Full Sail Partners Blog | Full Sail Partners (2)

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek and Client Feedback Premier Partner, is honored to announce that Scott Gailhouse has been promoted to Principal Consultant. Scott's extensive industry knowledge and proven consulting acumen will be an asset as professional services firms continue to seek ways to further leverage their investment in Deltek Vision.

As Principal Consultant, Scott will be responsible for process and service development including best practices and implementation protocols. He will also be responsible for overseeing the skill development of Full Sail Partners' consulting staff, the development of quality-driven implementation strategies, client management and implementation compliance.

"I am extremely excited about my new position and my continued growth within Full Sail Partners," said Scott Gailhouse. "I believe that this role will give me the opportunity to enhance our consulting practice and concentrate on how our firm can further add value to our client's knowledge of Deltek Vision. My focus, along with the other consultants will be to continually seek ways to improve our training model to better utilize Vision's capabilities, provide best practice recommendations while boosting productivity."

Scott Gailhouse has been actively involved in the Deltek community for more than 20 years. With a focus on financial solutions and best practices, Scott has leveraged his extensive knowledge of the professional services industry to assist firms with making the move to an ERP.

"It is with great pleasure that we recognize Scott's strong leadership and expertise," said Scott Seal, Full Sail Partners' Vice President of Consulting. "Scott continues to bring in-depth knowledge and experience to the table, working with his clients and colleagues to create innovative solutions to help achieve maximum value out of Deltek Vision."

Want to learn more about the Full Sail Partners' team? Check out our crew!
 

This year’s Deltek Insight Conference will be held on November 3-6, in Nashville, TN. Deltek Insight is all that, and more! If you are still on the fence about registering for the conference here are five reasons we think you can’t miss this signature event!

5 Can’t Miss Reasons to Attend Deltek Insight 2015

1. Exclusive sessions with Deltek Vision experts. Attend limited expert-led breakout sessions that teach tips and tricks to getting the most out of your Deltek Vision system! Join Full Sail Partners for a variety of classes ranging from connecting your Deltek Vision system to the outside world to discovering the sweet metrics of success to help your firm thrive.
   
   
2. Network with your peers. Deltek Insight 2015 is the perfect opportunity for you to meet with your peers and discuss the latest industry issues. Take advantage of the opportunity to get plugged in with the interactive ‘Social Zone’, and relax and unwind at the Welcome Reception.
   
   
3. Stay on the cutting edge with Deltek Vision. Do you find yourself needing the latest tools and features from Deltek? Deltek Insight is the perfect place to learn about all of the new releases and features coming for your Deltek Vision system. Be the first to know about new complementary solutions that can add value to your company.
   
   
4. Meet the Full Sail Partners’ Team! This year Full Sail Partners is excited to announce that our entire team will be attending Deltek Insight. Our crew would love to meet you face-to-face! Let us know if you will be attending Insight and schedule some time to meet with one of our experts one-on-one. Don’t forget to stop by our booth to drop off a business card to participate in our raffle!
   
   
5. Celebrate Deltek Insight 2015 with The Band Perry! How often are you able to get up close and personal with Grammy Award winning artists? Join us for an amazing concert experience with The Band Perry, plus a high-energy performance from our favorite house band LoCash!

Thousands of Deltek Vision users from around the world will be attending Deltek Insight 2015 – we hope you are one of them! Haven’t registered yet? Don’t worry, it’s not too late to sign up today:

Successful professional services business development professionals often view themselves as hunters. Much like the cavemen or nomads, this group of professionals is responsible for learning how to navigate the dangers of the world to bring food back to the pack. This overly simplified analogy challenges us to view business development tools and efforts on a visceral level.

However, today’s competitive business environment requires business developers to be both hunters and farmers. Technology has drastically changed the way that relationships are cultivated. Our world is now more connected than ever before, therefore the ‘entry for admission’ to being a known entity is significantly higher than it has ever been before.

So what are the most essential hunter-farmer business development tools? Let’s take a look!

The Business Development Tools for Success

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) | CRM tools make it possible for everyone in your organization to work together to meet your clients’ needs by putting your clients at the center of your business. Real-time, holistic, competitive intelligence can provide you with everything needed to gain the competitive edge, win more business and increase customer satisfaction.
    
