As the launchpad to Deltek Vantagepoint, the Full Sail Partners’ Vantagepoint Readiness Report can be used as a guide for your firm’s cleanup efforts and next steps. This valuable resource is such a strong starting point for firms as they consider when and how to upgrade from Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint.

How to Get There

Many AEC and professional services firms have buckled down on Deltek Vantagepoint conversations this year. We hear and understand the excitement, as well as the hesitation around the upgrade. Therefore, Full Sail Partners has developed beneficial solutions to help ease the transition from Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint. As consultants, we have received questions, such as:

          “What do I need to do prior to the upgrade?”

          “When should we do the upgrade?”

          “How will the upgrade impact our business?”

In all honesty, it all depends on your Deltek environment and the data it holds.

Start with a High Impact Tool

As a Deltek Partner for more than two decades, our consultants have assisted and led many upgrades, implementations, conversions, migrations, etc. Some firms have started the process on their own by viewing our Preparing for Deltek Vantagepoint webinar series, accessing the Deltek Readiness Portal and participating in the Client Assistance Program (CAP). These are all useful resources. However, to truly understand the state of your database, we are encouraging Deltek Vision users to start with the Vantagepoint Readiness Report to assess what needs to be addressed and managed. Below are some of the many reasons to use this impactful tool:

• Alleviate anxiety. The report provides a plan on the areas that need to be addressed and cleaned up. We know you have other responsibilities. Gain insight on your entire database to know where and how to start.
• Quick and easy inventory of your database. Deltek administrators can spend countless hours sifting through data to find potential duplicates or inapplicable records. The Vantagepoint Readiness Report can highlight this data in 30 minutes or less. After all, time is money.
• Consulting time is included with the report. The report can be overwhelming for many firms. Therefore, one of our consultants will spend an hour with your upgrade lead or team digesting the report findings and identifying next steps.
• Eliminate some of the manual steps. In the time saved using an automatic inventory script, teams can better spend their time preparing data and the firm’s preview environment, rather than digging for the starting point.
• View details specific to your Deltek environment. Many resources can guide firms to run their own analysis, but this one does the work for you.
• Reveal the unknowns. Firms are treating Deltek Vantagepoint as a fresh start. There may be hidden data that administrators were not aware of that should be cleaned up prior to the upgrade. The Vantagepoint Readiness Report can unveil this “hidden” data that may have been collected in previously used modules.
• Outlining next steps. No two firms use their system in the same manner, so the plan of action varies. Once completing the Vantagepoint Readiness Report, our consultants can help identify and prioritize your next steps in the upgrade process.
• Count on Full Sail Partners. Our Deltek experts are here to cheer, guide, or lead you along your Deltek journey.
  

Benefit from the Results

The Vantagepoint Readiness Report identifies the areas that will need attention or discussion before upgrading. In fact, it is even better to run this before getting your preview environment. The simple process runs a script and produces an excel file for review. Below are some of the details this report provides:  

• Identifies potential duplicate vendors and clients

• Produces a list of all your workflows

• Compiles a list of all your user defined fields and grids

• Identifies custom report files in use

• Identifies duplicate columns across vendors and clients and across leads and contacts

• Displays all the key formats for various info centers

• Shows labor cross charge; overhead allocation and revenue generation settings for all companies

• Displays the database table size

• Identifies unposted transactions; timesheets, expense reports, transaction center files

• Identifies plans which do not comply with Vantagepoint (iAccess) requirements

• Identifies info center numbering that differs from your key formats

Use Your Resources

We learn throughout our careers that we should use our resources to ease the burden of some projects and spend time more effectively elsewhere. This is one of those scenarios. Firms can eliminate a long list of questions and tasks by starting with the Vantagepoint Readiness Report. The turnaround time for the Vantagepoint Readiness Report has typically been two weeks, depending on how schedules line up.

So, let’s roll up our sleeves, let the report do the magic and review the results. You will then have the next steps identified and prioritized as you move forward with the upgrade to Vantagepoint. And it doesn’t stop there! Full Sail Partners has additional resources to assist with the Vantagepoint upgrade. Let us know when you are ready to get started!

