Podcast appearances and mentions of Brian Sommer

Yep, it's time - Brian Sommer and Jon Reed are back with the high and lows of the enterprise month, and your own salty commentary. Let's do this! Note - this is the first show of the year so there is a lot to cover, including a research dive into the flaws of LLMs and RAG/agent evaluation, and the status of the AI copyright situation. We attempt to give a new take on the return-to-office debate - and the online audience manages to get both of us to blow gaskets at different points. Note: the slide visuals aren't necessary to enjoy the discussion, but if you want to catch them, you can check them out on the video replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVwQYWcSr1I&t=2403s

Yep, it's time - Brian Sommer and Jon Reed are back with the high and lows of the enterprise month, and your own salty commentary. Let's do this! Note - this is the first show of the year so there is a lot to cover, including a research dive into the flaws of LLMs and RAG/agent evaluation, and the status of the AI copyright situation. We attempt to give a new take on the return-to-office debate - and the online audience manages to get both of us to blow gaskets at different points. Note: the slide visuals aren't necessary to enjoy the discussion, but if you want to catch them, you can check them out on the video replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVwQYWcSr1I&t=2403s

On the final afternoon of a whirlwind ZohoDay 2025 analyst event, I finally got a live sit down with Brian Sommer after a couple of near misses. The topics on deck: did Zoho make its enterprise case? And how different/effective is its AI strategy? We took a bit of extra time to delve into Zoho's interesting-and-provocative AI messaging in the aftermath of DeepSeek. (Zoho's Sridhar Vembu considered these disruptions of "big AI" significant enough to refer to this phase of AI as "After DeepSeek.") Though some of the ZohoDay content is confidential, ZohoDay includes enough open conversations to let us bring you many of the issues we debated. And: this includes a much higher than average integration of customers into the sessions, which inform our podcast review.

On the final afternoon of a whirlwind ZohoDay 2025 analyst event, I finally got a live sit down with Brian Sommer after a couple of near misses. The topics on deck: did Zoho make its enterprise case? And how different/effective is its AI strategy? We took a bit of extra time to delve into Zoho's interesting-and-provocative AI messaging in the aftermath of DeepSeek. (Zoho's Sridhar Vembu considered these disruptions of "big AI" significant enough to refer to this phase of AI as "After DeepSeek.") Though some of the ZohoDay content is confidential, ZohoDay includes enough open conversations to let us bring you many of the issues we debated. And: this includes a much higher than average integration of customers into the sessions, which inform our podcast review.  Audiophile note: I had to revert to the backup recording due to some distortion on the main recording, but I think the sound quality is still pretty strong. Will do even better next time...

You've been hearing a lot about talent intelligence, or AI-powered insights about your workforce to optimize where and how they're deployed against work for the best business impact. It's more than data analytics, it's about getting more holistic, predictive, and bias-free insights to make the best talent decisions for business. That will change the way we work for good, but how do talent practitioners need to think differently, re-wire systems and programs, and support culture change to get the optimization and transformation they need? In this episode, we chat with Rebecca Warren about Talent-Centered Transformation.  We had a cameo, too. Brian Sommer shared his perspective on how AI changes consulting forever, and we had some questions. 

Acumatica has been a influential vendor in the cloud ERP midmarket - but does AI change the equation? Were there surprises on the ground in Vegas? Time to make sense of an important Acumatica Summit, but with a plot twist: Jon Reed is home in his bat cave, slugging down Vitamin C, while Brian Sommer grabbed an outdoor chair prior to his takeoff from Vegas. Jon gets into why Acumatica matters and asks Brian: what stood out this year? Was the AI narrative convincing? What did Brian hear that we didn't pick up on via the news announcement? Brian reveals the pesky questions he asked Acumatica execs, and we discuss how Acumatica is contending with its growth - a good problem to have, but nonetheless something to be tackled.

Acumatica has been a influential vendor in the cloud ERP midmarket - but does AI change the equation? Were there surprises on the ground in Vegas? Time to make sense of an important Acumatica Summit, but with a plot twist: Jon Reed is home in his bat cave, slugging down Vitamin C, while Brian Sommer grabbed an outdoor chair prior to his takeoff from Vegas. Jon gets into why Acumatica matters and asks Brian: what stood out this year? Was the AI narrative convincing? What did Brian hear that we didn't pick up on via the news announcement? Brian reveals the pesky questions he asked Acumatica execs, and we discuss how Acumatica is contending with its growth - a good problem to have, but nonetheless something to be tackled.

