Full Sail Partners Blog (20)

Professional services firm leaders are often inclined to immediately use discipline or use corrective action to address an ongoing performance issue. However, that would be like medicating based on symptoms, without getting to the root cause of the illness. Instead, slowing down and thoroughly evaluating the situation can shed light on possible solutions that are likely more beneficial to the employee and for the firm as a whole.

When to Use a Skills Improvement Plan

Behavioral concerns and non-compliance issues can usually be directly impacted by progressive discipline. On the contrary, skill deficiencies or job performance concerns are usually best addressed with skills improvement plans and that includes more than just the technical skills required to perform the functions of the position. They can also incorporate the other skills essential and critical to the overall scope of the job.

For example, a manager may be a high performer based on their knowledge level and ability to perform the job duties. Yet, they may struggle in the areas of interpersonal communication or may not have had prior management experience and may need to work on developing their leadership skills. Which are areas not related to behavioral or compliance concerns.

Therefore, these skills would be best addressed with coaching, guidance, and setting clear goals and expectations. Coaching can include suggested training, an outlined strategy for change, developed by both the manager and their director, as well as mediation between the manager and their reports. If there is a desire to thrive in the position the manager should be open to the plan laid out to help them improve. Usually, employees do accept and appreciate the assistance if they feel that the plan being presented is sincere and demonstrates that the company wants them to be successful.

When to Use a Corrective Action Plan

Sometimes firms have an employee that excels in their position but is also an employee that is consistently late to their shift, breaking company policy, or their behavior is causing disruption to the team or clients. In this case, a more targeted and direct approach needs to be applied for more immediate results. Cases like these are when corrective action needs to be taken using a progressive discipline plan. This technique provides the employee an opportunity to make improvements or adjustments while allowing the employer to implement corrective actions if there is no improvement.

Corrective actions can vary in severity and can include a verbal warning or a written warning as lighter punishments. Whereas suspending an employee or terminating them can be more severe. Furthermore, corrective action primarily addresses critical problems, recurring issues, and/or problems that endanger health or safety of others.

Employees are Investments

Remember that with both a skills improvement plan and a corrective action plan, the primary goal should be to identify the cause of the change and a solution that leads to positive results. Additionally, firm leaders and managers need to consider that an employee may have greatness in them and are an asset to the firm, but are apprehensive to reveal it for fear that it will set higher expectations of them that they aren’t confident they can achieve. These processes will reveal that and encourage them to embrace it and display it.

With each new version of Deltek Vantagepoint, professional services firms are given more tools and features to deliver profitable projects. While version 4.0 mainly focused on supporting accounting functions, 4.5 addressed all the roles that support the success of project-based firms. Here are some of the top new enhancements and features Vantagepoint users can now begin to use.

Edit and Save with Ease in Deltek Vantagepoint

Editing and saving updates have been simplified. In Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5, the two saving modes, implicit saving (autosave) and explicit saving, have been combined. With this update, a “Save” and “Cancel” button will appear whenever a change or edit has been made to a field

Speaking of edits, Vantagepoint users will no longer need to click on a pencil icon in a field to make a change. Simply click anywhere in a field that needs to be updated to make the required changes.

Create Winning Proposals and Better Track Clients

In Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5, enhancements to proposal automation will help marketing professionals create formatted documents more easily. First, Deltek has added the ability to link text elements, so text continues to flow from one page to the next similar to the functionality Adobe InDesign users are accustomed to. Additionally, Vantagepoint can now export proposals to PDFs and Word, and the proposal will retain the formatting established in Vantagepoint while creating the document.

Vantagepoint 4.5 now allows a contact to be associated with a project with a different firm that is linked to a contact in the Contacts hub. This is helpful when a contact is a consultant for more than one firm or needs to be associated with a joint venture for a project.

A small but very helpful change also got added to the Mobile CRM. Before 4.5, when a user wanted to edit and open a text field in the Mobile CRM app, it would take them to another screen that enlarged the text and the field. Now users can stay on the original screen to make changes without having to go to a new screen to make the changes, and then select Done to return the entire record. This is helpful for saving time.

Plan and Track Profitable Projects with Deltek Vantagepoint

Projects don’t always go to plan and Deltek realizes this issue. With the release of Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5, project managers can now go back and replace planned time with actual time, spread the difference if needed, or change planned hours altogether. While some firms may not want employees to be able to do this, it is an option available in the security settings and can be turned on at the discretion of firm leadership.

Estimate at completion (EAC) values are critical in planning because they help predict what a firm is going to spend at the end of a project. The problem today is that planning is the job to date (JTD) as of today and the estimate to completion (ETC) starts tomorrow. If one or more people have not updated their timesheet for any days before today, those hours are missing from the EAC. In Vantagepoint 4.5, JTD can be changed to pull from a specific day. For instance, the standard setting in Vantagepoint is to pull JTD from today, but now firms have the option to choose from yesterday or even the end of the week from the previous week.