Many students started the new school year with digital learning. As parents navigate the most efficient way to support their children during the school day, we have launched a digital learning series to help both parents and students. Follow along for technology tips and tricks as families adapt to this new environment. This addition to our series features Google Slides. 

Creating Presentations in Google Slides

Many students across various grade levels are tasked with creating presentations as part of their assignments. There are several programs to choose from, but two of the more popular ones are Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides. Google Slides is gaining popularity within school systems. Check out this video to learn about time savers, such as master slides, as well as some tips that can improve the presentation creation experience.

Get Prepared for Digital Learning

We hope you found this vlog in our series helpful. Templates and shortcuts can make better use of time when creating Google Slides and PowerPoint presentations. Therefore, this automation can be beneficial for both students and parents. If you have a technology topic you would like to see covered in the digital learning series, let us know.

Technology is something that all firms must embrace to stay competitive. Project based firms both large and small especially benefit from investments in technology. According to the results of the 41^st Annual Deltek Clarity Report, A&E firms understand the necessity of technology yet are primarily applying it to project execution and management as part of strategic plans to gain a return on investment. The report also addressed challenges to the adoption of technology and the initiatives to overcome these challenges.

Applying Technology Trends

Based on Clarity results, A&E firms have identified the value of applying technology to their core operations and have invested in solutions that streamline project execution (60%) and project management (59%). Nonetheless, investments in other integrated functions like business administration, human capital management, resource and financial management all have shown modest declines year-over-year. With projects as the focal point for A&E firms, they have yet to take advantage of technology for integrated administrative functions. Not only can these technologies improve business processes, but they can also attract new employees with a forward-thinking attitude.

Technology Trend Challenges

The Clarity report showed the ranking of the top technology trend challenges facing firms in an upcoming three-year period. The challenges were like those from last report, with the top three being: 1. cost of technology, 2. prioritizing which trends were most applicable to business, and 3. employee education on trends and their application to A/E/C. However, this year firms appeared to be less challenged by a lack of time to invest in learning about technology trends, and more due to the lack of a champion to lead a technology initiative.

Emerging Technology

As part of the study, firms were asked to identify the importance of emerging technology to their business. The Internet of Things (IoT), geo location and augmented/virtual reality were chosen as the most important emerging technology. Though not at the top, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and wearable technology saw a considerable increase from last year. It is interesting to note that larger firms showed a broader focus on and higher interest in emerging technology trends.

Strategic Plan for Implementing Technology

In the survey, 73% of respondents indicated that creating a strategic plan for implementing technology trends was a high priority. Educating staff on technology trends is key to moving the initiative forward. Looking at the Clarity report’s top technology trend initiatives, businesses want to identify and develop subject matter experts to help with deployment and adoption within their firms. Businesses are also prioritizing the development of budgets for investments to manage costs.

Overcoming the Digital Transformation Dilemma

As seen in the 41^st Annual Deltek Clarity report, while some A&E companies are slow to accept technology, a greater openness to adoption and investing in solutions that will streamline business processes will bring forward a digital transformation. Projects will be delivered, and businesses will operate more efficiently. In the end, customers will be satisfied thus protecting the bottom line.

As a Deltek Partner, Full Sail Partners looks forward to networking, teaching, and learning at Deltek Insight each year. However, due to current circumstances, this year’s Deltek Insight conference will be VIRTUAL and held on September 15^th and 16^th. Though the conference will look different as a virtual event, we know it will be a success. You may also notice that the dates are slightly earlier in the year than in years past. One benefit to that is having more time to incorporate new initiatives as 2021 nears. Even if your home or office may not look like a Gaylord resort, you will want to participate in all aspects of this FREE virtual experience. Let’s take a look at some of the incredible reasons why you should attend Deltek Insight this year.