At the end of a vigorous session with Unit4's leadership team, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer camped out in an unused conference room to break down what they learned. While successfully dodging interruptions from the hotel staff, Brian and Jon hash out Unit4's "self-driving" cloud ERP approach, the service industries they are targeting, and why this vendor brings the right cloud ERP issues to a head. The talk shifts to Unit4's potentially problematic end-of-maintenance deadline, and why they are handling this differently than we might expect. The pros and cons of Unit4's approach to AI are also covered - and Unit4 gets kudos for one of the few analyst days without any NDA material of note, which makes it easy to share an open podcast discussion with all.

At the end of a vigorous session with Unit4's leadership team, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer camped out in an unused conference room to break down what they learned. While successfully dodging interruptions from the hotel staff, Brian and Jon hash out Unit4's "self-driving" cloud ERP approach, the service industries they are targeting, and why this vendor brings the right cloud ERP issues to a head. The talk shifts to Unit4's potentially problematic end-of-maintenance deadline, and why they are handling this differently than we might expect. The pros and cons of Unit4's approach to AI are also covered - and Unit4 gets kudos for one of the few analyst days without any NDA material of note, which makes it easy to share an open podcast discussion with all.

We're halfway through the fall event season, and it's time for Brian Sommer and Jon Reed to reveal the overrated, underrated, and most overhyped topics of the season to date. As always, bring your savviest/snarkiest commentary and we'll work that right into the live mix. We'll also share our most important article reads of the month.... Note: if you want to catch the slides, you can see the full video replay on YouTube at https://youtube.com/live/XQg2YcSDwB8.

We're halfway through the fall event season, and it's time for Brian Sommer and Jon Reed to reveal the overrated, underrated, and most overhyped topics of the season to date. As always, bring your savviest/snarkiest commentary and we'll work that right into the live mix. We'll also share our most important article reads of the month.... Note: if you want to catch the slides, you can see the full video replay on YouTube at https://youtube.com/live/XQg2YcSDwB8.

Is it possible to manage two combined show reviews for Oracle CloudWorld and NetSuite SuiteWorld - without any help from AI agents or digital avatars. On the final evening of the final day, Jon Reed and podcast partner in tarmac crime Brian Sommer give it their best. With a tasty dinner awaiting them, Jon and Brian consulted their notes - and very different conference schedules - to give you a combined view of the hot issues and themes. There was a lot more show than we could handle in 30 minutes, but this should get you started. Note: after this we taped a short ten minute companion podcast on the dark side of HR tech.

After Jon Reed and Brian Sommer taped their Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld review, they stuck around for a ten minute podcast on the dark side of HR tech, a preview of Brian Sommer's upcoming HR tech presentations.

Is it possible to manage two combined show reviews for Oracle CloudWorld and NetSuite SuiteWorld - without any help from AI agents or digital avatars. On the final evening of the final day, Jon Reed and podcast partner in tarmac crime Brian Sommer give it their best. With a tasty dinner awaiting them, Jon and Brian consulted their notes - and very different conference schedules - to give you a combined view of the hot issues and themes. There was a lot more show than we could handle in 30 minutes, but this should get you started. Note: after this we taped a short ten minute companion podcast on the dark side of HR tech.

After Jon Reed and Brian Sommer taped their Oracle CloudWorld and SuiteWorld review, they stuck around for a ten minute podcast on the dark side of HR tech, a preview of Brian Sommer's upcoming HR tech presentations.

Yep, it's time. Join me and Brian Sommer for this month's highs and lows of the enterprise. Our special guest will be Lawson Abinanti, who has some tough love for BI vendors on how their messaging falls short. We'll probably push into some FP&A and AI talk as well. What do customers really need from their BI and data vendors? As always bring your savviest comments and sharp wit. Note: you can see the slide deck on the YouTube replay at: https://www.youtube.com/live/AEvI7vnsCTk.

