organization – end users and vendors – figure out a new strategy for aligning business goals with technology, product, sales and marketing objectives, and other important measures of success. I’ve workshopped and researched strategic issues for a wide variety of companies – all sizes, industries, geographies – at all levels, from the board of directors and the C-suite to product management and development teams. I bring to these engagements a holistic view of the industry across a wide range of issues: applications, infrastructure, middleware, data, user experiences, implementation methodologies, change management, training and education, partner programs. I can help with your RFP, your branding exercise, your next presentation to the board.
Research
Survey research instrument development, data analysis, reporting. I have a strong survey research background and know how to formulate the questions, analyze the data, and write a report that will illicit the information you need to further your goals and communicate that to your intended audience.
Sales and marketing enablement
I can help your company know what stories to tell and how to tell them. I’m a translator: I speak “engineer” and I speak “human” and I can bridge the two in order to make your communications – internal and external – make more sense to your intended audience. That means developing the “stories” that make a difference and then creating the high-value content – written or spoken, on a stage or in a virtual meeting – that articulates your messages to your intended audience.
BS early warning detection and remediation
This isn’t actually as funny as it sounds. Sometimes your company needs a whistleblowing, rabble-rousing, no-BS expert to say the hard things that need to be said to the people who need to hear them. If your company is losing its way and needs a kick in the pants, I can rock the boat and still get everyone back safely to shore.
Listening
Shhh, it’s my secret sauce. I ask tough questions, but I also listen hard. Try me.