Expand Your Understanding

Deltek’s product line up is beneficial to professional services firms. Technology has truly helped firms continue operations and keep business flowing this year. Deltek products have played a vital role in that. The robust systems can streamline processes and increase efficiency for your teams. Conference sessions will help you better understand the many areas of Deltek. In addition, you will learn about many exciting features as firms upgrade from Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint and as Deltek enhances other products.

You will have ample opportunities to meet with Deltek experts throughout the conference. In addition, our experts at Full Sail Partners will be available at our virtual kiosk. We will have Rick Childs, Scott Seal, Scott Gailhouse and more to answer your questions about the finance side of Deltek; Kevin Hebblethwaite and Lindsay Diven will be online to cover CRM topics; and Rana Blair will have Resource Planning covered! Additionally, if you have questions about the transition from Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint, we have that covered as well.

If you need a little more help with a certain area, you can meet with a Deltek expert who can assist you. “Meet the Experts” is a 30-minute 1 on 1 session with a Deltek expert. These meetings are first come first serve and the slots fill up fast. Getting one on one expert advice provides new insight on your products and is another great reason to participate in Deltek Insight. For more information about these sessions click here.

Be Inspired

Deltek has secured some strong keynote speakers. As our business environments shift, you will want to hear the experiences and advice of Dr. Shirley Davis, Mike Robbins, and Mike Corkery. Here is a little about each:

• Shirley Davis is a diversity & inclusion thought leader who will talk about embracing workplace diversity. She will share tips on how to work effectively in a diverse environment and manage workplace conflict.
• Mike Robbins, host of this year’s Deltek Insight, will take the reign on navigating attendees through Deltek’s first-ever virtual Insight. He will also share his perspective on managing stress and enhancing mental and emotional well-being.
• Mike Corkery, President and CEO of Deltek, will speak about persevering through uncertainty. He will share how Deltek has enabled customers to continue their success and address questions from attendees.

Network the 2020 Way

Everyone has had a different business experience than originally planned for 2020. Learn from each other and grow your skillsets as you talk with industry peers. Sponsors will have virtual kiosks so be sure to stop by each one! Be on the lookout for other networking opportunities as Deltek Insight nears.

One way to get some visibility is to shine on Deltek Project Nation’s Got Talent. This attendee participation event gives you the microphone and an opportunity to showcase your skills for a chance to win a $2,500 cash prize plus a $2,500 donation to a Deltek charity of your choice. Bring your talent on this one - singers, dancers, comedians, contortionists, and more! Submission deadline is August 21^st, so get your acts in!

Register Now for Deltek Insight 2020

There’s so much to look forward to with this year’s virtual Deltek Insight. Be sure to register NOW for this FREE event! You can network with industry users, learn from the experts, collaborate with peers, and get a stronger grip on the Deltek ecosystem.

In order for project-based firms to be successful, they must employ the most qualified talent. Furthermore, the most talented employees need to feel empowered and engaged with their firm and look forward to growth in their career paths. Allowing staff to own their career paths ensures longevity with the firm, and the Deltek Core HR solution provides this capability. So, how does Deltek Core HR enable employees to own their career paths? Great question - let’s take a look at the key features that make it possible for employees to feel empowered.

Employee Self-Service

Today’s workers expect to have the ability to handle matters on their own. This is especially true for staff members that are on the go or working from home. Additionally, it is certainly much easier for employees to update information on their own rather than having to call or email HR. With self-service, staff can do this and ensure that their certifications and training requirements are up to date. With Deltek Core HR, employees are able to independently manage their personal data and keep it current.

Professional Development

According to a 2018 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, the number one reason employees felt held back with their professional development was because of time. With the Deltek Core HR solution, employees can easily take training in the system which is automatically built into their history. Instructor-led and e-learning classes are viewable in the course catalog and can be simply enrolled in when employees desire. Furthermore, certificates and education units achieved can be downloaded proving that job requirements are being met. Deltek Core HR allows employees to see all of their certifications and training so they can stay on top of their professional development.