Yep, it's time. Join me and Brian Sommer for this month's highs and lows of the enterprise. Our special guest will be Lawson Abinanti, who has some tough love for BI vendors on how their messaging falls short. We'll probably push into some FP&A and AI talk as well. What do customers really need from their BI and data vendors? As always bring your savviest comments and sharp wit. Note: you can see the slide deck on the YouTube replay at: https://www.youtube.com/live/AEvI7vnsCTk.

Jon Reed and Brian Sommer crashed an empty conference room to hash out what they learned at a whirlwind Sage analyst day event. Sage has ambitious plans for AI and automation in finance and beyond. "Eliminating the close" is one way of framing these goals - but is it realistic? Jon gets into Brian's pesky questions from the show, and what he learned. The two also hash out some of Sage's AI pursuits such at the digital fingerprint. It's been years since Sage acquired cloud finance vendor Intacct - now the entire product line is changing, but what does this mean for customers? Note: check out the second shorter companion podcast on the dilemmas facing CFOs and finance leaders.

After taping a Sage analyst event podcast review in Atlanta, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer jumped right into a shorter companion podcast on a hot event topic: CFO dilemmas. Are CFOs able to own business growth? Are they truly moving past admin, or is this is the same admin versus strategy dilemma that has plagued finance leaders for decades? Can AI make a dent here? Are there any relevant AI for finance use cases?

Jon Reed and Brian Sommer crashed an empty conference room to hash out what they learned at a whirlwind Sage analyst day event. Sage has ambitious plans for AI and automation in finance and beyond. "Eliminating the close" is one way of framing these goals - but is it realistic? Jon gets into Brian's pesky questions from the show, and what he learned. The two also hash out some of Sage's AI pursuits such at the digital fingerprint. It's been years since Sage acquired cloud finance vendor Intacct - now the entire product line is changing, but what does this mean for customers? Note: check out the second shorter companion podcast on the dilemmas facing CFOs and finance leaders.

After taping a Sage analyst event podcast review in Atlanta, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer jumped right into a shorter companion podcast on a hot event topic: CFO dilemmas. Are CFOs able to own business growth? Are they truly moving past admin, or is this is the same admin versus strategy dilemma that has plagued finance leaders for decades? Can AI make a dent here? Are there any relevant AI for finance use cases?

In this special edition of the Enterprise month in review, Brian Sommer and Jon Reed will also be joined by special guest Thomas Otter of Acadian Ventures... Otter will answer: where are the big ideas in HR? Will AI count? Join us and give us your snarky wisdom and input. Brian and Jon will also do our picks of the month. Editor's note: this audio edition restores the first 7:30 minutes of the broadcast that did not go out to the live stream and the video version. You may hear the splice and a shift in audio sound after the splice - but it was worth it for the extra material!

In this special edition of the Enterprise month in review, Brian Sommer and Jon Reed will also be joined by special guest Thomas Otter of Acadian Ventures... Otter will answer: where are the big ideas in HR? Will AI count? Join us and give us your snarky wisdom and input. Brian and Jon will also do our picks of the month. Editor's note: this audio edition restores the first 7:30 minutes of the broadcast that did not go out to the live stream and the video version. You may hear the splice and a shift in audio sound after the splice - but it was worth it for the extra material!

In this ten minute update, Jon Reed asks Brian Sommer for the latest on why ESG is disrupting finance - and touching just about every corporate cost center. This podcast took place in advance of Brian's session at Planful Perform 2024 on ESG for finance professionals. Jon also asks Brian to weigh in on why ESG is perceived as too political, and what the stakes are to sidelining this conversation for that reason. Note: this is the final section of a longer Planful Perform review that's also been released, so check the feed for that one.

In this on-site podcast taping in San Diego, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer review the hot topics at Planful Perform 2024. Obviously the potential and perils of AI for finance gets attention, but there is more - including the financial planning market, and what finance customers need to achieve better project results. Note: the final section of this podcast, on the impact of ESG for finance, is being released separately, so check the feed for that.

In this on-site podcast taping in San Diego, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer review the hot topics at Planful Perform 2024. Obviously the potential and perils of AI for finance gets attention, but there is more - including the financial planning market, and what finance customers need to achieve better project results. Note: the final section of this podcast, on the impact of ESG for finance, is being released separately, so check the feed for that.

