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| Information Technology Experience |
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| Dr Robertson's information technology experience began in 1973 as a first year engineering student at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. |
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| Early Mainframe Experience |
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| In those days card punches and card readers were the basis of communication with the Universities IBM Mainframe. |
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| Subsequent prescribed courses in later years included Numerical Methods of analysis on computer and another course involved research into the first desktop computing equipment that was just beginning to appear on the market. |
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| Computer exposure increased until in 1981 Dr Robertson purchased one of the first personal desk top micro computers, an "Exidy" which utilized the "industry standard" CP/M operating system. |
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| Self Taught Computer Science "Degree" |
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| It soon became apparent that getting the computer to meet the salesmen's claims was easier said than done and Dr Robertson embarked on what was effectively a self taught BSc Computer Science program, studying a diversity of prescribed text books. |
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| These included: |
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| > Techniques of Program Structure and Design by Edward Yourdon, Prentice Hall Inc, 1975. |
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| > An Introduction to Data Structures with Applications by J.P. Tremblay and P.G. Sorenson, McGraw Hill Kogakusha, 1976 |
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| > The Analysis, Design and Implementation of Information Systems by Henry C Lucas Jr, McGraw Hill Kogakusha, 1976 |
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| These, together with other text books formed the basis of several years of intensive programming experience developing solutions for processing seven thousand pages of Doctoral laboratory research results as well as computerizing the business of A.S. Robertson Investment Consultants. |
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| Hard Lessons In Hardware |
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| The bankruptcy of the vendors of the Exidy computer and shortly thereafter of the manufacturers provided an environment where hard lessons were learned about the maintenance of computer hardware, the application of firmware and the complexities of computer systems that were not performing to specification. |
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| Robust Understanding of What Makes Computers Work |
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| These experiences together laid a foundation of robust understanding of what makes computers work and what is necessary to develop computer solutions that work. |
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| Doubled Turnover in First Year |
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| The competitive advantages to be derived from effective and innovative application of computer technology became evident as early as 1982 when the turnover of A.S. Robertson Investment Consultants doubled within the first year of Dr Robertson's involvement. |
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| This followed the creation of applications in the field of fundamental Gold Mining Financial Modeling which far exceeded the capabilities of I.T. departments with resources many orders of magnitude greater than those available to Dr Robertson. |
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| Valuable Lessons In Effective Practical Application |
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| Subsequent work experience with the conversion of a large Consulting Engineering Practice from a mini-computer environment to PC brought with it numerous other valuable lessons in the effective and practical application of computers in business. |
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| In 1989, Dr Robertson left the formal field of Civil and Mining Engineering and embarked on a professional career dedicated to bringing the disciplines of engineering to bear on the undisciplined and failure fraught information technology arena. |
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| Observation of Project Failure |
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| As he undertook more and more projects with varying degrees of success and witnessed the frustration of well conceived projects failing for lack of funds or narrow technology focus it became increasingly apparent that there was a close correlation between business strategy and the effective application of information technology in business. |
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| By 1995 Dr Robertson was increasingly becoming involved in the field of strategic planning with particular emphasis on the Strategic Marketing Planning techniques of Professor Malcolm Macdonald of Cranfield School of Management. |
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| Presentations on Factors Giving Rise to Failure and How to Overcome Them |
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| At this time also, Dr Robertson started to give presentations on the factors giving rise to Information Technology Investment Failure, a trend that has continued to the present. The cataloguing of factors giving rise to I.T. failure has resulted in the book "The Critical Factors For Information Technology Investment Success, (Overcoming the Factors Giving Rise to the 90% I.T. Failure Rate) |
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| Unique Combination of Knowledge and Experience |
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| The unique combination of knowledge and experience catalogued in the "Credentials" section of this Web Site has given rise to a unique perspective. |
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| Unique Solutions that Work |
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| Founded as it is on solid engineering experience we have great confidence in offering our solutions to prospective clients with great certainty that we offer unique and effective solutions that really work and which deliver substantial, profitable competitive advantage. |
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