2. Mobile Technology | For years BD professionals went out in to the field, gathered information, and brought the newly found information back to their firm. In today’s competitive business market we cannot afford the lag-time from collecting business intelligence, to acting upon it. Mobile technology has bridged this gap and allows professionals the full functionality of working from the office via a remote or mobile device.
    
3. Social Collaboration Platform | Businesses that have more collaborative and engaged employees experience a higher rate of success. Social collaboration spaces are the virtual equivalent of an open office environment for your organization. Connect your out-of-office and internal staff through a platform that encourages employees to stay connected and share ideas more freely. Simplify file sharing, keep the entire project team informed and engage staff.
    
4. Engagement Through Feedback | We are all familiar with the saying ‘it doesn’t hurt to ask.’ This concept is often overlooked in the business world. Don’t be afraid to ask clients if the processes you are using works for them. Utilize feedback to validate successes and identify areas of improvement. Foster long and meaningful relationships by asking, listening and responding to feedback.

Operate Like the Company You Desire to Be

As mentioned earlier, these business development tools are really the basics for being competitive in today’s market. Ultimately what differentiates your firm in the eyes of the client is how you utilize these technologies. Perception is often reality -- Clarissa the Client doesn’t know the intimate details about your firm, but she is aware of the image your firm presents. Firms that effectively deploy and manage the above tools are able to establish a brand within their market as top tier business partner.

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is excited to announce the addition of Ryan Felkel as a Marketing and Communication Specialist. In this role, Ryan will join the marketing and business development team to identify new market verticals outside of the architectural and engineering industry. With the addition of Ryan, Full Sail Partners is prepared to expand their offering to a broader range of customers who may not have realized how our products can streamline their processes and increase their profitability.

“I am honored to be a member of the Full Sail Partners team,” Ryan said. “Full Sail Partners has a world class set of products and services to assist project-based firms with managing their complex and growing needs. Their strong focus on customer satisfaction coupled with their great mix of products and services will assure that Full Sail Partners remains a valued and trusted partner to their customers well into the future.”

Ryan has nearly five years of experience in energy markets. During this time, he was an accomplished proposal manager and marketing professional working for a company that provided demand side management services for electric and gas utilities across North America. It is his goal to utilize this experience to provide a fresh perspective and new ideas to foster relationships with these new market verticals.

“As a Deltek Premier Partner, our firm has led the charge in expanding and servicing new market verticals beyond the architectural and engineering industry.” stated Sarah Gonnella, VP of Marketing and Sales. “Ryan’s self-starter attitude and marketing acumen will help our firm continue to position our existing products and services into new markets. I’m excited to have Ryan join our marketing team to focus exclusively on targeting new project-focused professional service firms. We recognize the need to continue to service our existing clients, and therefore have split our existing marketing role into two. This allows our firm to have a dedicated marketing resource that will focus on customer satisfaction and ensure our existing clients know about new features, products and services, while Ryan focuses on these new market verticals.”

Want to learn more about the Full Sail Partners' Team? Check out our crew!

Full Sail Partners, Deltek Premier Partner, is pleased to announce the addition of Gina Stamper to the client services team. Gina has joined the firm in the role of West Coast Account Manager and will provide account services for Full Sail Partners’ clients in the Mountain and Pacific regions. She will work as a liaison between Full Sail Partners and clients, helping to build an openly collaborative community.

Gina joins Full Sail Partners with 15 years of accounting and finance experience in the technology, mortgage and telecommunication industries where servicing client needs is essential to success. Gina previously spent five years as a senior account manager servicing Deltek Vision Clients.

“I’m very enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue working hand-in-hand with Deltek Vision account holders,” said Gina Stamper. “The professional services market is rapidly developing and so are the needs of our end users. I look forward to this opportunity to help customers as their companies evolve.”

Full Sail Partners’ Account Management Program is designed to serve the needs of the Deltek client base and promote greater engagement. This position will serve as an additional resource to address client questions and provide a dedicated resource for those on the West Coast. Full Sail Partners now provides account management services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, extending its service availability an additional three hours.

“Gina’s work ethic, experience, and passion for customer service make her the ideal candidate for this position,” said Wendy Gustafson, Full Sail Partners’ vice president / general manager. “We’re confident in Gina’s knowledge of the Deltek Vision product set and her proven ability to maintain great relationships with existing customers, while helping to develop new accounts.”

For more information, please email Full Sail Partners’ Marketing Communications Department. Interested in meeting the rest of the crew? Check out the link below!

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is pleased to announce that Kevin Hebblethwaite, FSMPS, CPSM, has joined Full Sail Partners in a full-time capacity as a Senior Consultant. Kevin is familiar with what it takes to help firms improve information sharing and develop reporting capabilities across departments. The recent expansion of the Full Sail Partners’ staff is a reflection of the firm’s dedication to providing clients with the most talented professionals the industry has to offer.

As a Senior Consultant, Kevin will continue to help firms leverage their investments in the Deltek Vision platform to track, manage, and monitor results for their marketing and business development initiatives; streamline the proposal process through automation; and improve their client relationships. He will lead and expand Full Sail Partners’ consulting services for the Client Feedback Tool, which helps professional services firms manage expectations and improve the overall client experience.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Full Sail Partners’ team," said Kevin. “I’ve spent most of my career developing professional service relationships, helping people improve their systems and processes. I look forward to continuing that tradition with Full Sail’s current and future clients who seek to elevate the value they can extract from good information management.

Kevin Hebblethwaite has been involved in the Deltek community and the professional services industry for more than 15 years. Kevin served as the National President of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) in 2012-2013. His previous experience as an engineering firm executive and familiarity with Deltek Vision across departmental functions allow him to effectively assist professional services firms in taking a more comprehensive and integrated approach to managing their marketing and business development information. According to Kevin, “Marketers have a unique opportunity in the professional services environment to become more data-driven contributors to their firms’ strategic direction, and Deltek Vision provides a great platform to do so.”

“Kevin is an important strategic addition to our team as we look to expand our service practice,” said Sarah Gonnella, Full Sail Partners’ Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “We are excited to have him take the lead in bridging together our consulting services for Deltek Vision and the Client Feedback Tool. His unique perspective, knowledge, and persistence make him the perfect fit to deliver the best possible results.”

For more information, please email Full Sail Partners’ Marketing Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at www.FullSailPartners.com.

About Full Sail Partners 
Full Sail Partners provides client-focused technology services and solutions for more than 1,000 professional services firms nationwide. As Premier Partners for Deltek and the Client Feedback Tool, Full Sail Partners helps project-based firms fully integrate their business processes by connecting their front end and backend systems. We seek to help organizations identify the critical resources needed to create a faster, more efficient, and cohesive business infrastructure. 

Full Sail Partners, a Premier Partner for Deltek and the Client Feedback Tool, is pleased to announce the recent hire of Peter Nuffer who will join the Full Sail team as the Director of Product Development. In this role, Peter will manage the build-out of next generation integrations that provide advanced functionality like the Client Feedback Tool integration with Deltek Vision, and work with Full Sail Partner’s client’s on initiatives that require development of reports, BI, workflows and integration with other platforms. With a proven record of developing innovative custom solutions, Peter has previously been employed with Full Sail Partners for five years, and spent the last two years focusing on software product management.   

“I am extremely excited about rejoining the Full Sail Partners team and taking on this new position," said Peter Nuffer, Director of Product Development. “I look forward to making an immediate impact for Full Sail Partners, as well as the Deltek ecosystem. We have many innovative extensions to the core product’s functionality that will help professional services firms streamline processes, engage clients, and capitalize on opportunities to build their business. Our development team is committed to providing best in class service and product offerings that will help clients get the most out of their Deltek Vision system while leveraging other technologies crucial to their operations.  The focus on extensibility of the already comprehensive Deltek Vision core product will help the Deltek Vision ERP product remain competitive within new market verticals”

Peter Nuffer rejoins Full Sail Partners with over 20 years of experience in the software and technology field. A creative technology professional, Peter has an enthusiastic focus on developing technology solutions and working with business leaders to identify efficiency centric process improvements through technology. His extensive experience developing solutions that automate, simplify, and improve operations makes him a value-added partner to any professional services organization.

“We welcome Peter back to the Full Sail Partners team and are excited about the opportunity to further enhance our clients experience with Deltek Vision through Peter’s development efforts,” said Scott Seal, Full Sail Partners’ Vice President of Consulting. “Peter is a long-time ally of Full Sail Partners, and is one of the leading developers for Deltek Vision customization solutions. We believe that Peter offers our professional services user base the ability to take their ERP system to the next level.”

For more information, please email Full Sail Partners’ Marketing Communications Department or visit the Full Sail Partners’ website at www.FullSailPartners.com.

About Full Sail Partners
Full Sail Partners provides client-focused technology services and solutions for more than 1,000 professional services firms nationwide. As Premier Partners for Deltek and the Client Feedback Tool, Full Sail Partners helps project-based firms fully integrate their business processes by connecting their front end and backend systems. We seek to help organizations identify the critical resources needed to create a faster, more efficient, and cohesive business infrastructure.

Full Sail Partners – Keep Your Business on Course. | For more on Full Sail Partners profile and background on the Full Sail Partners crew, visit us at http://www.fullsailpartners.com.
 

Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express isn’t the only train that uses platform 9 ¾.  There are other trains, similarly magical, that take their passengers to places they’ve never been.  Take project management training, for example.  Just like at Hogwarts, project managers are trained in a kind of wizardry, i.e. transforming the business experience of their clients from nothing more than a mere idea into something special. And those lucky enough to “receive their letter” to attend, must have honed ALL their skills in order to reach their final goal – being a productive and effective project manager. 

At Hogwarts, Harry takes classes like Divination, Transfiguration and Potions.  And although the names of the classes they take are very different, the content of the classes they take is very much the same. 

• Divination is the art of “seeing.”  A good project manager must indeed learn to read signs.  Is the project moving smoothly?  Is the client happy with progress and with process?  Are the employees on the project satisfied and therefore doing a good job?  Too often, these “signs” are definitely not clearly communicated.  They are often muddied, and it takes a good project manager to see them.
• Transfiguration is really about how to transform yourself.  During project management training, attendees will transform their natural business gifts – financial acumen, business savvy, and communication expertise – into a project manager who really knows how to wield those skills to benefit their customers, their employees, and their company. 
• Potions is a class on how to take seemingly dissimilar ingredients and turn them into a concoction which is business changing.  Take, for example, a handful of employees from various areas like a programmer, a writer, a financier, an administrator, a quality controller, and an executive – put them together into a cauldron-like project plan, and you have a new business process gaining efficiency, money, and time.  A potion any business would be proud of!

Another similarity between Harry Potter and those wishing to become effective project managers is natural skill.  Wizards aren’t made at Hogwarts, they are honed:  the young wizards who attend school already have the necessary abilities and project management is very much the same. 

One doesn’t become a project manager because of project management training;

one becomes a project manager because of their natural abilities refined at training.

Other than project management training, a good project manager must also have

Communication ability – exceedingly important!  Project management is not only completing and managing a Gantt chart, but effectively and efficiently communicating every portion of the project to every person involved … to their understanding.  The project manager is the translator of all things, so that each interested party is clear and satisfied.  A superhuman feat but one which good project managers achieve every day.

Business savvy – Someone who is good at business is just plain impressive.  Those who see ramifications outside of the project plan are the best at their jobs.  Project managers have an understanding beyond the project as to the impact to the surrounding business processes and how to structure a project to either improve or not negatively impact them.  It’s really knowing how to do your job in the project management box, but seeing and managing the effect outside of the box.

Experience – you just can’t teach experience!   People who have “been there, done that” and who then apply that experience to their projects are truly the most successful project managers.  And, to be clear, it’s not the same experience over and over, but broad experience garnered through years of accumulation.   

So how do you find out if your project management training was successful?  How do you know if you have what it takes to be a great project manager?  Just call our friends at Full Sail Partners (which could be considered the Hogwarts of Project Management).  Although they aren’t called that at Full Sail, you will have access to the likes of Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall – people who are sage, savvy, and just plain good at their jobs (oh, and really nice, too).  

Although project managers will probably never make the big screen success of Harry Potter.  They are, in fact, the real wizards working in our midst.  Their project management training has sharpened their skills to perform magic every day:  turning an idea into a project plan and then into something special for our businesses. 

Without the wand or robe, of course. Click your wand below to learn more.