In this ten minute update, Jon Reed asks Brian Sommer for the latest on why ESG is disrupting finance - and touching just about every corporate cost center. This podcast took place in advance of Brian's session at Planful Perform 2024 on ESG for finance professionals. Jon also asks Brian to weigh in on why ESG is perceived as too political, and what the stakes are to sidelining this conversation for that reason. Note: this is the final section of a longer Planful Perform review that's also been released, so check the feed for that one.

Brian Sommer, Founder and President of TechVentive, is an award-winning IT industry analyst who covers the ERP, Finance and HR sectors. For over 30 years, Brian has been advising the world's largest firms on strategy, change, process and technology initiatives. Brian assisted over 100 of the Fortune 500 on financial software selections and continues to advise a wide array of high technology firms globally.  In his latest book, The Executive's ESG Playbook, Brian examines the numerous requirements, planning tasks, technology challenges and more that must be dealt with to meet a number of new business realities. The research for that book took several years and involved visits and interviews with global leaders in HR, Accounting, Supply Chain, risk management and other disciplines. Previously, he was a senior partner at Accenture with leadership roles in their Software Intelligence, Human Capital and Finance & Performance Management groups. TechVentive specializes in providing cutting-edge solutions to address the diverse needs of modern enterprises. Their mission is to revolutionize the way businesses operate by delivering innovative solutions that drive efficiency, productivity, and growth. They make the commitment to help their clients succeed in today's dynamic and competitive landscape by providing them with the tools and expertise needed to stay ahead of the curve. Brian Sommer is a keynote speaker in the upcoming virtual HR Technology Conference & Exposition, June 12-13. 100% free. 100% online. 100% rewarding. Register at https://www.hrtechnologyconference.com/virtual/. Stick around at the end for a surprise guest appearance from Mike Sarraille, Founder of Legacy Expeditions. Mike is a former Recon Marine and Scout-Sniper, and retired U.S. Navy SEAL with 20 years of experience in Special Operations, including the elite Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He joined the meetup to share some of his journey and to show our community the trailer for Triple 7, a documentary following a record-breaking, adrenaline-fueled adventure following a group of former Special operations soldiers on a 7-day epic journey across 7 continents to raise 1,400 life-changing scholarships in support of the families of fallen and disabled service members and first responders.

Join Jon Reed, Brian Sommer and special guest Molly Sands, who heads up Atlassian's Team Anywhere, to hit the highs and lows of the enterprise year so far - with special attention to the impact of Return to Office mandates, and what companies should do differently. As always, bring your smartest and snarkiest commentary to share. Note: the link to Atlassian's Lessons Learned: 1,000 days of distributed at Atlassian can be found at: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/distributed-work/distributed-work-report

Join Jon Reed, Brian Sommer and special guest Molly Sands, who heads up Atlassian's Team Anywhere, to hit the highs and lows of the enterprise year so far - with special attention to the impact of Return to Office mandates, and what companies should do differently. As always, bring your smartest and snarkiest commentary to share. Note: the link to Atlassian's Lessons Learned: 1,000 days of distributed at Atlassian can be found at: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/distributed-work/distributed-work-report

Bring your snarkiest snark, enterprise wit, and burning questions for one more enterprise month in review for 2023. Join Jon Reed, Brian "Brain" Sommer and special guest Meg Bear for our picks of enterprise highs and lows. Note: if you believe in the mission of this show: free/uncensored independent enterprise content with no commercial model, then consider giving me a good rating and review. It's the best way to keep the show momentum going. I know it's tedious but help us beat the algorithm... Also, you can see the slides we refer to via the video show replay at youtube.com/jonathanwreed.

Bring your snarkiest snark, enterprise wit, and burning questions for one more enterprise month in review for 2023. Join Jon Reed, Brian "Brain" Sommer and special guest Meg Bear for our picks of enterprise highs and lows. Note: if you believe in the mission of this show: free/uncensored independent enterprise content with no commercial model, then consider giving me a good rating and review. It's the best way to keep the show momentum going. I know it's tedious but help us beat the algorithm... For any of these review shows that reference slides,  you can always catch the video replays on my YouTube channel. 