Two small but convenient features have also been added for project managers. The first is the sharable search feature. Previously, users could create and save searches for themselves only. Now, saved and custom searches can now be shared with coworkers. Secondly, purchase orders with approvals have been added to the browser version of Vantagepoint. This allows the majority of project managers to work exclusively in the browser version.

Improved Invoice Approvals to Increase Draft Turn Around and New AR Reporting Enhancements

Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5 now allows for tracking invoices by billing client when the billing client changes during the life of the project. In Vantagepoint versions 4.0 or earlier, when the billing client changed for a project on the Accounting tab in the Projects hub, the change was applied to all existing invoices, cash receipts, voided invoices, and credit memos. This can create some confusion. Now, the change only applies to new invoices, voids, and credit memos after the change takes place. Essentially allowing account receivables to track information separately for each billing client.

Draft invoice approvals also gained improved visibility into annotation and comment history when saved draft invoices were resubmitted. The process in 4.5 allows an approver to review a draft invoice, make changes, and add comments as necessary. Now the change will apply to invoices, voids, and credit memos when a new billing client has been assigned. Essentially allowing you to track accounts receivable information separately for each billing client on a given project.

Start Using More Features in Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5

Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5 is one of the biggest releases ever to roll out since its inception. With that said, there are more improvements and enhancements that weren’t discussed in this article. For more information, check out the Deltek Learning Zone and click the button link below to learn more about Vantagepoint.

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across all industries were forced to make quick and decisive decisions. For A&E firms, determining the best plan to keep projects profitable and on schedule became the priority. While many departments were able to quickly adjust to working from home and figuring it out as they went, finance leaders had to determine how to maintain financial controls immediately. The 42^nd Deltek A&E Clarity highlights the success of these efforts in addition to providing some insights on other key financial metrics.

Numbers that Improved

Across the board, A&E firms of all sizes had increased utilization rates in comparison to the previous year. With small firms reporting a little over two percent increase and large firms showing over a one-percent increase. While this increase seems small, it’s actually significant when viewed as a change over a one-year period. Additionally, net revenue per employee also increased for A&E firms of all sizes. When looking back over the last year and comparing other relative information, it’s reasonable to link this improved utilization rate to the fact that firms had minimal growth of personnel. Meaning existing employees are being worked more and firms need to be aware of the negative effects of employee burnout. Make sure to learn about exception reporting and how this can help identify employees that are at risk of burnout.

The overhead rate for A&E firms dropped in comparison to last year which can be linked directly to the decrease in travel and other in-person related expenses. Obviously, this can be attributed to restrictions created by the pandemic, but it also leaves room to wonder if this can be maintained in the future as the world transitions to the “new normal.” Which itself is still unclear, many are predicting a hybrid variation of a remote and in-person work environment. This is even highlighted in the 42^nd Deltek A&E Clarity report as something firms need to evaluate in the future.

The largest indicator of success is the firm’s earnings after all operating expenses are taken out which is referred to as the operating profit on net revenue. Unsurprisingly, A&E firms that responded to the Deltek A&E Clarity survey overwhelmingly indicated an increase with small firms reporting an eleven percent increase over the previous year. Looking back to overhead rate, the pandemic related changes firms were forced to make is a clear connection between these two numbers making it difficult to determine if this will be sustained in future years.

Numbers that Suffered

While success is easy to celebrate, shortcomings also need to be reviewed and given attention. Starting with the net labor multiplier, firms that responded to the 42^nd Deltek A&E Clarity study reported a decline to a minimal increase. Which actually breaks a ten-year trend and reverted net labor multipliers being realized by firms to similar rates of five and six years ago.

An A&E firm’s most consistent indicator of operating performance is the total payroll multiplier. On face value, the total payroll multiplier remained unchanged from the previous year which seems like a win. And might as well be when considering the challenges firms were presented with as a result of the pandemic.

Future Financial Initiatives

Across the board, respondents to the 42^nd A&E Deltek Clarity study stated their top priority is business process improvements which is a consistent leader year after year. Furthermore, this seems like a vague statement that lacks an actual plan action and is likely the yearly list leader for this reason. With all the adversity firms faced throughout the last year, it might be a good time to start implementing a business process improvement plan by first mapping out firm processes to see how these changes have impacted firm operations.

Further down the list of financial initiatives firms wish to address are better managing growth, organizational change, and increasing spending for talent acquisition and retention which are ranked fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Lumped together, all of these are a component of human capital management. From an employee perspective, this is promising to know that A&E firms are realizing that their value proposition is their people.

Gain Financial Clarity

In the face of uncertainty, A&E financial leaders buckled down by tightening finance controls by embracing technology to keep teams connected. Similar to what other departments within the firm did which is detailed in the technology trends section of the A&E Deltek Clarity report. Further, it’s exciting and promising to see that A&E firms weathered the initial impact of the pandemic fairly well. While the future still has some uncertainties, A&E industry has once again proven to be resilient and capable of overcoming adversity.

