Let’s face it—AEC firms have no shortage of repetitive tasks, data entry nightmares, and inefficient workflows. Whether it's notifying employees about project updates, ensuring proposals are properly tracked, or keeping financial approvals on schedule, these manual processes drain time, increase errors, and create unnecessary headaches.

That’s where Deltek Vantagepoint Workflows come in. By automating common tasks, firms can reduce human error, improve efficiency, and free up valuable time to focus on high-impact work. Say goodbye to manually sending emails, updating records, or chasing approvals. With automation, your team can operate like a well-oiled machine—seamless, streamlined, and stress-free.

In this blog, we’ll explore how:
✅ User-Initiated Workflows eliminate repetitive data-entry tasks
✅ Scheduled Workflows automate recurring actions like reminders
✅ Real-world automation case studies showcase workflow-driven efficiency

User-Initiated Workflows: Stop Repetitive Tasks in Their Tracks

Think about how much time your team spends on mundane, repeatable tasks like updating project statuses, notifying team members of changes, or ensuring required fields are filled in correctly. If these tasks aren’t automated, they can easily slip through the cracks or waste hours of valuable work time.

What Are User-Initiated Workflows?

User-Initiated Workflows in Deltek Vantagepoint allow automated actions to trigger when a record is created, modified, or deleted, eliminating the need for manual follow-ups. These workflows can:

• Send instant email notifications when a project is updated
• Ensure data accuracy with validation rules
• Automatically update fields when conditions are met
• Create activities based on specific actions

Example: Project Status Update Automation

Let’s say your firm has a process where, when a project is marked “dormant,” the project principal needs to be notified. Without automation, this means:
❌ Someone must remember to add the completion date
❌ Someone must manually send an email to the principal
❌ If forgotten, the principal is left in the dark

With User-Initiated Workflows, you can automate this entire process:
✅ When a project is changed to "dormant," the system automatically updates the completion date
✅ An email notification is triggered to the project principal
✅ A reminder calendar activity is created for the principal follow-up

Result? No more forgotten notifications, no more manual emails, and a streamlined workflow that just works.

Scheduled Workflows: Automate Routine Reminders and Reports

Now, let’s talk about the routine tasks your firm does on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Manually sending reminders, pulling reports, or tracking deadlines takes up valuable time.

What Are Scheduled Workflows?

Scheduled Workflows in Deltek Vantagepoint run at regular intervals to automate tasks that don’t require immediate action. Instead of triggering on record changes, these workflows operate on a set schedule, like:

• Sending employee reminders on key deadlines (e.g., expense report submissions)
• Generating automated reports (e.g., project performance updates)
• Triggering notifications based on hire dates or anniversaries

Example: Monthly Employee Anniversary Notifications

Many AEC firms send emails recognizing employee anniversaries. Without automation, this means:
❌ HR manually runs reports
❌ Emails must be written and sent manually
❌ Employees might be overlooked

With Scheduled Workflows, you can set up an automated reminder that runs on the 1st of every month: ✅ The system identifies employees with an upcoming anniversary
✅ A record-specific email is automatically sent to HR (or the company)
✅ No one is forgotten, and employees feel valued 🎉

This same logic applies to monthly project status updates, invoice reminders, or even marketing email triggers—automate it once, and let Vantagepoint do the rest.

Real-World Wins: Workflow-Driven Automation in Action

Let’s take a look at how actual AEC firms have used Vantagepoint Workflows to increase efficiency and eliminate headaches.

Case Study #1: Reducing Proposal Errors with Validation Workflows

Problem: A marketing team struggled with missing or incorrect information in proposal records, leading to errors in submittals and last-minute fixes.

Solution: A User-Initiated Workflow was set up to:
✅ Require certain fields (Project Manager, Fee, Proposal Due Date) before saving
✅ Show a validation warning if any required field was missing
✅ Block saving until all necessary information was entered

Result:

• 80% fewer errors in proposals
• Faster turnaround time for marketing teams
• Increased accuracy in CRM records

Case Study #2: Automating Project Manager Notifications

Problem: Project Managers weren’t notified when they were assigned to new projects, causing delays in planning and client communication.

Solution: A User-Initiated Workflow was created to:
✅ Automatically email the assigned Project Manager when a new project is created
✅ Send a dashboard alert to the PM
✅ Include key details (client name, budget, deadline) in the notification

Result:

• PMs received instant notifications, reducing onboarding time
• Teams could proactively plan work instead of waiting for updates
• Fewer miscommunications between departments

Case Study #3: Automating Invoice Reminders for Accounting

Problem: The accounting team struggled with late invoice submissions because project managers often forgot to submit approvals.

Solution: A Scheduled Workflow was created to:
✅ Send automated reminders to PMs on the 5th and 10th of every month
✅ Track pending invoices and notify accounting
✅ Escalate overdue approvals after 15 days

Result:

• 30% faster invoice approvals
• Improved cash flow with more timely billing
• Less manual chasing from accounting

Say Goodbye to Busywork – and Hello to Automation

Manual processes are a thing of the past. With Deltek Vantagepoint Workflows, your AEC firm can eliminate inefficiencies, reduce human error, and free up valuable time to focus on high-impact work. Want to discover even more ways to streamline your processes and boost efficiency? Watch our webinar, "15 Ways to Be More Efficient in Vantagepoint", where we break down practical tips, automation strategies, and expert insights to help you get the most out of your system. Click below to get access today.

In today’s fast-paced business world, efficiency is key. As organizations continue to embrace digital tools to streamline workflows, Deltek has introduced a powerful new assistant: Deltek Dela™. This AI-powered digital assistant, integrated directly into Vantagepoint, allows users to interact with their data using natural language queries. It’s designed to simplify your work by helping you find critical project details, team member information, and even draft written content with ease. One of the most compelling features of Dela is its ability to assist with content creation, and in this blog post, we’ll explore how it can be used to create personalized holiday mailing cards.

What is Deltek Dela™?

Dela, an AI-powered assistant, is designed to make Vantagepoint more intuitive and efficient. By using natural language, users can easily query data from various hubs within Vantagepoint, such as Projects, Employees, Firms, and Contacts. This allows for seamless data analysis and content creation, all in real-time, without the need for complex navigation.

Dela is especially useful for ad-hoc analysis, drafting written content, and summarizing data, making it a versatile tool for both everyday tasks and larger projects. However, while it’s powerful, Dela does have some limitations, including access to only certain types of data and hubs (without user-defined fields and grids). Despite these restrictions, the tool proves to be incredibly effective when paired with free-form text entries, such as those found in the Activities grids.

The Holiday Mailing Card Use Case

One example of how Dela can simplify your workflow is in the creation of personalized holiday cards. Consider a firm that regularly sends out holiday greetings to its clients. While this is a thoughtful gesture, the time it takes to craft individualized messages can be overwhelming—especially when trying to incorporate personal details like special milestones or activities associated with a client.

This is where Dela shines. By querying activity data related to a specific contact, users can easily draft personalized messages in just a few steps. Let's walk through how this process works using Dela’s functionality.

Step 1: Querying Activities

First, users can query Dela for specific activity information tied to a contact. Activities are a crucial part of the Vantagepoint system, allowing users to record detailed notes and interactions with clients. These free-form text entries often include valuable insights like the client's personal interests, upcoming or past milestones, and important life events—perfect for creating personalized content.

Because the Notes section of Activities is free form, it is extremely easy for normal system users to add information. There is no need for them to find a correct dropdown, grid entry, or checkbox in the record. As long as users are trained to use Activities, they can simply add whatever information they deem interesting about the contact.

For instance, let’s say one of the firm’s contacts, Allen, had a meeting with a Project Manager concerning a current project. During that meeting, he mentions that his wife is pregnant. Afterward, the Project Manager adds a note to the Vantagepoint Activity for this meeting:

“Allen mentioned his wife is having a baby in 5 months.”

This Activity is stored in Allen’s profile but locating that detail manually would be time-consuming. Instead, Dela can quickly summarize this information and help users generate a meaningful message.

A simple prompt to Dela could be: “Based on the activities for this contact, create a personalized holiday email for him.”

Step 2: Dela Responds

Once the prompt is entered, Dela quickly processes the data and generates a draft email. Here’s an example of what Dela might provide:

In just a few seconds, Dela has generated a thoughtful, personalized message that acknowledges Allen’s life event—without the user needing to sift through Activity entries and notes or manually write the email.

Step 3: Editing and Sending

Once the message is generated, the user can easily review and edit the content before sending it. With Dela’s integration into Vantagepoint, there’s no need to switch between different platforms or tools. The user can either click a button to send the email directly or copy the content to paste it elsewhere.

Dela offers additional customization options, such as the ability to adjust the tone of the email. For example, users could choose a more formal or informal style depending on the nature of the client relationship. The integration with Vantagepoint also ensures that all the relevant details, such as the firm’s branding and contact information, are included in the email template.

Why Dela’s Capabilities Shine with Activities Data

This holiday email example highlights one of Dela’s most impressive features: its ability to interpret and summarize free-form text entries in the Activities grid. These notes can range from personal milestones (like Allen’s baby news) to project-specific insights. While these activities can be time-consuming to sift through manually, Dela effortlessly distills them into concise summaries.

Furthermore, since Dela retains the context of the conversation, users can easily follow up on previous queries. For example, if the user asked for the activity summary and then wanted to see additional details about Allen’s current project, they could follow up with another simple prompt like, “What is the latest activity recorded for this contact?” This fluid, conversational interaction makes Dela a natural tool for generating content and obtaining real-time data insights.

By leveraging Dela’s capabilities alongside the free-form text in Activities, users can quickly generate meaningful, personalized content for clients, improving both the quality of interactions and overall productivity.

Enhance Workflow and Productivity with Deltek Dela™

Dela exemplifies how AI-driven tools can enhance workflow and productivity, especially when paired with rich, unstructured data-like Activities. The ability to turn detailed, free-form notes into cohesive and personalized messages in mere seconds can save professionals time and effort, while also fostering stronger client relationships. Whether you’re sending out holiday greetings, drafting follow-up emails, or simply summarizing project activity, Dela is a powerful tool for getting the job done quickly and efficiently.

This example of using Dela for personalized holiday messages is just one of many ways this tool can streamline your workflow. By understanding how Dela interacts with the data and hubs within Vantagepoint, users can harness its full potential to make their tasks easier and more effective.

Learn how Deltek is powering the future for project-based companies with a recap from their most recent user-conference, Deltek ProjectCon. Click the image below to learn more.