Up to Date Resumes for Proposals

Another benefit of Deltek Core HR is that employees can maintain their resumes in the system, updating them as needed. Having access to resumes ensures that they are always the most recent ones especially when they are part of your firm’s proposal process. When selling professional services to clients, the top available talent needs to be evident to win the work. Employees who want to get the most desirable projects want to have their skill sets and certifications up to date. Deltek Core HR lets employees put their “best faces” forward by being current with their resumes.

Applying for Job Openings

Also, with resumes being immediately available in the system, staff can search and quickly apply for internal job openings that may be of interest to them. They can also see what the skill sets and requirements are for the open positions and of course easily sign up for the necessary training then add it to their resumes. With Deltek Core HR, employees are put in the driver’s seat of their career advancement by being able to choose what direction to take and how to get there.

Track Feedback

The best employees want to see that they are meeting or exceeding expectations. Within Deltek Core HR, the Deltek Talent Performance component offers the scheduling and tracking of continuous feedback. Employees choose the time of these feedback sessions and comments from both staff and managers are tracked. With feedback, employees are given guidance about their performance which ensures they are right on track with their career.

SMART Goals

One other aspect of owning career paths is setting goals. Deltek Core HR provides employees the tools to set up SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. The goals can be set up by preference whether it is a numerical target or complete/incomplete. From the My Goals link under Performance, employees can access their goals. When goals are being met, employees work even harder which ensures success for the firm as a whole.

Deltek Core HR Benefits All

In the end, Deltek Core HR is a solution that benefits both employees and business leaders. With the convenience of self-service and putting staff in charge of their career paths, there is more engagement and thus a desire to stay with the firm. Additionally, having many HR tasks handled by employees eases the burden on those who usually manage it which allows them to focus on business development and success.

Across the US, many parents have elected for their kids to do schooling at home, while others are only given the option of digital learning. Since working from a computer is not something many adults and kids are prepared to do, we decided to help out by starting a blog series on technology tips and tricks to adapt to this new environment. Our firm has been working remotely for more than two decades and the hope is that this series provides value to kids and adults alike. Please note that all of the tools mentioned in this first blog are geared towards a PC and Windows applications.

Must Know Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Create Browser Shortcuts – First things first. Create a bookmark for the applications that need to be accessed daily by navigating to the page you want to save and click Ctrl+D or click the “Star” next to the website address. Name the bookmark with a clear title. Now you have a quick link to access, so you don’t have to remember where to go each morning. 
2. Copy, Cut & Paste – Some of the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts are copy, cut and paste. They can save tons of typing time. To copy text, highlight the text and press the Ctrl+C buttons simultaneously. To paste the text, put your cursor where you want the text to go and press the Ctrl+V buttons simultaneously. To cut text, highlight the text you want to remove and press the Ctrl+X keys simultaneously. Pro trick: If you want to remove the style and paste as plain text, add the Shift button: Ctrl+Alt+V.
3. Select All, Undo & Redo – If you want to highlight an entire section of text, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+A and it will highlight the entire section of text. This is commonly used in combination with cutting or copying text. If you want to undo an action, press the Ctrl+Z to quickly reverse the previous action. This is commonly used when you accidentally remove text you want back or apply a style that you no longer want. If you would like to redo an action, press the Ctrl+Y keys. This is commonly used to apply a style again or insert an action you just did like a new column or row. These tricks can help you save mouse clicks.
4. Minimize All Windows – If you quickly want to view the desktop and minimize all windows, you can click on the Windows button + D. This is a helpful trick to minimize it all. Another quick way to minimize is to go to the bottom right hand on the task bar. To the far right there is a bar next to the time. When you click on it, all windows will minimize.
5. Moving Between Programs – When your work requires multiple applications to be open, it can sometimes be difficult to minimize and reopen the right application. One easy way to find your document or application is to use the Alt+Tab key. It will open all of your applications and allow you to tab over to the one you want with ease. Pro Tip: Add Shift to move to the previous tab (Alt+Shift+Tab).
6. Finding Information – Many times it is difficult to find the information you are wanting on a page. As long as the page is not an image, you can search for words on a webpage, pdf, etc. by clicking Ctrl+F. Then type in the word you are searching.
7. Revisit a Browser Tab That Was Accidentally Closed– If you accidentally closed out of a browser tab, there is a simple keyboard shortcut that can quickly bring it back open. Simply click Ctrl+Shift+T.
8. Format Painter – The format painter applies all attributions. Think of it as copying and pasting for formatting styles. Highlight the text, row, column, or graphic you want to apply to another object and click on the Format Painter icon under the Clipboard. From there, highlight the object you would like to apply the format to. Pro Tip: You can also click Ctrl+Shift+C to copy all formatting and Ctrl+Shift+V to apply the formatting.
9. Screenshot – To take a screenshot of the entire screen, click the Ctrl+PrtSc. If you only want to take a screenshot of the application or dialogue box that is up, click on that application or dialogue box and click the Alt+PrtSc. Chromebook Tip: Many schools are providing Chromebooks. It is important to note the instructions are different. Here is an article for Chromebook users: https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/14/21065295/chromebook-screenshots-how-to-take-keyboard-keys.
10. Screen Freeze – Many times when your computer is not responding, one program is causing an issue. A keyboard shortcut that all users should learn about is Ctrl+Shift+Esc. Many of you may have used Ctrl+Alt+Delete in the past and it still works, but Ctrl+Shift+Esc is a quicker way to pull up the Task Manager and see what programs are using CPU memory or which programs are not responding. Once you determine which program, you can close just that program down.
11. Dictation Tool - It isn’t a keyboard shortcut, but this button is a life saver for kids that don’t know how to type and struggle with spelling. In each Office product, there is a Dictation tool. An important reminder is to make sure they go back and re-read what they wrote. It might be good to have an adult review before an assignment is submitted, too.