Benchmark your firm! Use the link button below to download the 42^nd Deltek A&E Clarity report and scorecard for free.

Finding helpful and insightful information just got easier for Deltek Vantagepoint clients. The Powering Project Success with Deltek Vantagepoint mini demonstration series is a growing library of video content for Vantagepoint users of all roles and skill levels. Each video is five to twenty minutes long and about a specific feature and function available in Vantagepoint that many are unaware exist or are unsure how to use.

Projects Start with Business Development

Winning work is the first step to initiating a project and Deltek Vantagepoint helps business development (BD) professionals generate and close opportunities. Even on the go! With the mobile CRM functionality, BD team members can easily access and update client information from anywhere using a mobile device. Check out this demo to see how simple it is to review and update client information right on your mobile smart device.

In addition to the great benefits of mobile CRM, tracking Outlook emails and calendar appointments in Vantagepoint CRM is seamless with Deltek Vantagepoint Connect for Outlook. With a few simple clicks, BD team members can conduct typical CRM tasks directly in Outlook. Watch this demo to see how easy it is to create contacts, manage appointments and schedule meetings directly in Outlook.

Simplify Project Startup and Creation

Before work can begin, a client must pay a retainer fee. As simple as this sounds, there can be many parties involved throughout the process. During this mini demo, Vantagepoint accounting professionals can learn how to easily process retainers using cash receipts all while automatically keeping the project manager in the loop through the entire process. As simple as this sounds, it’s a favorite obscure feature for many accounting professionals.

Setting up new project and plan can be a time-consuming process that can be avoided using Vantagepoint Project Templates and Plan Settings. Instead of starting each project from scratch, Project Templates and Plan Settings allow firms to use pre-defined work breakdown structures to quickly set up complex projects. Essentially, simplifying the project creation process and ensuring consistency of project records. Watch this demo to see a project set up in less than 10 minutes.

Track Time for Timesheets Easier

Managing projects and clients is already a lot of work for billable employees. On top of that, they are required to track and update their timesheets on a regular basis. Deltek can’t create more time in a day, but Vantagepoint can make updating timesheets easier. Using the Calendar feature, users can track their billable time and add it to their timesheet with a few clicks. Check out this mini demo to see how.

Manage Talent Acquisition and Learning

Growing firms need to hire quickly and onboard new talent fast. Attracting and recruiting new talent requires getting the message out about new open employment opportunities. During this demo, human resources (HR) professionals will see how to post open positions across multiple job listing platforms with a simple click.

Once a new employee is hired, getting them started and setting up their training needs to be as simple as advertising for the position. In this demo, HR staff will learn how to set up the new hire onboarding process in an online environment. Additionally, the demo covers how employees can submit required paperwork and info as well as complete self-guided online training.

Get Paid Easier

Before billing a client, it’s important to make sure the invoice is correct. This internal back and forth process between project managers and accounting can become time and paper consuming. After watching this demo, accounting professionals and project managers will both be relieved once they see how easy it is to digitally markup invoices and resubmit them to accounting.

The ugly side of accounting is having to bill and collect interest from clients. Well, Deltek Vantagepoint can’t talk with clients about late payments, but it can make charging interest easier. Learn how to set up billing terms in Vantagepoint to make collecting and tracking past due balances easier in this demo.

Deltek Vantagepoint Provides Answers

Reports after report, Deltek Vantagepoint as them which is great. However, picking the right report can be confusing which is not Deltek’s intentions. In this demo, picking the right project planning related report is thoroughly explained along with the context about how each report is created. This demo is great for those tasked with forecasting project performance.

What seemed like a dream for project managers is a reality in Vantagepoint. With the combination of project planning and budgeting in one hub, project managers can quickly review project success based on both of these data inputs. The Project Review demo shows how Vantagepoints pulls from both these data sources to help ensure projects are profitable.  

Maximize the Benefits of Deltek Vantagepoint

Getting work done just got easier for Deltek Vantagepoint users! While these are just a few of the mini demos available in the Powering Project Success with Deltek Vantagepoint series, more are available using the link button below. Make sure to regularly check out the growing demo library for updates and share these with coworkers.

Professional services firms don’t just make a product that one consumer is going to purchase. The services that the firms sell are complex and involve different decision makers who have different needs and goals. Successful firms don’t just know who those decision makers are, but rather, develop personas that guide their marketing strategies.

This article will dive deeper into what personas are, how to develop personas, and how they are used to help create marketing strategies This is the second article in the Driving Growth with Digital Marketing series.

What is a Persona?

According to HubSpot, a buyer persona is a fictional, generalized representation of an ideal client. The persona helps firms understand their clients and prospective clients better making it easier for them to develop content to the specific needs, behaviors, and concerns of different groups.

Personas are based on insight gathered from existing clients and market research done by marketing, business development or outside resources. Due to the nature of project-based firms who pursue projects with multiple decision-makers, most firms will have multiple personas.