In this spontaneous podcast review on the final afternoon of Oracle CloudWorld 2023, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer compare what they learned, culminating in Sommer's quip, "You may have to partner with your enemy, because that's what your customer wants." Customers definitely want more vendor options in their strategic mix - did CloudWorld support that premise? Is Oracle's generative AI messaging differentiated? Does Oracle have an industry applications advantage from their acquisitions, which go well beyond Cerner? And: did Larry Ellison's strong keynote push on healthcare resonate? These are some of the topics we hash out during this 25 minute recap. Production note: Jon's audio was a bit quiet due to a tech glitch, worked on tweaking that as best possible in post production, hopefully it will be solid enough for this time around.

In this spontaneous podcast review on the final afternoon of Oracle CloudWorld 2023, Jon Reed and Brian Sommer compare what they learned, culminating in Sommer's quip, "You may have to partner with your enemy, because that's what your customer wants." Customers definitely want more vendor options in their strategic mix - did CloudWorld support that premise? Is Oracle's generative AI messaging differentiated? Does Oracle have an industry applications advantage from their acquisitions, which go well beyond Cerner? And: did Larry Ellison's strong keynote push on healthcare resonate? These are some of the topics we hash out during this 25 minute recap. Production note: Jon's audio was a bit quiet due to a tech glitch, worked on tweaking that as best possible in post production, hopefully it will be solid enough for this time around.

Okay, bring your popcorn and saltiest commentary - it's the debut of the enterprise month in review with Brian Sommer and yours truly. In this edition, we are joined by Hyoun Park of Amalgam Research to discuss his important post on Zoom's terms of service issues, and the implications for customers considering AI moves in the enterprise. In each edition of this show, we'll each pick our top stories of the month (and why), and the underrated story that got lost in the hype. We'll pick our most loathed tech buzzword of the month - so will you - and our worst PR pitch. A surprise guest may crash the party - perhaps it will be you. We'll send you on your way with a project tip or two. If you like uncensored, unsponsored podcasts like this one, leaving me a strong review on a popular podcast platform makes a world of difference; thanks for listening.

Okay, bring your popcorn and saltiest commentary - it's the debut of the enterprise month in review with Brian Sommer and yours truly. In this edition, we are joined by Hyoun Park of Amalgam Research to discuss his important post on Zoom's terms of service issues, and the implications for customers considering AI moves in the enterprise. In each edition of this show, we'll each pick our top stories of the month (and why), and the underrated story that got lost in the hype. We'll pick our most loathed tech buzzword of the month - so will you - and our worst PR pitch. A surprise guest may crash the party - perhaps it will be you. We'll send you on your way with a project tip or two. If you like uncensored, unsponsored podcasts like this one, leaving me a strong review on a popular podcast platform makes a world of difference; thanks for listening.

Companies are whiffing on ESG - but why? Regulatory requirements bring added pressure, but the incentive to change goes well beyond that - as a new wave of ESG vendors demonstrate. This is now well beyond reporting. It's tracking/managing ESG in real-time across supply chains. Join Brian Sommer for his ESG research preview/reveal session - and bring your best/toughest questions. Bonus: for the final third of the show, sustainability expert Tom Raftery joins the show to weigh on in how the ESG market is changing - and why. Note: if you like this type of unscripted, uncensored enterprise podcast, reviews on the popular podcast platforms are the best way you can help me.

Companies are whiffing on ESG - but why? Regulatory requirements bring added pressure, but the incentive to change goes well beyond that - as a new wave of ESG vendors demonstrate. This is now well beyond reporting. It's tracking/managing ESG in real-time across supply chains. Join Brian Sommer for his ESG research preview/reveal session - and bring your best/toughest questions. Bonus: for the final third of the show, sustainability expert Tom Raftery joins the show to weigh on in how the ESG market is changing - and why. Note: if you like this type of unscripted, uncensored enterprise podcast, reviews on the popular podcast platforms are the best way you can help me.

Brian Sommer crashes the show to exhibit his wardrobe versatility and a fresh tie. We dive back into microsservices, this time from an ESG data perspective. Then the audience moves us into a debate/discussion on generative AI for the enterprise. We discuss viable use cases, as well as the limits and shortfalls. Jon shares what he learned when pressing vendors on issues like 1:1 personalization with generative AI. (Note: to see the ties you'll want to check the youtube video replay at youtube.com/jonathanwreed).