Get Prepared for Digital Learning

We hope you found the first blog in our series helpful. Understanding keyboard shortcuts helps expedite the learning process and makes it easier to execute homework and assignments for both students and parents. If you have a technology topic you would like to see covered to help the digital learning process, let us know.

Have you ever noticed how the proposal process tends to fly by leaving you scrambling as the deadline nears? When producing proposals, project-related information needs to be found quickly. Of course, speed is important in the search, but data accuracy is imperative. Gathering accurate project details in a timely manner is a challenge I hear of nearly every day from marketing and proposal managers at project-based firms. Fortunately, with Deltek Vantagepoint, your teams can easily capture project information and reference it quickly when it matters most– during proposal crunch time. Let’s dive a little deeper.

Identify the Key Project Information You Need for Proposals

The Deltek Vantagepoint Projects Hub will become your one source of truth for the project information you need to rely on to produce winning proposals. The image below shows a project experience page created using Deltek Vantagepoint Custom Proposals. The page was built based on information captured in the Projects Hub and includes fields such as project name, project description, client name, project manager, and square footage along with a few project images.

Capture Information While Pursuing the Project

Using Deltek Vantagepoint, capturing critical project information begins in the pursuit stage. Because Deltek Vantagepoint has one project record that is maintained from opportunity to pursuit to proposal and eventually to a regular project record, the information captured during the pursuit never gets lost or goes unused.

The image above is showing a project in a pursuit stage. We can tell this record is in a pursuit stage because the coloring in the left-hand summary pane is gold and the Stage is labeled as Pending. During this stage, there is common key project information that is typically collected as part of the proposal process.

Much of the information you will eventually need for your project cut sheets and proposals is typically known during the pursuit stage, and thus can be collected and stored inside the project record in Deltek Vantagepoint.

Examples of common key project information include:

• Project Name
• Primary Client and Contact
• Project Location
• Key Team Members, such as Principal-in-Charge, Project Manager

You can also identify other team members, both internal and external to your firm, for the project. See image below.

Over on the Dates & Costs tab, you can begin to capture the estimated project start and completion dates.

You may even have some information about the project from the RFP or client description of the project. Deltek Vantagepoint allows you to easily store an initial project description on the Proposals tab.

