Posts by Ian Campbell

Nucleus has noticed an increasing trend away from best-of-breed applications towards integrated suites. This shift is primarily driven by cost considerations in acquisition, integration, and support. We know integration and consulting costs can often exceed the cost of the software itself, making an integrated approach more cost-effective per work desktop. However, integrated suites offer unified…

In the world of business, understanding value is crucial for making effective decisions and prioritizing projects. By focusing on value, organizations can maximize the return on their technology investments and create a culture where employees drive value. Here are some key principles for building a value culture: Focus on Operational Results Value in business is…

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to make informed decisions is crucial. Nucleus has found companies that leverage analytics to drive decision-making gain benefits in three primary areas: reduced costs, increased productivity, and new business opportunities. Reducing Costs Through Data-Driven Insights One of the most significant benefits of analytics, and by our estimate,…

In the world of return on investment (ROI), compliance is often viewed as a necessary evil. It’s not something that directly contributes to the bottom line, but rather an obligation that must be met to avoid future problems. However, when positioned correctly, compliance can be a powerful driver of sales. Imagine a chemical plant that…

Internal rate of return (IRR) is often confused with return on investment (ROI). Using IRR sounds impressive but in reality it has nothing to do with measuring the value of an investment.  In fact, it’s the most easily manipulated metric there is. If someone is using IRR to convince you to move forward with an…

We talk a lot about ROI, and that’s the focus of Nucleus Research as a technology research firm, but I’ll let you in on a secret, human factors are the driving force to a successful project that delivers a high ROI.  You can never overlook the fundamental fact: if the user won’t use it, the…

What’s the correct time horizon to use when building a business case? We advocate for a 3-year look but why not 5 or 10 years? Wouldn’t a longer horizon build a more accurate business case? No. Let’s start with a quick refresh on the ROI calculation. ROI is an annual, not cumulative value. A 10%…

If we look at the typical objectives of a marketing team they are to generate awareness (and associated lead generation), position against competitors, and educate the market on the product. These are the broad categories, and associated KPIs that keep a CMO awake at night. But you may be missing a critical message that could…

The short answer is that it needs to be good, but no need to reach absolute perfection. Credibility on the other hand is critical to closing a deal. To be clear, we’re looking at ROI as part of a business case to justify a technology investment and help the customer make a “buy” decision. If…

My daughter asked me about a class she was considering in graduate school on how to manage a growing company. “Pass” I said. It may be a little interesting, but any reasonable manager can manage a company through a growth stage. The real challenge is managing a company through a downturn. Racing in the rain.…