Computerworld NZ magazine calling-- financial and management information systems feature

[darren greenwood]

Dear Sir/ Madam 

I am a freelance journalist for Computerworld
magazine.
In an upcoming issue, we are running a major feature
on Financial Management and Information Systems.
I have been given Gnucash's details as a suitable
supplier of such FMIS systems.
Therefore, I
would like to ask you a few questions for the feature.
My deadline is TUESDAY JANUARY 22, thus I would
appreciate it if comments could be sent by close of
business Friday.
Normally, I am based in Auckland, but I am currently
overseas in the UK. Therefore, with the time
difference, I would prefer if comments can be sent by
email.
I would also like to ask an end user or customer of
yours some questions as well. If you can supply
customer details before then, that would be excellent.
The questions are as follows-

1- How do you define Financial Management Information
Software? Is it just a fancy name for accounting
software? What more does it do? 
What does FMIS actually do? What programmes/
functions? What more than traditional accounting
software?
2- What are the drivers of FMIS software? How has it
changed over the years, what is the business case for
this change? Any trends, technological or otherwise
that we can mention?
3- What are users looking for in software? Functions?
low cost? ease of use? What?
4- What kind of applications do users want FMIS to
integrate with?
5- Tell me about your product offering/s? What makes
it special, different or better than rival systems?
What does open source offer that proprietary systems
do not?
6- What is your target market?
Any customers/ end users we can talk to? Do you have
any in New Zealand or Australia?
7- Anything else you wish to say on the issue of
Financial |Managment Information Systems that might be
of interest to readers of Computerworld, who tend to
be IT managers and similar professionals?

Now, the questions for a customer of yours are as
follows.

1- What was the old system you had in place?
2- What was wrong with it? What was the business case
for switching to the new?
3- What process did you go through in selecting the
new system?
4- How/ why did you decide to switch to the new system
you chose in the end? How/ why was it better than
rival systems?
5- What were you seeking in terms of fucntionality?
Integration, etc?
6- Any issues and challenges in implementing the
system? How were they overcome?
7- When did the system go live? How has it performed
since then?
8- With hindsight, might you have done anything
differently? Any tips / advice you would give other IT
bosses looking to install such an FMIS system?


I look forward to hearing from you

Yours sincerely

Darren Greenwood


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