How to Create Personas

The first step in creating a persona is asking specific questions about current and ideal clients to find out as much as possible about who they are and how they interact with your firm. This can be completed through research, surveys, and interviews by a mix of clients, prospects, and those outside the CRM who might align with the target audience.

Potential methods for gathering information needed to develop personas are:

• Look through the contacts database (CRM) to uncover trends about how certain clients find and consume marketing content.
• Use form fields that capture persona information when creating website forms. For example, if the persona varies based agency role, ask each lead for information about their role at their agency on the website form.
• Ask for feedback from the business development team about the leads and contacts they’re interacting with the most. What generalizations can they make about the different types of contacts served by the firm?
• Ask for feedback from project managers and other project delivery teams. What generalizations can they make about the different types of client contacts they work with?
• Interview clients and prospective clients to discover what they like about the services the firm offers.

Some example questions to ask during the information gathering phase:

• What is their profession?
• What does a typical day in their life look like?
• Where do they go for information?
• How do they prefer to obtain services?
• What is important to them when choosing a firm?
• What do they value most?
• What are their goals?

Use this information to identify patterns and commonalities. Then the persona can begin to be recorded (written down!). This can include information such as:

• Basic demographic information – Age? Income? Location? Gender identity?
• Background – Job? Career path? Family? Lifestyle?
• Identifiers – Communication preferences? Social media platforms?
• Challenges – What does this person struggle in relation to meeting goals? What serves as a roadblock for this person’s success?
• What can we do – To help this persona achieve their goals? To help this persona overcome their challenges?
• Goals – Primary/secondary goals? Personal vs. professional goals? Role-related vs. company goals?

Once the persona is created share it with marketing, business development, executives, and operations to ensure the entire firm has the same view of the ideal client.

How are Personas Used to Guide Marketing Strategies?

Personas allow firms to personalize or target marketing for different segments. For example, instead of sending a monthly newsletter to all contacts in a CRM system, firms can segment by personas and tailor the newsletter content according to what is known about each persona.

Let’s say a firm called ACME Engineering has personas that include facilities directors, permitting coordinators, and prime architects. These personas have different specific needs, behaviors, and concerns, as one would assume. Sending a monthly newsletter that contains the same content to the entire list, wouldn’t be as well received as if ACME Engineering changed the newsletter content slightly that each project feature or blog article was written specifically with that persona in mind.

Other uses for personas for marketing include:

• Building effective content marketing strategies by focusing on keyword research efforts.
• Identifying and prioritizing the most relevant promotional activities.
• Timing marketing campaigns for peak engagement rates.
• Publishing content and advertisements on the channels (email, social media, etc.) most frequented by personas.
• Personalizing marketing automation efforts.
• Refining copywriting to reflect improved SEO strategies.

When the personas are used correctly, personas allow firms to produce highly targeted content that leads to better responses from new and repeat clients. And there is data to prove this. According to research from Single Grain, companies who used personas saw:

• Websites were 2-5 times more effective.
• Personalized emails had a 14% higher click-through rate (CRT).
• Conversion rates* were 10% higher.

Using Personas Throughout the Firm

While this article focuses on the persona for marketing’s use, once the personas are defined, they can be used throughout the project lifecycle.

• Business Development – Personas are valuable to anyone in the firm who is client facing. From crafting one-on-one message and building rapport to understanding the persona on a deeper level allows the business developer to be better prepared to address the client’s concerns.
• Project Delivery – Just because the firm won the project, the firm shouldn’t stop building the relationship with the client. Because of this, involve project management team members in the persona development process so that it can be tailored to the project delivery process in your firm.

Persona is the Foundation for Driving Revenue Growth

Having a deep understanding of the personas is the foundation for building a digital marketing strategy. It’s critical to driving content creation, seeking out new clients and prospects, building relationships, delivering the projects, and really anything that relates to client acquisition and retention.

This is the second article in the Driving Growth with Digital Marketing series. In this series, marketers and principals will learn how to develop a digital marketing program that is right for their firm. Sign up below to be notified when a new resource in the series becomes available.

*Conversion rates can mean that someone took an action on a call to action. This can be filling out a form, clicking a link, etc.

Calling all Deltek users! Block your calendars for September 14 and 15 to attend the virtual Deltek Insight 2021. This gathering of Deltek users only happens once a year and always delivers the ultimate learning and networking experience for project-focused professionals. For Deltek Vantagepoint users and those that are upgrading from Vision soon, attendance to Insight 2021 should be considered mandatory for those seeking to embrace the full capabilities of Vantagepoint.

Aside from the added attention to Vantagepoint this year, Insight also provides industry insights and other various forms of thought-provoking content. From an inspiring keynote presentation, live education sessions led by Deltek and industry experts to engaging networking opportunities that are sure to delight, Insight has something to offer Deltek users of all experience levels. Checkout what’s planned for this year’s largest gathering of Deltek users.