Move From Pursuit to Billable Project Without Losing Key Information

Now you might be thinking, why would I want to store this information into a record that is in pursuit? Well, Deltek Vantagepoint makes it seamless to move from a pursuit stage to an awarded project stage. When you make that move, all of the information captured in the pursuit stage stays with the awarded project record. This makes the process more efficient. Information is entered only once and is used throughout the project lifecycle.

Access the Data You Need When You Need It

Once you have won the project and are performing the work, you can easily continue to enter and access key project data:

Key Team Members

Over on the Team tab, Employees are automatically added to the project when they charge time to that project on their timesheet. Then, you can easily update their role on the project.

In the image above, you can also see the number of hours employees have charged to this project. Additionally on the Team tab, you can add external contacts that should be associated with the project. You can even identify who should be the project reference (for future proposals, of course).

Project Descriptions

As the project evolves, you will have more details to include in the project description. That information can quickly be added to Deltek Vantagepoint on the Proposals tab. Deltek Vantagepoint allows you to store different types of project descriptions that you may need for different uses. Examples may include short description, long description, key features, etc.

Firms often have a primary project description that is used on project cut sheets, but then may need a project description that is shorter. The shorter descriptions might be good for resumes or when page limits are tight. You can mark one description as the default by checking the default checkbox. No matter how you use your project descriptions, Deltek Vantagepoint makes it easy to store and use project descriptions for proposals.

Track Project Awards

Chances are you have some award-winning projects. Vantagepoint makes it easy to track what awards your projects win in the Awards grid as shown in the image above.

Project Photos

If you want to use project photos in your proposals, Deltek Vantagepoint allows you to store and manage images and other project related documents on the Files & Links tab.

Information Specific to Your Firm’s Projects

If there is information that is specific to your firm’s project, Deltek Vantagepoint allows you to create custom fields, grids, and tabs. The image below is showing a custom tab called Project Information. On this, I have added custom fields like square footage or number of floors. Other popular custom fields are around tracking sustainability goals such as LEED Certifications.

Drive Success with Deltek Vantagepoint

As you can see, Deltek Vantagepoint allows you to easily track key project information through the entire project lifecycle, from initial lead to project completion. That information can then be quickly used to build winning proposals that drive success for your firm. 

Every year, Deltek collaborates with ACEC, ACEC Canada, AIA and SMPS to conduct a study to measure the health of the AE industry. The 41^st Deltek AE Clarity Report provides a comprehensive assessment of the 2019 performance of AE firms. Furthermore, the study collected responses from more than 415 firms of all sizes within the AE industry. While many of you will eventually read over the findings, here is a summary of what you will discover in detail.

Clarity on AE Technology Trends

With no surprise, technology is a leading focus for AE firms. It seems like this is a trend every year, and it is now becoming even more important for AE firms to invest in technology to be competitive. Surprisingly, augmented and virtual reality is driving a deeper interest into technology investments for AE firms. Even more, firms that have been challenged by the costs of emerging technologies are finding them more affordable as they become more mainstream. According to responses from the Deltek Clarity survey, firms have accepted that the cost of investing in technology has a significant and beneficial impact on the efficiency of their operations.

Clarity on Financial Statements

2019 proved to be another great year for the AE industry in regard to financial performance. The report explains that over the past 10 years, the financial stability of the AE industry has remained strong and has shown growth. While many of the core metrics measuring financial strength demonstrate small changes from year to year, the changes are continuously positive. A significant finding is that operating profit on net revenue and net fixed assets per employee did rise in 2019. Furthermore, the benchmarks for operating profit on net revenue and net labor both surpassed the high performer thresholds which backs the findings of financial stability in the AE industry.

Clarity on Business Development

This section has some interesting findings. Win rates were down and so was revenue from the firm’s top three clients. However, there may be some factors that can explain these results. Is it because firms are lacking a formal go/no go process to improve new business pursuits, or are firms pursuing business in new markets? Are your firm’s top three clients doing less work? Perhaps it is a combination of all these things. But one thing remains certain, that business development continues to be a challenge for AE firms.

