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PODCAST

Untangled

Abhijit Verekar

State and local governments provide vital services to their citizens and keep them safe. They are also one of the largest employers in the country. They employ about 14 million people in the US, not including public schools and hospitals. However, they’re also wrought with antiquated systems, broken processes, paperwork overwhelm, lack of transparency, and underutilization of intelligent technologies.If you are a municipal leader, everyday citizen, or work for a state or local government across the

government

All Episodes

28:47

AI & GovTech: The Race to Do It Right

Untangled ·

2026/02/12

AV sits down with Vidhu Shekhar, AI thought leader and Microsoft executive, to explore what it really means to lead in the age of artificial intelligence—from space-based data centers to responsible AI adoption in local government. They unpack the realities behind the "AI race": rapid innovation, vendor hype, overwhelmed agencies, and the hidden costs of chasing shiny tools without a strategy. Learn why the real path to dominance isn't about speed—it's about service delivery, policy alignment...

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26:37

The 90-Day ERP Check: Warning Signs That Predict...

Untangled ·

2026/02/05

Most ERP failures don’t come out of nowhere. They announce themselves early — usually within the first 90 days. In this episode of Untangled, we break down why the first three months of an ERP implementation determine the entire trajectory of the project. From vendor staffing substitutions and early scope conflicts to filtered communication and executive disengagement, the same warning signs appear again and again — long before budgets explode and timelines collapse. We walk through real publ...

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34:17

Why Your AI Pilot Will Fail (And What Actually Works...

Untangled ·

2026/01/29

Most government AI pilots don’t fail because the technology is bad. They fail because the problem was wrong, the data wasn’t ready, the demo lied, and no one defined what success actually meant. In this Untangled episode, we break down why 90%+ of AI pilots never make it to production — and why flashy demos are often the biggest warning sign. Using real government examples, we explain the difference between AI theater and real operational value, why citizens ask messy questions that demos nev...

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26:03

Why ERP Projects Break Down Long Before Go-Live

Untangled ·

2026/01/22

Most ERP projects don’t fail because of bad software or poor intent. They fail quietly, months or years earlier, when decisions are rushed, assumptions go unchallenged, and foundational work is skipped. This Untangled episode breaks down the early warning signs most organizations miss: unclear ownership, unrealistic timelines, unvalidated requirements, underestimating change management, and treating ERP as a technology project instead of an organizational transformation. By the time issues su...

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22:20

Best of Breed vs All-in-One: The ERP Debate That’s...

Untangled ·

2026/01/15

The best-of-breed versus all-in-one ERP debate is framed as a choice — but that framing is the problem. Both sides are selling you something, and neither is telling the full truth. In this Untangled conversation, we break down why this isn’t an ideological decision and why agencies that treat it that way lock themselves into a decade of frustration. Best of breed brings depth and specialization — but also integration risk and operational overhead. All-in-one offers simplicity and accountabili...

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12:14

Dirty Data: Why Legacy ERP Migrations Fail Before...

Untangled ·

2026/01/08

Your data is dirty. Not because your staff is careless — but because legacy systems were designed to be forgiving. Over decades, phone number fields became notes, dates changed meaning, duplicates piled up, and rules were quietly broken to keep operations moving. The problem is what happens next. Agencies try to lift that data straight into a modern ERP and are shocked when the system rejects records, reports fail, billing breaks, and audits don’t balance. That isn’t a software failure. It’s ...

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9:14

Bulletproof RFPs: How to Turn Procurement From...

Untangled ·

2026/01/01

Most government RFPs aren’t vague because teams are careless — they’re vague because people are trying to be “fair.” Broad language feels safe. In reality, it’s exactly what gets agencies sued, protested, and stalled for years. In this episode of Untangled, we break down why subjective RFP language turns procurement into a beauty contest — and how vendors use that ambiguity to file protests that agencies can’t defend. We walk through a real-world permitting system case where a city lost two y...

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11:13

Vaporware Traps: Why Government Keeps Falling for...

Untangled ·

2025/12/18

Software demos are built to sell you a story — not to show you what a product can actually do. And in government, that story can cost millions. Vendors walk in with polished screens, AI “prototypes,” and roadmap features presented as if they’re ready to deploy. But once the contract is signed, the reality looks very different. In this episode, we untangle the truth behind vaporware: why governments trust demos too much, how “coming soon” features get used to win deals, and the red flags that ...

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38:12

From Practitioner to CIO: The Leadership Evolution No...

Untangled ·

2025/12/11

A lot of government CIOs step into the role carrying years of technical experience — but almost no preparation for the executive expectations that come with it. The shift from practitioner to CIO is bigger than most people realize, and it has very little to do with technology. In this Untangled episode, AV and former CIO Robert Kornovich unpack what the job actually requires: communicating without jargon, framing risk for non-technical leaders, navigating politics, aligning teams, managing ex...

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41:50

Why Avero Isn’t a “Tech Firm” — And What...

