182 Part I • Information Technology
Association Plus Results
DMA Developed
Custom Software User-Friendly Reporting ToolProgress
Relational Database Management SoftwareHP Server
EXHIBIT 1 DMA’s System Configuration for Midsouth Chamber of
CommerceProgress, created by DMA, would be loaded on the
HP server. Existing data were to be converted by DMA
into the new system. In addition, DMA was to use its
Association Plus software to enable the MSCC’s staff to
produce the desired reports, lists, and other documents
through a user-friendly report-writer software package
known as Results. (See Exhibit 1.) The design specifica-
tions and cost estimates were presented at the September
2009 Executive Committee meeting where they were
approved. The total price was $277,000. Gramen immedi-
ately contacted DMA and asked the company to prepare a
proposed contract.
The DMA Contract
In late September, DMA sent its standard contract to
Gramen for the acquisition of the Progress relational data-
base management system, the Association Plus custom
software module, and several packaged software compo-
nents. When the proposed contract arrived, Gramen,
recognizing that he had neither the expertise nor the incli-
nation to review the contract, sent the contract to
Wallingford with a note saying, “It looks fine.” Wallingford
signed the contract, and the next day the signed contract
was headed back to DMA without any other staff member
or the corporate counsel or any outside specialist having
reviewed the document.
Had someone with greater legal acumen reviewed
the contract, however, they would have immediately recog-
nized that it was extremely one-sided and contained none
of the assurances that Lassiter and Gramen were given dur-
ing their visit. In laymen’s terms, it gave no specific or
quantifiable performance standards for the services to be
provided. The contract also gave DMA the ability to
increase the price of services and products provided at its
discretion, while limiting DMA’s financial and perform-
ance liabilities.Troubles in Implementing the DMA Software
Nevertheless, for the first time in several years, excitement
filled the air at the MSCC as it appeared as if a new comput-
ing era had begun. On November 11, 2009, the MSCC held
a kickoff celebration and invited DMA management to help
commemorate the event. Just as important, however, were
the meetings associated with this celebration. In these meet-
ings, DMA attempted to set the project’s implementation
schedule by determining (1) the complexity of the various
customization components, (2) the length of time necessary
to implement the customized software, and (3) the tasks that
the MSCC needed to complete in order to facilitate the
conversion. By the end of that day, the broad outline of an
implementation schedule had been laid out with the first
week of July 2010 set as the target completion date.