Clarity on Project Management

What, what, what? The 41^st Deltek Clarity Report found that AE firms, which are project-based businesses, have recognized they need to improve their project management capabilities. Yes, you read that right. Many AE firms are reporting they need to better define responsibilities and processes, develop better practices, and invest in project management training. How fantastic that AE firms are recognizing that project management and delivery is hindering the overall performance of their firm and acknowledging there is a need for change.

Clarity on Human Capital Management

Human Capital Management is a not a problem unique to the AE industry, and it affects nearly every profession. For AE firms, talent acquisition is the top challenge leaders face each year. Since a firm is only as good as the people it employs, acquiring and retaining top talent is essential to staying competitive. Unfortunately, talent acquisition is going to continue to be a challenge for AE firms since the number of available experts is limited. Also, AE firms continue to fall short due to lack of succession planning. This is something AE firms should evaluate as we approach a generational change and baby boomer retirements.

Learn More with the 41^st Deltek Clarity Report

For many, the Annual Deltek AE Clarity Report is a valuable tool used to benchmark the performance of your firm. It’s important to keep in mind that using this report from 2019 to compare to your current fiscal year of 2020 may give you skewed results as the global pandemic’s effects are still unseen and predicting the impact is nearly impossible. Good news though, you can still compare your 2019 results against the report findings, and Deltek plans on releasing the 42^nd Annual Clarity Report in 2021, which will most certainly shine light on the impact of the global pandemic.

Years ago, when a firm was looking to fill a position, there were limited resources for recruiting and there was a stagnant hiring process. The old-fashioned newspaper classified ad, a placement in a trade magazine or word of mouth were the go-to options for sourcing. After many hours of reviewing hard copy candidate resumes, interviews were set up by telephone, and connections were made. Once the right candidate was discovered, there was a printed offer letter to be mailed for acceptance and miles of hiring paperwork to be filled out by hand. It was certainly a time-consuming process.  Luckily, with the rise of the internet and technological advancements, the recruiting and hiring process has dramatically changed.

The Whole World is Your Oyster

With local classified ads, regional trade magazines and literal word of mouth, the reach for hiring managers was not very expansive. Using the internet, hiring managers now have access to the whole world when posting job ads. The open positions can be advertised directly on company websites, through professional networking on LinkedIn, or even more relaxed platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. Word of mouth has also gained momentum with email and information exchange. Thanks to the internet, the chances of finding the right candidate for your open employment position are greatly enlarged.

Time Savings Using Talent Management Software

Compared to the old way, talent management software saves hiring managers, candidates, and new hires a lot of time. Once jobs are posted online, resumes in response to open positions are uploaded and can be searched for specific hiring needs. Interviews can be scheduled more efficiently, and candidates can track the recruitment process. When new hires onboard, the “paperwork” is completed in advance online, so they can jump right into learning about their roles. Additionally, any certifications or licenses required can be obtained and monitored using talent management software.

Candidate Driven Job Market

In the past, employers drove the job market. It could take months before second and third interviews were done, and candidates were left in limbo. With the current competition for talent, however, the tides have turned. Hiring managers know that to get quality talent, they need to appeal to the candidates and give them the best recruiting and hiring experience. Candidates need to be informed and moved quickly through the hiring process. Furthermore, firms need to showcase their brands online through their websites and social media to attract the attention of these candidates.

Business Intelligence Can Help with Finding the Best Candidates

Business intelligence (BI) as it exists now was not available back in the day for talent acquisition. “Informed” decisions were made based on paper resumes and involved conversations. Fortunately, in today’s modern world, BI gives hiring managers a leg up. Using certain chosen data, hiring managers can establish a process to find the right candidates for open positions. They have realized that such data can be used to visualize patterns to predict future success. Rather than guessing on the right person to fill a role, they can look at specific information to see who would make the best addition to the team.

Take Advantage of Technology

So much time was wasted back in the days of placing classified ads…even if you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. Nowadays, everyone involved in the talent acquisition process benefits from technology. And every time technology improves, the process is made simpler and easier. Why not take advantage of what is right at your fingertips?

