Case Study: How MacLean-Fogg Used Quantum Workplace to Create a Thriving culture

Posted on May 22, 2026May 28, 2026 by Dylan Teggart

What You Need to Know For manufacturers, building a highly engaged and high-performing workforce is a business imperative. When both are strong, output, retention, and results follow. However, hearing from and gathering feedback from this kind of workforce can be difficult since employees are not at a desk with consistent access to email and the internet for a standard 8-hour workday. This can make it challenging to obtain honest, anonymous, high-quality feedback, which in turn makes it harder to tackle issues related to turnover, culture, and compliance. MacLean-Fogg, a family-owned precision manufacturing company with roughly 2,100 employees across multiple facilities, faced exactly this problem before partnering with Quantum Workplace. What followed was a vendor switch that triggered a wholesale transformation of the company’s approach to […]

The Uncomfortable Truth About Modern Analyst Coverage

Posted on May 11, 2026May 11, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

Why Modern Research Requires More Than Press Releases and Earnings Calls Over the last few months, I’ve found myself in a familiar conversation with vendors across multiple technology markets, and it usually starts in a straightforward way. One of our analysts reaches out to learn more about a platform, and we ask for a briefing so we can understand the company’s direction, recent product changes, customer adoption trends, and overall go-to-market strategy. We also try to speak directly with customers so we can understand how the solution performs in real environments rather than just in theory. The responses we get vary widely. Some vendors are open, collaborative, and willing to engage in meaningful discussion. Others are far more constrained in their ability or willingness to […]

Video: The Hidden Reason No One Is Winning in B2B Tech Right Now

Posted on May 8, 2026May 28, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

Most software and technology providers are not losing because of market conditions. They are losing momentum because they are stuck in a cycle of constant planning, reorganization, and strategic resets. In this video, Nicholas break down what we are seeing across the market: organizations that continuously redefine their go-to-market strategy but never fully commit to execution. Leadership turnover, shifting priorities, and repeated restructuring are creating internal misalignment and externally, messaging that feels flat, generic, and indistinguishable. The result is a market filled with capable providers, but very few that are truly pulling ahead. He walks through a real-world pattern that is becoming increasingly common, why it is happening, and the impact it is having on growth, positioning, and competitive differentiation. More importantly, he outlines what […]

Guest Podcast: HR Superstars – How to Create Manager Programs That Stick with Nicole Roberts

Posted on May 4, 2026May 4, 2026 by 3Sixty Insights Editorial Team and Nicole Roberts

Leadership training is one of the most common investments organizations make, but it is also one of the easiest to get wrong. Many companies track attendance, but few measure whether managers actually lead differently afterward. In this episode of HR Superstars, Karina Young sits down with 3Sixty Insights’ Nicole Roberts, to discuss how to design leadership development that managers actually use in their day-to-day work. They explore how HR leaders can identify the right problems before launching training, measure leadership effectiveness in real time, and help managers apply new skills immediately. Nicole also shares practical ways to strengthen leadership development, even with limited resources. Listen to the full podcast here: How to Create Manager Programs That Stick with Nicole Roberts

The Hamster Wheel of Reorganization: Why Solution Providers Are Struggling to Win

Posted on April 22, 2026April 22, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

In today’s software and technology landscape, one question continues to surface in our conversations with vendors and service providers: who is truly winning? Historically, this was a relatively straightforward question to answer. There were always clear market leaders, organizations that consistently differentiated themselves through sharp strategy, compelling messaging, and disciplined execution. Over the past 12 to 24 months, however, that answer has become increasingly difficult. Outside of a handful of pure-play AI organizations, infrastructure leaders and a small handful of solution providers, the market is no longer defined by clear breakout winners. Instead, many providers appear to be locked in a competitive stalemate, winning their share of business but failing to establish sustained momentum. At 3Sixty Insights, we believe one of the most significant contributors […]

The Growing Gap Between Vendor Messaging and Organizational Reality

Posted on April 21, 2026April 21, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

At 3Sixty Insights, we have a dedicated practice focused on HR, Benefits, and Payroll. Over the past several years, we have seen a clear shift in how organizations in this space position themselves in the market. The messaging has evolved beyond helping companies become more effective and efficient, expanding into themes centered on improving employee experience and building stronger workplace cultures. Conceptually, this evolution makes sense. There is no shortage of research supporting the idea that engaged and satisfied employees are more productive and contribute more meaningfully to organizational success. It is a logical progression in messaging, and one that resonates with buyers. However, over time, I have found myself increasingly questioning whether some of these organizations are truly operating in alignment with what they […]

Why Some Restaurants Win and Others Struggle

Posted on April 2, 2026April 2, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

For the better part of the last decade, Wednesdays have followed a simple pattern in my household. Somewhere between the workday winding down and the week feeling just long enough, my family and I head out to dinner. It is not a special occasion, not a celebration, just a routine. And over time, that routine has turned into something more valuable than I expected. It has become a lens into the restaurant industry at its most honest point. Wednesday is not a peak night. There are no built-in excuses. No surge of weekend traffic to mask operational issues. What you see on a Wednesday evening is, more often than not, the reality of a restaurant’s performance. What stands out is how stark the contrast has […]

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Research Agenda: Bridging Leadership and Labor – 3Sixty Insights’ 2026 Combined Workforce Agenda

Posted on March 17, 2026March 26, 2026 by Dylan Teggart

The future of work is no longer a theoretical concept touching artificial intelligence, remote work or skills transformation. Instead, it has become an operational reality at a time when managers are stretched beyond capacity, employee engagement is declining, compliance complexity is growing, labor markets are leaning toward employers even as companies struggle to find talent, and technology systems are expanding faster than organizations can implement governance. Across industries, leaders recognize that their primary challenge is not adopting new tools, but learning how to operate differently. The next phase of workforce transformation is defined less by innovation itself than by execution—how organizations translate technology, strategy and people practices into measurable outcomes. Research emerging from 3Sixty Insights, informed by the work of analysts Nicole Roberts and Dylan […]

#HRTechChat: David Edwards on the “Last Mile” from Data to Decisions

Posted on March 5, 2026March 4, 2026 by Nicole Roberts

In this episode of #HRTechChat, Nicole Roberts (Senior Analyst & Advisor, 3Sixty Insights) is joined by David Edwards—strategic workforce planning practitioner, advisor, and author of The Strategic Workforce Planning Handbook—for a candid conversation about the gap between SWP theory and the messy reality of execution. David explains why strategic workforce planning still suffers from an identity crisis (too many definitions, too many expectations), and why organizations keep getting trapped in short-term thinking that freezes out long-term capability building. Together, they unpack why chasing “perfect data” can be just as risky as oversimplifying, and why the real skill leaders need—especially as AI accelerates planning inputs—is judgment: knowing what’s decision-grade, what matters most, and what to do next. The conversation also tackles the evolving role of managers, […]

#HRTechChat: Aman Kaur-Shaik on Why AI Adoption in HR Starts with Knowledge, Data, and Culture

Posted on March 4, 2026March 26, 2026 by Dylan Teggart

In this episode of #HRTechChat, Dylan Teggart speaks with Aman Kaur-Shaik—HR Director at Nutrien, member of the 3SixtyInsights Global Executive Advisory Council, and a 2024 Global Top 100 HR Executive—about what it really takes for organizations to adopt AI successfully. Aman explains why the biggest barrier to AI adoption isn’t the technology itself, but the environment organizations have built around it. From fragmented knowledge bases and outdated policies to inconsistent data and unclear guardrails, many HR teams are trying to layer advanced AI tools on top of systems that were never designed for them. Together, they explore why the hype around AI is beginning to settle, how HR leaders can move from experimentation to practical adoption, and why starting with strong knowledge management and data […]

Rethinking Recurring Revenue: Why Customer Retention Is the Real Growth Strategy

Posted on February 19, 2026February 19, 2026 by Nicholas Biron and Kyle James

Kyle James and I recently had a conversation with Zuora, one of the early pioneers and leading platforms in subscription-based billing. They have spent more than a decade helping organizations operationalize recurring revenue models. What stood out in our discussion was a simple but critical distinction. Subscription billing technology enables recurring revenue. It does not guarantee recurring success. Across the B2B software market and other subscription-driven industries, companies have adopted recurring billing infrastructure at scale. Platforms like Zuora provide the mechanics. They allow organizations to invoice accurately, manage subscription terms, automate renewals, and support complex pricing models. That enablement layer is foundational. However, many organizations mistakenly believe that implementing subscription billing is synonymous with building a sustainable recurring revenue engine. The financial model tells a […]

Research Agenda: Workforce Strategy, HR Enablement & HR Technology in an AI-Augmented World

Posted on February 17, 2026February 17, 2026 by Nicole Roberts

Analyst Overview Nicole brings more than 20 years of senior HR leadership experience, including serving as Chief People Officer and the first HR executive at several high-growth, private-equity–backed, and multi-site organizations. She has built HR functions from the ground up, led organizations through Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and rapid scaling, and evaluated, selected, and implemented a wide range of HR technologies as a buyer. She specializes in helping HR leaders translate workforce data into clear, executive-ready narratives that resonate with CEOs, CFOs, and private-equity stakeholders. In addition to her executive experience, Nicole serves as faculty with the Human Capital Institute, where she teaches courses in strategic workforce planning, talent acquisition, HR business partnering, change management, and leadership development. This work provides deep insight into the […]

#HRTechChat: Do More With Less Is Breaking Managers (and What to Do About It) — with JD Dillon

Posted on February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 by Dylan Teggart and JD Dillon

In this episode of #HRTechChat, Dylan Teggart is joined by JD Dillon—advisor, speaker, and author of The Modern Learning Ecosystem—to unpack the “do more with less” reality shaping work in 2026 and why managers are taking the brunt of it. JD explains how constant change, unclear AI mandates, and shrinking labor budgets are pressing frontline and middle managers from both sides—corporate demands on one side, team needs on the other. Together, they explore why traditional leadership development isn’t meeting the moment, why “engagement” is losing meaning as a guiding metric, and what actually helps organizations adapt when disruption hits. JD makes the case that if you’re going to prioritize one investment in the employee experience, make it managers—by giving them time, clarity, and permission to […]

HR Must Speak the Language of the Business or Be Excluded from the Decisions That Matter

Posted on January 29, 2026January 29, 2026 by Nicole Roberts

HR leaders are not lacking insight, empathy, or strategic intent. What often limits their influence is not the absence of data, but the absence of shared language with the executives making organizational decisions. Even when HR has the right information, its impact can fall flat if those insights are not framed in terms that connect directly to how leaders think about performance, risk, and value creation. In a recent episode of HRTechChat, I spoke with Maria Scarangella, founder of Marstella and former Vice President of Talent and Enterprise Learning at GEICO. Our conversation explored a challenge many HR leaders intuitively understand but often struggle to address directly: HR is not sidelined because it lacks value. It is sidelined when its insights are framed in HR […]

When Organizational Change Becomes Organizational Damage

Posted on January 28, 2026January 28, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

Over the past several months, I have been sharing a series of posts and videos focused on what I believe is one of the most troubling issues facing organizations today. It is not change itself. Change is necessary. In fact, years ago I wrote extensively about how organizations fail when they cannot keep pace with technology, competition, and shifting market dynamics. That belief has not changed. What has changed is the type of organizational change I am seeing. In many cases, it is so disruptive that it genuinely raises the question of how some businesses manage to stay operational, let alone profitable. One of the earliest themes I raised in this series was the rapidly shrinking tenure of executive leadership. CEOs, CROs, CMOs, and product […]

