Customer Reviews

Why New Systems Fail: Theory and Practice Collide

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As more of a project manager than a technical person, I found this book to be a surprisingly quick and enjoyable read for a book about systems. Having witnessed several system implementations go over timeline, over budget, and not deliver what was expected I can say with conviction that system implementations at large companies are perilous and you absolutely should not believe everything you are told- especially from the people who sell them to you. Your options are to hack and survive your way through several implementations until you learn what to watch out for, or to read a book like this that will lead you to what you need to know in a few days. Simon unpretentiously cuts through the fog with great insights and gets right to the point. He pinpoints the places at which systems projects can get derailed and provides practical ways to keep on track from beginning to end.

I have been working in a large IT organization for many years now and really enjoyed reading this book. Not only is it witty and well written (which is rare for these kind of books) but it is also very accurate in its depiction of day to day challenges when implementing large systems or investing in medium to large IT projects. I would recommend this book to all CIOs interested in learning from others mistakes without being bored to tears in technical jargon.

The book provides a 360 degree view of the do's and don'ts of systems implementations, while incorporating a good balance of personal experiences with real-world examples. Simon paints a true picture of the potential signals for what I'll call 'systematic chaos'. The book's rich content could also be used as a training tool. Direct and to-the-point, this is a must read for anyone involved in a systems implementation project and looking to maximize its success - regardless of what stage the project is in.

Phil Simon has taken systems information and presented it in a straightforward, comprehensive and easy to read manner for those of us who are technically challenged. As a functional end user who has seen my way through more than one system implementation and/or upgrade, I recognized (for better or worse) certain aspects in several of the case studies that Phil takes us through. Why New Systems Fail should be required reading on any implementation/upgrade checklist.

I've bough a lot of books in this category since I'm writing one. This is a perfect POD book, it is a very useful guide written for a niche audience. Any project manager or line manager purchasing an off the shelf enterprise application that requires customization would be very well served by this book. Each chapter gives a pithy summary of major points, to-dos, and likely mistakes not-to-dos. The major themes are (my language not his):

How to decide whether to buy or not.
How to pick which system
How to determine who does what
How to maintain the system once installed
Second pass advice, now that the basics are covered

This is my first IT book. As a financial advisor, most of this is far from my scope of knowledge. However, in reading I was able to draw a parallel to pitfalls in my industry much the same as the systems discussed in this book. My industry sees a near 70% failure rate, so it is very similar to failed system implementation. Obviously, many people simply do not put good systems and structures in place to build a successful business. Thank you for keeping the jargon to a minimum. It allowed me to relate your thoughts in the IT world to my business on a different level and really enjoy this book.

I'm a software engineer, and I was hoping for more and better insight into large systems generally. What this book is is a soup-to-nuts review of what to do and what _not_ to do when implementing existing business processes in existing packages (e.g., SAP, PeopleWare, SalesForce, etc). So, minus one star for being totally irrelevant to my day-to-day. On the other hand, if you're looking to spend tens of dollars to get hundreds of dollars worth of advice on avoiding failures *in that kind of project*, this is for you. Also probably worthwhile from understanding the intra-company political aspects of any large project -- especially if you're a geek, and less instinctively attuned to that class of considerations.

The second ding is for obvious lack of polish. While it's clear the author has gotten his fingers mashed in the gears a few times, and now knows when to flinch, there are a few annoyances with the text. First and foremost, there are a lot of footnotes containing definitions lifted from Wikipedia. It gives the impression that this book was just really not edited too well -- most of the stuff you should already know if you're working in the space. If not, yes, he's saved you the trouble of looking things up on Wikipedia, but this also shows there's just not a lot of research or depth. Also contributing to the lack of polish are a grammar error about every 10 pages (again, where was the editor)?, and a kind of C- job on the page layout and typesetting. No, normally, I don't bother with that level of persnicketiness, but the overall impression is lack of polish.

I have been working in the field of IT for many years - and never before did I manage to have an opportunity to see so many IT challenges resonate with my own experience.
This book is a short and precise in asserting its point - Author is authoritative - not judgmental. Objective in his view, Phil has truly presented a collection - that makes me say - he is up to something.
I have been enjoying each and every sections of this book - and would highly recommend it to other practitioners with busy schedule and yet still thirsty for knowledge - and willing to capitalize on a simplified - highly digestive practical experience nuggets. What a novel approach to draw on our experience to make the distincion and more so apply theory and practice in real world - while making our reading a fun experience...

I am likely one of the early adapters from outside the USA. From a recommendation from a colleague in the USA who had read this book, I bought this as my company is currently going through a major new systems implementation. While I was not in a lead implementation role on this project, from afar, I watched as our systems implementation, while surprisingly successful, could have easily avoided a few pitfalls that Simon clearly lays out in this book - if, they would have read this book. The costs of a delay, or a failure, as Simon has identified is enormous. For anyone who is involved or considering being involved in such an initiative, from a front leadership role to a partial bystander, this easy read should be mandatory. Spending the money for a few dozen books for the team could result in real savings by avoiding those easy pitfalls. If you are a project manager, get a copy, read it, and you'll probably find that as I did, its an easy and fairly funny read.

I enjoyed it, and told a couple of my Kindle techie friends to buy it and put it on Kindle...they both commute to work reading Kindle and when on the job - having the Kindle electronically nearby is a great asset.

Phil Simon has captured the essence of software implementation in this well written book. I found the book to be refreshingly accurate in it's depiction of the implementation experiences of the author. These real world examples coupled with solid recommendations on avoiding the typical pitfalls of project failure make this book well worth reading. The author has also gratefully avoided the writing style typically found in books of this genre with an occasional witty comment or entertaining example.
If you find yourself in a position where you are leading a major software implementation project, a small investment in this book will pay big dividends toward the success of your project.