Business intelligence (BI) is playing an increasingly critical role in the strategic planning of organizations. The output of established analytics can be used to track performance against business goals, identify inefficiencies, optimize processes, report and share information consistently, and identify unrealized business insights, all in real-time across a growing number of browsers and devices. The options are plentiful, and it can get overwhelming as you determine where to start.

Before you can reach these autonomous, pilot-cockpit-type dashboards, you will need a strategy. This will remain fluid and evolve as you adapt to your firm’s needs.  However, it is important to establish a roadmap to ensure that your efforts remain focused and deliver value where it is most needed. Let’s take a look at how to get there.

Identify Pain Points at a High Level

A basic first step is to summarize key pain points impacting your business. What are the questions your business is hoping to answer with its data? What are the information voids in your company? What reports are being run week after week to make decisions? Oftentimes, the pain points will evolve with your BI and shed light on areas needing attention. 

An easy and high-value place to start is exception reporting. Exception reporting highlights potential problem areas in your data based on a set of criteria you define. Examples may include:

• Executive staff need to have visibility when a branch has not met its profit goal;
• A project manager wants a consolidated dashboard to display his or her projects as he or she may be stretching the budget;
• Administrative support staff wish to easily see what project records need review and approval;
• An employee wants to view a dashboard of outstanding items (i.e. timesheet submissions, learning and development courses, annual review progress).

This proactive approach to quick-glance data can be a strong starting point to develop your BI strategy while staying focused on important metrics that require action.

Review Organization Structure

How does your organization structure support your reporting needs?  If you would like to produce reports by organization units (i.e. division, practice, group), then you will want to ensure that your system supports that structure. In the case of Deltek products, you may consider how you are utilizing organizations, teams, timesheet groups, and custom field associations. Furthermore, the firm and system structure will ultimately affect the data that is accessible by different groups.

Define Role Based KPIs

Each role in your organization has a unique business function. Frequently, these roles can share a responsibility that cascades down the business’s organization structure.

Consider the various roles in your company. How can they be grouped into subsets that could be measured together; such as, will a project manager be measured with the same standards as a project principal or supervisor?

One fundamental metric for any company is managing accounts receivable (AR) – getting paid for services or products that have been delivered. Here is an example of role based KPIs, starting at the top of the organization:

• CEO wants to ensure that the AR Aging is in a healthy position to deter cash-flow concerns. CEO is pleased as long as the AR >60 days is less than 10% of the total AR balance at a company level. If that target is not met, CEO can interrogate the data.
• Group manager ensures the total accounts receivable >60 days remains below 10% of the total AR balance for his or her entire group. Data can be summarized by project principal and prompt a discussion with any principal who is above the 10% threshold.
• Project supervisor ensures that AR >60 days is below 10% for each project he or she is responsible for. BI can prompt a discussion with any project manager who is approaching the threshold.
• Project manager is responsible for ensuring that invoices are paid per the 30-day payment terms. Invoices aging over 30 days must be chased and addressed. 

This example illustrates how a single metric is relevant to all roles. Therefore, a CEO can reference a dashboard in discussion with a group manager, who can then take it to the project supervisor, and onward down the hierarchy, directly to the project manager. Since this metric is consistently measured, each role understands the importance and relevance of his or her responsibility. This ties all roles to the financial success of the company.

Educate Team Members

It is important to educate on how defined measures are calculated. By doing so, your teams will clearly understand how their work is being measured and how their project success influences KPIs. BI tools can offer sophisticated and shiny visuals, but the end-user must understand how to use the data. Otherwise, the insights will be lost, or worse – misleading. Clean, simple data and education can provide clear definition to team members. Furthermore, it will give consistent data interpretation across all roles.

Measure the Firm’s Success

As you navigate through the BI journey, pause to measure the success of your BI strategy and the analytics you are measuring.  It is critical to gather feedback from the intended audience to understand how the BI tools are promoting productivity as well as transparency. Are the end-users interacting with the data and making smarter decisions because of it? By being agile in the BI development strategy, you can confidently deliver the most valuable analytical tools for your firm and ultimately power project success.