Untangled ·

2025/12/04

Avero gets labeled a “tech firm” all the time — but that’s exactly what we are not. In this episode, we break down why being vendor-agnostic matters, why we refuse to sell software, and why true modernization has far more to do with vision, culture, governance, and sustainability than technology alone. We revisit what organizations miss when they rush into products, how tech-first decisions undermine outcomes, and why ERP transformations fail when political pressure overrides long-term strate...

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57:13

GovAI Summit Recap: Separating Signal from Noise in...

Untangled ·

2025/11/20

The GovAI Coalition Summit brought together government leaders, vendors, and innovators to talk about the future of AI in the public sector. But beneath all the excitement, one truth stood out: not everything labeled “AI” is actually meaningful for government. In this episode of Untangled, we break down the state of GovTech AI after two major conferences, what local governments should be paying attention to, and what they should ignore. From the rise of custom software disguised as AI, to ven...

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38:17

From Paper to Person: Injecting Life into Vendor...

Untangled ·

2025/11/13

Procurement shouldn’t feel like a cemetery of PowerPoints. In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton (VP of Strategic Growth) and Robert Kornovich (VP of Strategic Initiatives) dive into why so many shortlist vendor interviews fall flat — and how both sides can bring them back to life. They share candid advice from years of experience on both sides of the table: - Why cameras should be on - How to turn presentations into conversations - Why authenticity beats sales talk every time If you’re ...

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40:56

Leveraging Technology to Build Trust in Local...

Untangled ·

2025/11/06

Trust is the most valuable currency in local government — and technology can make or break it. In this episode of Untangled, AV shares insights from his ICMA 2025 presentation, “Leveraging Technology to Build Trust in Local Government.” He explores how transparency, accessibility, and communication — not just technology — determine whether citizens stay confident in their government. From reducing friction in service delivery to creating AI readiness and strategic technology plans, AV breaks ...

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29:21

What’s a Realistic Timeline for Public Sector...

Untangled ·

2025/10/23

Every agency wants modernization to move faster—but how fast is realistic? In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton and Robert Kornovich break down the truth about transformation timelines. From readiness assessments to implementation realities, they discuss how leadership, change management, and vendor coordination define what’s possible. They also unpack why timelines often slip, what clients overlook when setting expectations, and how third-party oversight prevents costly mistakes. Becau...

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36:57

From Phoenix to Policy: Reflections on Housing...

Untangled ·

2025/10/23

Innovation, AI, and community engagement were front and center at this year’s NAHRO Conference in Phoenix. In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton and Robert Kornovich recap key insights from conversations with housing leaders, commissioners, and technology vendors shaping the future of affordable housing. They discuss how AI, modernization, and workforce challenges are redefining how housing authorities serve their communities. This episode covers: How AI is transforming housing operation...

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29:21

What’s a Realistic Timeline for Public Sector...

Untangled ·

2025/10/16

Every city wants transformation fast—but is faster always better? In this episode of Untangled, Megan Seaton and Robert Kornovich break down what it really takes to modernize a public agency. From readiness assessments to vendor negotiations to go-live dates, they unpack the realities that determine project timelines—and why change management often matters more than technology itself. If you’ve ever wondered why projects get delayed or why vendors push aggressive timelines, this one’s for you...

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84:49

Modern Policing & Data-Driven Leadership: A...

Untangled ·

2025/10/03

In this episode of Untangled, Avero Advisors CEO Abhijit Verekar sits down with Chief Paul Noel, Knoxville’s 27th Chief of Police, to explore how visionary leadership and technology are reshaping modern policing. Knoxville Police Department Website: https://knoxvilletnpolice.gov/ Chief Noel, who joined KPD in 2022 after more than 25 years with the New Orleans Police Department, has led one of the most dramatic public safety turnarounds in the country. Under his leadership, Knoxville has seen ...

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49:42

From Benchmarks to Predictive SIS: The Future of...

Untangled ·

2025/10/02

This episode of Untangled explores how student data is moving beyond static benchmarks toward predictive insights that can actually guide educators, counselors, and families. We discuss: Why legacy SIS platforms limit progressHow AI can support counselors facing 500:1 caseloadsThe role of predictive analytics in identifying at-risk students earlierWhy governance and privacy must guide every stepThe future of student data isn’t just reports—it’s actionable insight that supports students, famil...

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16:30

From Disaster to Best Practices: Lessons in...

Untangled ·

2025/09/25

ERP projects don’t have to end in disaster. While some agencies struggle with payroll crises and costly failures, others—like Atlanta—prove that success is possible when leaders follow proven principles. In this episode of Untangled, we explore: Why proven platforms outperform custom buildsThe critical role of stakeholder engagement and data qualityHow process improvement and domain expertise prevent failureThe $55 million lesson from San Francisco’s payroll disasterThe difference between fai...

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39:15

2026 Paradigm Shifts: Rethinking Government ERP...

Untangled ·

2025/09/18

The landscape of government ERP is shifting fast. As agencies look ahead to 2026, it’s clear the old frameworks for selection, contracts, and implementation no longer fit today’s realities. From AI maturity and workforce expectations to reporting, training, and procurement models, the next wave of ERP projects requires a fundamentally different approach. In this episode, we break down the paradigm shifts agencies must understand to reduce risk, avoid costly failures, and build systems that tr...

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113 results

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