Featured Firm Interviews

Cathy: SharedHR delivers scalable, strategic HR solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses. We offer services across the entire HR spectrum, including HR outsourcing, senior-level HR consulting, and technology systems integration. We take the time to get to know each of our clients and to understand their business goals. We delve deeply into their current reality and their envisioned future to understand their business trajectory. We use that information to design HR systems that will support their business as it grows and evolves.

Full Sail Partners: What do you see for the future of your industry? 

Saul: HR technology is becoming more powerful, while also becoming more affordable. This means that small- to medium-sized companies are increasingly implementing sophisticated HR systems. We believe the demand for technology-enabled HR will only continue to grow. At the same time, companies are increasingly recognizing that HR is a crucial part of business success. There was a time when HR was largely a tactical affair focused on payroll, benefits, and compliance. Today companies are demanding more sophisticated and strategic HR planning.

Full Sail Partners: How has the cloud influenced HR services?

Malcolm: The cloud makes it possible for employees and companies to access HR data at any time and from anywhere. It has also lowered the cost of HR systems by reducing the amount invested in hardware and in most cases software updates. The cloud has also created workflow efficiencies. Specifically, data and documents can be pushed out to managers and employees for self-service. This reduces the number of inquiries in to the HR office freeing up HR management time.

Full Sail Partners: In looking at your past success and achieving your future goals, what attributes and skills were you looking for in a partner who could help you reach those goals? 

Cathy: No software works out of the box. We knew we needed consultants who understood how and why to configure the software. Additionally, we were looking for a partner that would take the time to understand our business, work with our timing, and add value by educating us about best practices in our industry. Full Sail Partners met all our requirements.

Full Sail Partners: Thinking back to when you started to look for an ERP, what challenges were you facing with your current internal systems that made you determine it was time to upgrade? 

Cathy: Our disparate systems did not talk to each other, which meant there was a lot of repetitive and manual entry. Reconciling was very time consuming. Finding one system that had accounting, customer relationship management and resource planning was a challenge, but we knew it was necessary. It was taking me hours to run financial reports every week and half a day to set up, import and run monthly reports. Now, not only can I run reports in minutes, the executives can run their own as needed.

Full Sail Partners: During the sales process, what made you decide Deltek Vision was the right ERP solution?

Cathy: We chose Deltek Vision for its functionality, cost, and ability to adjust to our needs. As our company grows, it can grow with us. It also integrated all the capabilities we required which made creating and generating reports simple.

Full Sail Partners: What advice would you give other professional services firms searching for an ERP?

Cathy: Begin by researching two or three options. Solicit referrals for each of the options and try to meet the team in person. Be clear about your requirements. Compare the options against each other and choose the one that offers the best fit for what you need. Make sure you have a consultant that evaluates your firm’s needs and fully understands your business processes.