Chris Doig
Enterprise software selection and implementation project management
Bringing significant IT management and software selection experience, Chris helps organizations acquire and successfully implement ERP and other enterprise software. He is the author of “Rethinking Enterprise Software Selection: Stop buying square pegs for round holes.”
Leveraging a large, archived knowledge base built over dozens of engagements, Chris’ highly effective, business-centric approach assists clients through each phase of the software selection and implementation cycle to include:
- Business discovery focused on identifying each client’s unique “pain points.”
- Requirements analysis to create a demo RFP and a demo script.
- Software evaluation, including gap analysis of potential software options.
- Software demo and selection, including facilitating team feedback.
- Software acquisition, including negotiation assistance.
- Implementation project management to minimize timeline, quality, and budget risks.
- User acceptance testing to thoroughly test functionality and assure requirements met.
Chris’ objective is to achieve ultimate client satisfaction of the new software effectively enabling business strategy execution and meeting or exceeding expectations.
Chris founded Cirrus Technology to supply information technology products to the corporate market. Through Cirrus, he helped companies buy the best IT products to match their particular needs. Cirrus also developed custom software for such prominent companies as the South African 7-Eleven franchise holder and other corporate clients.
Chris has worked in technical and IT management roles at such companies as Seagate, Biogen, Netflix, Boeing, Bechtel SAIC, Discovery Communications, and several startups. At all of these companies, he saw the same problem: major software purchases didn’t meet expectations. He discovered why this was happening and how to prevent it.
Chris obtained his bachelor of electrical engineering degree from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Chris Doig
Kai Kuwata is a senior level financial and information technology professional with proven results achieved in both consulting and C-level executive positions. He has held top leadership posts for financial and information technology organizations. His experience ranges across various product manufacturing and service-delivery businesses. As such, he has directly interfaced and presented to the board of directors, performed detailed financial, operational, and IT analysis, managed significant projects, and framed corporate strategy.
He has held positions of increasing responsibility and complexity that included a chief financial officer, VP finance, and controller. He has directed the selection and implementation of business systems involving accounting and EIS/BI programs; instituted strategic planning and budgeting; executed company-wide growth and profit-improvement initiatives; developed nationwide risk/reward programs; completed business acquisition analysis and diligence; and performed corporate turnarounds.
Kai has successfully completed well over 100 consulting projects, involving custom software design, development, and implementation; software selection and installation, including ERP, sales force automation, accounting and reporting; organizational evaluation and restructuring; policy, procedure, and process engineering; financial and management reporting; and interim management in both finance and IT.
As CIO of a $750 million, multi-state, multi-national manufacturing enterprise, he successfully completed the evaluation, re-organization, and upgrading of the corporate IT function that services 5,000+ local and remote users. He established distinct IT governance, infrastructure, and application management divisions; implemented ERP systems to include accounting, warehouse, and reporting modules; managed customization of ERP applications, encompassing business and technical specifications, code development and testing, user training and rollout; strengthened the IT infrastructure and security that included disaster recovery and business continuity; upgraded programs, documentation, and user training for all peripheral business software tools, particularly those proprietary applications related to sales and marketing; and communicated educational interface with and between management and ownership groups.
While a practicing certified public accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Kai planned and managed more than 100,000 annual man-hours for the world-wide audit and SEC reporting of the firm’s major oil and gas engagement. He graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a BS degree in Biological Sciences and an MBA degree with an emphasis in Accounting.