Kwik Fix to Reclaim the Brain’s Full Potential

After sustaining a devastating head injury as a young child, Jim Kwik struggled with learning which made succeeding in school seem like an unsurmountable achievement. Growing up he was known as the “boy with the broken brain.” However, he was determined to not let this hold him back, and his passion for superheroes and comic books inspired him to unlock his “superhero brain.”

As the Deltek Insight 2021 keynote speaker, Jim Kwik is set to deliver an inspiration presentation focused on improving memory, reading skills, and decision-making abilities. Jim has worked with global companies such as Nike, GE and Zappos, and speaks to over 200,000 people a year. Make sure to attend this aww-inspiring keynote presentation.

Knowledge Sharing and Learning for All

With over 200 breakout sessions, this year’s Deltek Insight has something for everyone! Of these, over 40 sessions are dedicated to Deltek Vantagepoint users, and cover features and functions that support all the roles within a firm. Even more, Full Sail Partners is hosting a session specifically for firms still on Vision. The session will feature two firms, Impact Sciences and RIOS. They will be discussing their experience with the Full Sail Partners’ Vantagepoint to Vision upgrade process. Make sure to sign up early for the session.

In addition to the breakout sessions, conference attendees will have the ability to meet with a Deltek expert one-on-one for a 30-minute video appointment. Each Deltek expert is a member of the Deltek Customer Care team, Deltek Global Consulting or Solutions Engineering group. Meet the expert appointments are available on a first come, first serve basis.

Networking at virtual events seems impossible. Well for Deltek, making the impossible possible is what they do. This year, Deltek is excited to incorporate Braindate into the Insight virtual experience. Braindate provides attendees the ability to meet up virtually with other Deltek Project Nation members to have meaningful peer to peer conversations and discuss topics important to them.

Earn Deltek Vantagepoint and Vision Certifications

While many claim to be a Deltek expert, only a few have the certifications to prove it! As part of registering for Insight 2021, access to the Deltek University certification exams will be provided for free through October 28, 2021. Monetarily, this is a $295 value. Professionally, this in invaluable!

Interact with Full Sail Partners During Deltek Insight

As a dedicated Deltek partner, Full Sail Partners is sponsoring Deltek Insight and will have a virtual booth. Make sure to navigate over to the sponsor exhibit and stop by the Full Sail Partners booth to find what’s new with the Blackbox Connector, and learn how our team of Deltek consultants are helping firms upgrade from Vision to Vantagepoint. While you are there, click on the Contact Me button to receive a $25 Amazon gift card (*gift card offer is only available to Vision and Vantagepoint clients).

Additionally, Full Sail Partners will be hosting two highly interactive events during the month of September. During each event, Full Sail Partners’ consultants will give a short presentation about that day’s topic. Following the presentation, attendees will be split into small groups that have similar interests. Each group will be assigned a Full Sail Partners' expert that will facilitate a group conversation to allow participants to share and talk about their experiences. The first session will be on September 16, 2021 and will explore the Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint upgrade process. On September 23, we will explore the endless uses of workflows and even create one or more during the small group breakout sessions. Make sure to register for these interactive events today.

Project Success Starts at Deltek Insight

Last year’s Insight brought together over 10,000 members of the Deltek Project Nation as one giant virtual gathering of project-focused professionals. With everything that was offered last year, it seemed impossible for Deltek to outdo themselves in the future. But this year’s Insight is certain to set the standard for virtual conferences for all industries.

This article is the first in the Driving Growth with Digital Marketing series. This series will walk A/E/C firms through how to develop a digital marketing program that will raise brand awareness, capture new leads, and increase revenue.

But, before the series covers the nuts and bolts of how to do this, let’s define digital marketing, its history and how it can benefit A/E/C firms.

Digital Marketing Defined

Digital marketing is defined as any marketing that uses electronic devices to convey promotional messages and measure its impact. Typically, these marketing practices include marketing campaigns that appear on computers, phones, tablets, or other electronic devices. It takes many forms including videos, emails, and social media posts. Additionally, it includes organic content and paid content such as display ads. Digital marketing is often compared to “traditional marketing” like magazine ads, billboards, and direct mail.

The History of Digital Marketing

The term Digital Marketing was first coined in the 1990s when customer relationship management (CRM) software became a significant factor in marketing technology. Then in 1994, the first clickable banner ad went live for the “You Will” campaign by AT&T. Over the first four months of it going live, 44% of all people who saw it clicked on the ad.

In the 2000s, with increased internet usage and the birth of the iPhone, customers began to search products and make decisions about their needs online first, instead of consulting a salesperson. This encouraged marketers to find new ways to integrate digital technology into market development.

Digital marketing took another step forward in 2007 when marketing automation was developed. Marketing automation is the process by which software is used to automate conventional marketing processes. With this new technology, marketers could launch multichannel marketing campaigns based on the customers specific activities.

After that, social media including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter made consumers even more dependent on digital applications in their daily lives. Now customers and potential customers expect a seamless user experience across different channels when searching for a firm’s information.

