Who takes advice from these people?
Generally training and file format compatibility were not an issue. The initial draw to OpenOffice.org was not having to count licenses (so tedious!), and later it helped us switch half the systems to Linux (most on a terminal server).
One 'gotcha' was that the accountant needed Excel to use Quickbooks because it interfaces directly over a COM API.
The second in charge (an Apple fanboy ironically) wanted to switch to Microsoft. He didn't give a good case why.
To increase compatibility reading OpenXML, install odf-converter-integrator. To understand how it works, read "A Better Docx Converter".
I tell them to turn to the study of mathematics, for it is only there that they might escape the lusts of the flesh. -- Thomas Mann, "The Magic Mountain"