We're back, and about to go live - What is MACH-washing? Why is it worse than cloud-washing? No one better than Phil Wainwright to discuss, fresh off a deep dive into headless architectures and the MACH Alliance show. We discuss the hype around the micrservices enterprises, including Amazon's recent decision to retreat from microservices for a Prime Video use case. As part one ends, Brian Sommer challenges Jon and Phil to a wardrobe duel, and we begin our generative AI discussion.

Brian Sommer crashes the show to exhibit his wardrobe versatility and a fresh tie. We dive back into microsservices, this time from an ESG data perspective. Then the audience moves us into a debate/discussion on generative AI for the enterprise. We discuss viable use cases, as well as the limits and shortfalls. Jon shares what he learned when pressing vendors on issues like 1:1 personalization with generative AI. (Note: to see the ties you'll want to check the youtube video replay at youtube.com/jonathanwreed).

We're back, and about to go live - What is MACH-washing? Why is it worse than cloud-washing? No one better than Phil Wainwright to discuss, fresh off a deep dive into headless architectures and the MACH Alliance show. We discuss the hype around the micrservices enterprises, including Amazon's recent decision to retreat from microservices for a Prime Video use case. As part one ends, Brian Sommer challenges Jon and Phil to a wardrobe duel, and we begin our generative AI discussion.

Time to hash out what HR tech is getting right - and where it's falling short. Join us for an interactive discussion and research reveal. Bonnie Duncan Tinder, Stacey Harris and Brian Sommer will surely bring their A game, so bring your smartest questions. We'll also blow off steam via the most hated buzzwords in HR tech. You can bet ChatGPT is going to come up. Before we wrap, we'll have advice for HR leaders on making their talent goals stick, despite the economic "headwinds" and KPI overdose. If you like no-BS podcasts, consider leaving me a review on your favorite platform - I take no sponsors ever.

Time to hash out what HR tech is getting right - and where it's falling short. Join us for an interactive discussion and research reveal. Bonnie Duncan Tinder, Stacey Harris and Brian Sommer will surely bring their A game, so bring your smartest questions. We'll also blow off steam via the most hated buzzwords in HR tech. You can bet ChatGPT is going to come up. Before we wrap, we'll have advice for HR leaders on making their talent goals stick, despite the economic "headwinds" and KPI overdose. If you like no-BS podcasts, consider leaving me a review on your favorite platform - I take no sponsors ever.

Welcome to this very, very special edition of the HRchat Podcast. Today marks the 500th episode!Many years ago when we started the podcast, there was no way we thought we'd reach such a big milestone. Since then, we've published over 12,000 minutes of content, received hundreds of thousands of downloads, and featured some of the biggest brands in the world of work.The HRchat podcast has given Bill Banham and guest hosts including Tim Baker, Matt Burns, and Pauline James the opportunity to speak with, and learn from, some of the best and brightest minds in Human Resources, leadership, tech, talent, law, wellness, DEI, and more.Before we go any further, we'd like to acknowledge the 100s of guests who've been kind enough to offer their time and share their expertise on the podcast. Amazing experts featured on HRchat include: Dave Ulrich, Matthew Hamilton, Elizebeth Varghese, Mark S. Babbitt, Dave Millner, Brian Kropp, Ben Eubanks, Roger Thorpe, Event Preview, Monika Roots, Craig Fisher, Rob Bromage, Pauline James, Chris Bjorling, Kevin W Grossman, Jacob Morgan, Ray Wang, Jim Knight, Matt Charney, Janice Sutherland, Pete Lamson, Barry Flack, Rupert Morrison, Phillip Meade, Russell Robinson, Hassan Farooqi, Rick Cottrel, Mike Sipple, Bill Treasurer, Mervyn Dinnen, Perry Timms, Nicole Fernandes, Jesse Ryan, Erika Broadwater, Kevin Oakes, Josh Linkner, Al Adamson, Charles Handler, Brian Sommer, Ben Brooks, Mandy Price, John Boudreau, Shally Steckerl, Joey Price, Kelly Kauffman, Scott Lane, Kathy Caprino, Sean Fahey, Cecilia Crossley, Ben Kalevitch, Yves Boudreau, Ryan Porter, Lauren Florko, Paul Gray, Tia Graham, Natalie Egan, Stephen Shedletzky, Ilya Brotzky, Charlene Thomas, Leigh Mitchell, Bobby Umar, Lauren Waters, Rob Catalano, Bill Howatt, Johnny C. Taylor, Diana Spencer, Louise Triance, J.T O'Donnell, Janet Stovall, Debbie Muno, Sam Eaton, Gethin Nadin, Elvin Turner, Tim Sackett, Chris Bailey, and the awesome William Tincup! As it's the 500th episode, we decided it would be fitting to offer up the mic to someone we hold in very high regard because, among other things, he leads a company creating an impressive amount of high-quality and insightful content to educate and inspire the HR, Talent and leadership communities. This includes a super impressive podcast!Jason Averbook is the CEO and Co-founder of Leapgen, the HR technology consultant and digital transformation company shaping the NOW of work.Jason is a very well-respected thought leader and leading analyst in human resources, the future of work, and technology's impact on that future.At Leapgen, he helps organizations shape their future workplace by broadening the executive mindset to rethink how to design and deliver employee services that meet the expectations of the workforce and the needs of the business.Jason is also a host of the awesome NOW of Work podcast which Bill has appeared on as a guest of Jess Von Bank.Thanks to everyone who's tuned into the podcast over the years! Here's to another 500!

