For years now, technology advisors and MSPs have been told to connect technology solutions to business outcomes. They’ve even heard how they don’t really sell technology, per se; they ultimately sell outcomes. But what happens when customers fail to realize their intended outcomes? And what can channel partners and vendors do to improve the chances that business outcomes come to fruition? Unfortunately, such failures are an all-too-common reality. A new survey of senior decision makers by Eagle Hill Consulting found that about half (51 percent) of respondents reported that recent technology investments failed to fully achieve their intended outcomes. Perhaps surprisingly to some, the primary reasons for the perceived failures do not revolve around technology integration and implementation. In fact, Eagle Hill researchers make the case that organizations are focusing too heavily on implementation and integration and not enough on what happens after the go-live dates. According to the research firm, underestimating the impact new technologies can have on day-to-day work was the most commonly cited reason why technology investments fell short of expectations. Yet nearly two-thirds of senior leaders surveyed by Eagle Hill admitted that their organization did not adequately consider the day-to-day work impacts ahead of their technology rollouts. How much of this post-implementation strategy and responsibility falls on the technology vendor or trusted advisor? That largely depends on the particular work agreement and the client relationship. But in every case, a failure to achieve intended outcomes has negative impacts on the provider’s reputation, as well as its ability to renew or upsell. At the very least, trusted partners and providers should be preparing customers for the common post-implementation pitfalls and recommending ways to minimize them. That starts with an awareness that, in many cases, investments disappoint not because of bad implementations or because technology fails but because organizations don’t change how they work. “Organizations often think the finish line is go-live, but that’s really where the hard work begins,” said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. Beating Bad Outcomes Why tech investments fail to achieve intended returns By Martin Vilaboy 40 CHANNELVISION | FALL 2026 CORE COMMUNICATIONS
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