Cultral Fit > Technical Fit

Eric Brown puts it simply - The culture of a company determines the ability (or inability) to extract the true value of any software. The technical fit, while important, is only able to be realized if and when it is embraced by it's user community.

I'd add to this by saying that it's incumbent upon the software company to advise the client on the requirements for maximizing and optimizing user uptake and acceptance. Explaining that the software solves challenges and provides a better path to achieving an objective isn't enough. It becomes an accountability and ethical discussion about who is responsible...both being the real answer.

I would err on the side of saying the software company is partly to blame for any failure due to lack of proper roll out. Not because the software company didn't' deliver on it's promise, but simply because they didn't know the business, it's players and how things worked. Ignorance is not bliss.

Obviously the lions share of the blame rests upon the owner of the project and/or who drove/decided upon the purchase. Consideration of the human element is often lost. Technology is only as good as the user lets it be.

Great Stuff.