James Gibson: Business Intelligence Evangelist

By Scott H. Cytron, ABC Sometimes, networking is a beautiful thing. I first met James Gibson in February on the excellent recommendation of a mutual friend who thought we shared an admiration for the way technology integrates with accounting. Turns out James, a Business Intelligence consultant who owns his own firm, Compu-Soft Business Consulting, LLC, In Moreno Valley, Calif., is soon moving with his family to my hometown of Dallas, Texas.  I caught up with James over homemade guacamole at a local Mexican restaurant. While I was in the midst of introducing him to Tex-Mex, I got more than an earful on his business, alternative careers in accounting and even a bit of insight into his relocation to Dallas.

James Gibson

Scott Cytron: “Business Intelligence Consultant” is somewhat ambiguous. Tell me what you do for your clients and why “Business Intelligence” is a part of this service delivery.

James Gibson: I provide a variety of services to my clients, all of which are designed to make the client more knowledgeable and self-sufficient in his or her daily business management activities.

“Business Intelligence” is what separates the winners from the losers – period. In the game of business, knowledge or intelligence is what gives you the “edge” and creates value for the business. Business Intelligence is a common thread shared by all of the top performers in any given industry. The first one to obtain the information or intelligence is naturally sitting in the pole position and thereby poised to “win.”

Within Business Intelligence, I specialize in condensing the data into its most useful format containing the specific elements that produce maximized results. Using a variety of the latest technological tools and software, I am able to create real-time dashboards and reports that contain all critical indicators for my clients’ individual requirements.

Project Management is another area I offer to my clients. I have always believed that proper project management is vital to the success of any given project, large or small. I also use the latest technology in my project management methodology.

Accounting software sales, implementation, training and ongoing support is my trademark; I am a Sage Software Certified Business Partner. Because I am also a distributor for a top-notch cash flow software application, cash flow forecasting is also a service I provide. This is another element of Business Intelligence – when done properly – that I feel keeps business leaders ahead of the competition.

In addition, accounting services are now a part of my service offerings because I provide CFO and controller services. My corporate accounting background spans more than 20 years, ending up as a controller for an international HVAC company prior to going to work as a technical support specialist for Sage Software in Irvine, Calif.

SC: You have never worked in public accounting, choosing, instead, positions in business and industry. What was it about B&I that was more attractive than public accounting?

JG: Getting recruited by Anheuser-Busch to work at Busch Gardens theme park during my junior year at the University of South Florida opened my eyes to the excitement of the corporate accounting world – and I never looked back. Though most of my classmates went the route of public accounting, I found an instant attraction to corporate accounting. Seeing how the reporting of the theme park revenue actually impacted the bottom line of the entire Anheuser-Busch corporation gave me the foundation for my preaching on the importance of business intelligence.


SC: Tell me what you did when you were with Sage, and now that you have your own business, why have you continued working with Sage products?

JG: At Sage I worked as a technical support specialist for the MAS 90 and MAS 200 ERP systems. I have long been a fan of Sage Software due to having been an end-user for many years during my accounting career. I am still a believer in Sage, and having worked there, I got to see first hand the company’s commitment to its products along with the business partner channel.


SC: I know you recently took a job as part-time CFO for a Dallas area company. What kinds of services are you helping them with; also tell me about some of the “untraditional” kinds of issues you plan to tackle.

JG: Actually, the company is based in Southern California, but they have a Dallas office and quite a large presence in Texas. I provide my full basket of services to them because they also use MAS 200, but I also go one step further and find myself using skills that are somewhat outside of accounting. For example, I am currently negotiating the purchase of an adjacent property in order to expand the Southern California facility. This will provide us with triple the production capacity and accommodate the rapid growth in sales we are currently experiencing.

Through the use of some of the business intelligence tools I’ve implemented, I am consistently able to be offer precise forecasting. In addition, I have put new procedures in place that will eliminate the possibility of human error in the shipping and receiving area. Already, we have seen drastic changes in ordering processes.


SC: You are relocating to the Dallas area and have visited several times. Coming from Southern California where the tech sector is perceived as “savvy,” how are you finding the technology community in Dallas?

JG: Southern California is considered to be the “New Silicon Valley” and yes, it is quite a savvy environment. However, I have found Dallas to be a leader in the field of technology as well. I have attended many business conferences in Dallas, and from the first visit, I was impressed with the business environment.

Dallas has a “small” Southern California feel to it, yet it also feels “down-home” – I like the contrast. Dallas is home to some very big-name businesses and the economy appears to be vibrant with a lot of suburban construction. A stable economy is always inviting for businesses and Dallas has attracted some industry leading tech firms.

In my areas of expertise, I thrive in an urban environment that has sprawling suburbs – and Dallas certainly fits that mold. I am excited about my relocation and will still stay tethered to Southern California to continue performing my CFO duties. As I see it, I get to enjoy the best of both!