Digital Marketing Campaign Types

Digital marketing can consist of both online and non-internet channels and strategies. Common online digital marketing channels and strategies consist of:

• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Content marketing
• Inbound marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Display advertising
• Pay per click advertising (PPC)

Off-line or non-internet digital channels and strategies consist of:

• Television
• Text message campaigns (SMS and MMS)
• Virtual displays or electronic billboards such as at conferences or events
• Custom apps
• Cold calling

The Driving Growth with Digital Marketing series will go more in-depth on several of these digital marketing strategies. Click on the image below to be alerted when a new article in the series is available.

Goals for Digital Marketing

We live in a digital age, and millions of people spend most of their time on digital platforms including their computers and phones. Marketing is all about connecting with targeted contacts in the right place, at the right time, and if the contacts are plentiful online, then that’s where the best marketing strategies should be implemented.

One goal of digital marketing is to raise brand awareness. Recent trends show businesses and digital marketers are prioritizing brand awareness, focusing more of their digital marketing efforts on cultivating brand recognition and recall than in previous years. This is evidenced by a 2019 Content Marketing Institute study, which found that 81% of digital marketers have worked on enhancing brand recognition over the past year. Another Content Marketing Institute survey revealed 89% of B2B marketers now believe improving brand awareness to be more important than efforts directed at increasing sales.

Another goal for digital marketing is lead nurturing. Many A/E/C firms work with the same clients for many different projects. Because of this high rate of repeat work, the marketing goals aren’t to raise awareness to new leads, but rather, keep the firm top of mind with existing clients. Also, the sales cycle in the A/E/C industry can be long, stretching out several months, if not years. Therefore, a firm might want to stay in front of those leads between projects.

Most likely, the goals for the digital marketing program will consist of a combination of both of these for different markets and clients.

Benefits of Digital Marketing for A/E/C Firms

The agency Hinge Research conducts original research for digital and thought leadership marketing specific to the A/E/C Industry. In their 2020 study of high growth A/E/C firms, they found high growth firms are dedicating almost 27% of their revenue to marketing, and are generating 50% of new leads from digital sources.

Other benefits of developing a digital marketing program for A/E/C firms include:

• Cost effectiveness – Compared to traditional marketing strategies such as print advertising, conference sponsorship or attendance, digital marketing is relatively low cost. Some of the digital marketing strategies only cost the time to produce the materials and the technical knowledge. Others involved purchasing relatively low-cost software and online advertising like display ads or PPC.
• High return on investment – Because of its relatively low cost to generate new leads that could result in thousands of new firm revenue, the return on investment is very high for digital marketing. And with the proper marketing technology in place to track and attribute the marketing campaigns appropriately, it’s relatively easy to track.
• Easier to measure – Compared to traditional marketing strategies like a print ad or conference sponsorship, with a digital campaign you can know almost immediately how it’s performing. For example, an email marketing campaign’s performance can be known within hours or the next day. The opens and clicks are a good indicator of its performance, and marketers can use that knowledge to adjust accordingly.
• Easy to adjust – Because the performance of the digital marketing effort is known quickly, marketers will have that knowledge and can adjust other campaigns with that knowledge.
• Easy to share – Digital marketing channels like social media posts and email campaigns can be shared with a click of a button. This helps firms create a multiplier affect and amplifies the content.
• Precise targeting – Traditional marketing is one to many and everyone. For example, an engineering firm places a print ad in an industry publication. The engineering firm hopes that a few people who like what they see in that ad would take a positive action. Marketing over digital platforms allows for targeted campaigning. The engineering firm can now place a display ad where that ad is presented to potential contacts based on their preferences or initial action.
• Further reach – Digital marketing gives small firms, which make up most of the A/E/C industry, the opportunity to expand their reach. Using the benefits above of low cost, precise targeting, etc. every firm that deploys a digital marketing program can play on the same field as the mega firms. A small architecture firm in Iowa can be the worldwide leader in theater acoustical engineering through digital marketing campaigns and reach theaters in Moscow or Brisbane, for example.

Propelling Forward

The A/E/C industry has often been slow compared to other industries when adopting new marketing trends. But in 2020 with the global pandemic, A/E/C firms were propelled to rapidly make changes to their marketing programs, including shifting resources to digital marketing. Knowing this, Full Sail Partners has developed the Driving Growth with Digital Marketing series. In this series, marketers and principals will learn how to develop a digital marketing program that is right for their firm. Sign up below to be notified when a new resource in the series becomes available.

With the uncertainty of 2020 behind us, many AE firms are optimistic about the future and expect that investment in new technology will likely remain consistent. While a great number of firms are still in the early stages of moving to the cloud and making investments to support a mobile workforce, smaller tech savvy to large-sized firms have already implemented these technologies by 2021 and are seeking out IT solutions that improve project delivery and ultimately their bottom line. According to AE firms that participated in the 42^nd Deltek Clarity study, adopting new technologies to support firm growth and client needs is a priority, however, selecting which technologies will produce the desired results and provide a noteworthy return on investment seems to be a challenge.  