Yup - we're back. Join us for a vigorous discussion of the overlooked role of services partners in transformation efforts. Bonnie Tinder of Raven Intel and Brian Sommer will count down the top things to look for in services firm selection - and the worst services firm characteristics and warning signs. Bring your sharp commentary and smart questions and let's see if we can advance this conversation and put more emphasis on what is often, in my view, the weak link in an enterprise project/transformation effort. Note: if you believe in unsponsored, unfiltered enterprise content and like this series, please give this self-funded series a quick review on the platform of your choice. Thanks.

Yup - we're back. Join us for a vigorous discussion of the overlooked role of services partners in transformation efforts. Bonnie Tinder of Raven Intel and Brian Sommer will count down the top things to look for in services firm selection - and the worst services firm characteristics and warning signs. Bring your sharp commentary and smart questions and let's see if we can advance this conversation and put more emphasis on what is often, in my view, the weak link in an enterprise project/transformation effort. Note: if you believe in unsponsored, unfiltered enterprise content and like this series, please give this self-funded series a quick review on the platform of your choice. Thanks.

Ever wondered how diginomica's annual un-predictions get made? Want a first hand look at a hyper-agile waterfall best practice methodology like no other? Oh yeah - we've got slides baby! Want to take a crack at building your own crystal ball? Paging all tech ninjas and prognosticators - join us for the un-predictions launch release. Feel free to bring your own un-predictions as we gear up for another rollercoaster of a year. Yes, you can get Busting the Omnichannel on iTunes. You can get the slides on youtube via /jonathanwreed.

Senior Consulting Executive, Author and Founder/President of TechVentive, Brian Sommer, joins Matt Finch on the podcast. Brian has published over 600 articles on the technology space during his career and came on the show to share a countdown of the top 5 biggest IT trends that are shaping the Professional Services industry today, including:The value of legitimate Net Promoter ScoresThe “Age of the Global Service Firm”Why proprietary and standalone internal systems hinder scalability“The End of the Bespoke Era”How advanced technology changes service processes and outcomes

ERP contracts are inherently crafty. If you don't have experience buying an ERP, you might want to get your contracts reviewed with a consultant who has several years of experience reviewing ERP contracts. You might think of purchasing an ERP as a subscription package, but an ERP system implementation has more nuances in the form of data ownership, ongoing support, bandwidth usage, etc. So you might want to understand these critical details before you are locked in a contract and might end up paying 8x of what you had forecasted.In today's episode, we have our guest Brian Sommer, who discusses why legacy ERP systems and artificial accounting practices need to change with time. He also shares several litigation stories related to his experience being an expert witness or consultant in antitrust cases. Finally, he shares several nuances and stories of how businesses must be approaching an ERP or digital transformation initiative and why it is crucial to understand contractual obligations.For more information on growth strategies for SMBs using ERP and digital transformation, visit our community at wbs.rocks or elevatiq.com. To ensure that you never miss an episode of the WBS podcast, subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform.