Kyrilluk, great story. I can help a client get the right system for their organization. The client doesn't need to know IT, but what they must know are the details of their own business and clients. Nothing else will suffice. Anyone in business should know every intimate detail about how clients pay them, and how they deliver services to clients. You would think that all business owners or managers would know these basics, but no: some clients luck into business success.

Of course, the way to avoid runaway software projects is by using agile delivery methodology. I can see how lawyers can be bad, but the worst type of clients I have ever seen are doctors. They are smart and confident and they think they know everything.

Industry standard, off-the-shelf systems should always be considered for implementation. My advice is to consider that the system was probably designed by experts in your field. If they implement a workflow differently than you do it, there was probably a good reason. Your way might be a competitive advantage, but it is more likely that you are wrong.