Clarity on Technology Trends for Small Firms

Small AE firms, those with less than 50 employees, reported in the Deltek Clarity study that investments in new and emerging technologies will likely see a reduction. Likely, because many of these firms made larger than expected technology investments in supporting the needs of a remote workforce to ensure business continuity during the pandemic. Therefore, many of these small firms are refocusing efforts and spending on revenue generating resources.

Furthermore, small firms typically have smaller budgets for all departments across the board. As a result, they tend to invest in new technologies that are usually more affordable and easier to deploy firm wide. Which brings up another key finding from the Deltek Clarity study – limited internal IT expertise. Small firms and even medium-sized firms both noted that one of the largest challenges with adopting new technologies is having internal experts to help navigate the sea of technology options that serve different and unique purposes. Even more, some firms are likely unaware of which operational processes can be improved with the assistance of technology.

Medium-sized Firms Looking to Go Big

AE firms with 51 - 249 employees, commonly referred to as medium-sized firms, indicated in their responses to the Deltek Clarity study that they are eyeing big data and artificial intelligence (AI) for future technology solutions to support their organizations. However, only 18% of firms reported having an actual plan in place. With a large percentage of firms citing the aforementioned and seemingly consistent theme of lacking internal champions to identify and thoroughly vet new technology. Overall, medium-sized firms as a whole are continuing to straddle between implementing less expensive and simpler technologies with big aspirations to embrace and invest in emerging technologies large firms are already utilizing.

Large Firms Seek Clarity with Big Investments

Large AE firms, defined as having more than 250 employees, will always lead the AE industry when it comes to adopting the latest and greatest technologies since they generally have larger budgets and the ability to spend. As such, larger AE firms that participated in the Deltek Clarity study stated they are continuing to move forward with making large investments in emerging technologies like geolocation, big data and data science with no indication of slowing down. More importantly, large firms revealed in the Clarity study that they have less of a challenge with employing internal technology experts that can provide guidance on future technology investments that are aligned with the needs of the firm.

Similarities Deltek Clarity Identified for All Firms

According to the 42^nd Deltek Clarity study, firms of all sizes have some shared challenges regarding technology initiatives. Unsurprisingly, data and cybersecurity lead the way like previous years and will likely continue to be the leading concern for AE firms well into the future. An encouraging finding in the Clarity study is the common strategy all firms are taking to mitigate these risks, with nearly half of respondents stating they are implementing new security policies and protocols. Even more, thirty-four percent of respondents said their firm is planning to outsource their IT administration and infrastructure. Although there are no fail proof safeguards against a cyberattack, being proactive can certainly reduce the risks which is what firms are trying to accomplish.

Do More with Technology and Deltek Clarity

One thing is clear from the Deltek Clarity study, AE firms of all sizes will have to continue to invest in technology just to stay competitive. For small and medium-sized firms that indicated they lack internal experts to help make technology investment decisions as a challenge, maybe they need to consider enlisting the assistance of a company that specialize in the technology needs of AE firms to help with these choices.

Lastly, big data and data science are quickly being adopted in the AE industry. As a result, AE firms will begin to see new technology solutions specifically tailored to meet their needs being brought to market over the next few years. Which adds more complexity for firms when it comes time to decide which technology solutions they should pursue in the future.

Seeing is believing, and with Entrinsik Informer, many different types of professional services firms already have the ability to quickly visualize and analyze data to make informed business decisions. Informer, a highly ranked business intelligence (BI) solution, allows users firmwide to create customized dashboards and easily drill down into the data pertaining to their specific department and role to find the answers to questions or get status reports on areas of concern.

So much insight can be gained already using Informer. However, with the latest release of Entrinsik Informer 5.4, employees at professional services firms now have new and improved features to improve data visualization.

Enhancements with Informer Template Creation

Templates are an exciting new feature in Informer 5.4. Templates are custom formatted outputs using HTML coding. This allows total pixel-perfect control over the end product. The template code is in HTML, but being an HTML expert is not required. Many users of the Informer business intelligence tool have little or no HTML experience when they first start. Some even creating a template in less than a day.

Using the data that resides in a firm’s Deltek Vision or Vantagepoint system, firm employees are able to customize the final output into almost any format. The first step is to get the data organized into datasets so that it is easily available for the template. Then it is simply creating the template in the format the user wants.

Within the template, logical formulas can be applied. For example, if the invoice on an accounts receivable (AR) statement is past due, it can be shown in yellow highlight, or if survey is checked in an opportunity, specific survey language can be inserted into the agreement that is being sent to the client.

Additionally, users will be able to create a CSS (Cascading Styles Sheet) for templates to standardize the firm’s output and have logos readily available. Even more, there is also a way to save those commonly used expressions, so it is not necessary to retype every time.

Some of the uses for the templated output are:

• Client Agreements
• Compensation Reports
• Financial Reports
• Project Status for Clients
• AR Statements
• Custom Invoices
• Governmental Reporting (DOT reports)

Once a templated output is set up, it is repeatable and can be shared firm-wide with the appropriate staff.

New Ways to Look at Data

Informer 5.4 also offers different ways to visualize data. Within the Informer 5.4 visuals tab, new visualization charts are available, heat maps and spider charts, which allow fresh perspectives to analyze important data.

A heat map is a graphical representation of data where values are guided by color accent with the deeper the shade, the higher the value. Heat maps are a great way to see concentrations in the data and are really useful if there is a lot of data to manage. In this example, at first glance, the color variations easily indicate the different values and can guide evaluation.

A spider chart, by comparison, is a helpful way of showing outliers. For example, a spider chart may show employees with the highest or lowest utilization. By viewing the chart, it is apparent that Mary Best is exceeding her utilization target, while Michelle Beien, Moshen Farsi, Leia Skywalker and Geoff Smith are not.

See More than Before with Informer 5.4

The Entrinsik Informer 5.4 release was developed to improve how users can take their BI further and visualize their data so that better and quicker decisions can be made. With this newest release, users of Informer across the firm will have even better options for visualizing their data. And, going into the future, as BI needs continue to evolve so will Entrinsik Informer to meet them.

Imagine being the head coach of a promising basketball team that with the right guidance can be league champions year after year. However, that is a rather ambiguous statement. What is the right guidance? Who is the coach? Even more, what does basketball have to do with professional services firms? Wow, those are some great questions.

For a coach of a team, it is his or her job to guide the players and instruct them on how to make the best use of each individuals talents to win each game. Similarly, a manager at a professional services firm is the leader of the team of employees that contribute to successfully completing a project. And as a coach or manager, recognizing underperforming players, improved or exceptional players, and how often recognition is needed can be difficult. Most importantly, the coach or manager of the team is ultimately responsible for wins and losses. Therefore, to be a great team leader, understanding how to effectively use feedback is critical to the success of the team.

Three Points for Negative Feedback

Ignoring shortcomings or less than desired performance and failing to address these concerns with employees is a common problem with managers. It is human nature to want to avoid potentially negative situations. But, is it okay to ignore that number 6 keeps missing three pointers? If so, this mindset and practice are contributing factors to why low performers continue to make errors, fail to meet expectations, and show a lack of improvement.

Managers avoid these conversations throughout the year because of the misconception that negative feedback is not as purposeful or as acceptable as positive feedback. Both managers and their reports can dread these conversations, and as a result, the managers defer to the annual performance review to address any grievances or concerns, assuming that the employee will expect it all at that time anyways. As a result, managers are doing their low-performing employees a disservice with this practice which does not foster a culture and environment to help their employees to win. Which is essentially like waiting till the end of the game before telling number 6 to give up on the three pointers.

Slam Dunk for Positive Feedback

Higher performers who anticipate annual raises and promotions often look forward to annual performance reviews. This confidence is not always instinctive or due to self-evaluation. In reality, it is because high performers often experience random, spontaneous praises and recognition for both small and large accomplishments, which creates positive affirmation. Similar to LeBron James, the crowd cheers we he sinks hoops, roars when he slam dunks, and celebrates his championships.

Unlike negative situations, it’s in peoples’ nature to seek out opportunities to praise others for their successes like fans in the stands cheering and screaming for every big play. Therefore, informal and formal recognitions of achievements tend to happen more often and spontaneously which provides continuous affirmation to high performers. But, not every team has a LeBron James, and even King James himself needs feedback from his coach to be a better team player.

Using Quarters and Timeouts for Effective Feedback

In basketball, imagine if, throughout a game, a coach witnessed one of their players missing passes, missing shots, failing to intercept…and not just failing to perform at his or her highest potential but in fact, performing below standard…not even meeting expectations. Would it be fair to the player or the team for the coach to wait until the end of the game to give the player feedback, pointing out all the player’s deficiencies? By then, it would adversely affect them, make them defensive or hyper focused on every misstep, ultimately leaving them feeling that losing the game was their fault.   

On the contrary, imagine if the coach addressed the player’s performance obstacles when they first noticed them and brought it to the player’s attention to ensure they were aware and determine if outside factors were contributing to the change in performance. Then, strategized with the player providing them with the guidance and knowledge to succeed. This sends the message to the player that they are valued, that the coach believes in them, and most importantly that they are still in the game, giving them the incentive to try harder to win!

Well, why wait till the end of the year or the end of the project to address areas of improvement or to recognize their achievements? Like a basketball game, managers need to find more frequent intervals to have formal one-on-one employee feedback sessions than the typical yearly review. Additionally, managers need to know when to call a timeout to address an employee’s shortcomings or celebrate an employee’s or the entire team’s achievements. Just as important, make sure to soften the blow negative feedback can have by sandwiching it between positive feedback.