The Hidden Cost of Organizational Restructuring: A Caution to Executive Leaders

Posted on January 22, 2026January 22, 2026 by Nicholas Biron

Early in the year, many executive teams confront what feels like an unavoidable reality: organizational restructuring. Budgets reset. Strategies are revisited. New leadership arrives. Pressure mounts to fix what is not working and accelerate progress toward new goals. On the surface, restructuring can feel decisive. It signals action. It creates the impression of transformation. And to be clear, restructuring does have its place. Done thoughtfully, it can unlock efficiencies, clarify accountability, and better align an organization to its market. However, after speaking with hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses across industries, both end users and vendors, I believe there is an uncomfortable truth many executives underestimate. Wide, sweeping organizational restructuring is one of the most disruptive actions a company can take, often with consequences that […]

When Enterprise Social Became the New Press Release Wire

Posted on January 21, 2026January 29, 2026 by Kyle James

Remember when social media felt creative? When brands experimented in public. When posts sounded human. When the goal was to learn what resonated, not just to avoid what might blow up. Maybe that’s just showing my age, or maybe it’s just having experienced a change in the way brands use social media over the last two decades. A bit of nostalgia if you will. Because enterprise social media did not die. It got professionalized. And in the process, it quietly became something else entirely. Enterprise Social Narrowed Instead of Expanding. It Got Safer. Enterprise social today looks less like a growth channel and more like a modern press release wire: approved messages, distributed at scale, optimized for consistency and safety rather than experimentation. This didn’t happen because social teams forgot how to be creative. It happened because the cost of being […]

GTM Innovators: Why AI Is Making Average Marketing Easier and Great Marketing Rarer

Posted on January 12, 2026January 11, 2026 by Kyle James

AI has made it easier than ever to produce content, launch campaigns, and optimize performance at scale. But has it actually made marketing better? In this episode of GTM Innovators, Kyle James sits down with Joey Lai, B2B Marketing Director at Mastercard, for a candid and deeply thoughtful conversation about what’s being lost as AI tools become embedded in everyday marketing work. Drawing on her experience across fast-growing startups and large enterprise organizations, Joey argues that while AI accelerates output, it often erodes the critical thinking, creativity, and human insight that separate average marketing from great marketing. Together, they explore why optimization has become easier, originality has become rarer, and why the next generation of marketers faces a very real risk of outsourcing their thinking along with their tasks. This conversation goes beyond AI hype to examine: […]

#HRTechChat: The Economics of HR – Speaking the Language of Business with Maria Scarangella

Posted on January 7, 2026January 30, 2026 by Nicole Roberts

In this episode of #HRTechChat, Nicole Roberts is joined by Maria Scarangella to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing HR today: proving business value in a climate defined by cost pressure, efficiency mandates, and heightened executive scrutiny. Drawing on her 37-year career at GEICO—including leadership of a $2.5B P&L—and her current work building Marstella, Maria explains why HR risks losing its strategic seat when it speaks only in HR metrics instead of business outcomes. Together, they explore how quantifying the true cost of hiring, onboarding, training, and turnover can fundamentally change executive decision-making—from smarter workforce planning to more targeted investments in technology and development. Maria outlines why “a lot” is not a number, how lifecycle cost visibility creates accountability across leaders, and why […]

#HRTechChat: Jeff Smith of 15Five on Building Better Managers in the Age of AI

Posted on December 12, 2025January 5, 2026 by Nicole Roberts

In this episode of #HRTechChat, Nicole Roberts sits down with Jeff Smith, COO of 15Five, to unpack what it really takes to build better managers in an era of AI, constant change, and overflowing HR to-do lists. A psychologist by training with deep R&D and product experience, Jeff brings a rare lens on how organizations can redesign systems, expectations, and technology to truly support people leaders—not just measure them. They dig into the mounting pressure on HR and managers, the shift from “HR owns all people issues” to shared accountability, and why management has to be treated as a daily practice, not a one-time promotion. Jeff explains how tools like 15Five and Kona AI can turn everyday one-on-ones into continuous performance data, simplify review cycles, […]

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