Full Sail Partners Blog (68)

It's not a matter of if, but when a failure will happen! During a recovery effort, your firm's need to recover quickly is vital to your firm's existence. The lack of access to data can impair production. The longer the delay the more it can cost your firm and even result in failure of your company.

It recent article by Gartner, they discussed how IT failure can bring down a company and the writer, Richard Hunt, made some great points. "The interesting thing isn’t that some companies have failed when their IT failed; the interesting thing is that the risks are almost certainly increasing. Plenty of executives don’t yet understand that while IT spend only represents 5% or less (on average) of enterprise revenues, the impact of IT on revenues is far higher than that. To put it another way, many executives don’t yet realize that their businesses don’t run much, if at all, without IT, and when IT is misused or fails, the impacts can be very large indeed."

So, do you have a backup & recovery solution?  How quick is your data recovery? Would you lose any of your data if:

• Your computer was stolen?
• You have an IT system failure?
• You have a hardware failure?
• There was a fire?
• There was a natural disaster?
• Your backup solution didn't work?

Are you confident that you'd be back up in less than a day if any of the above items occurred? Could you be up in less than an hour? Next to hardware and software malfunctions, human error is one of the biggest reason for data loss. Doing a back-up is only half of the equation. Verification is the most important part of data back-up. Statistics show that 77% of tape backups fail.

Below are data recovery statistics that demonstrate the likely hood of failure and the impact to businesses when they are unable to recover. For firms that want to be proactive and eliminate preventable failures and learn how to recover quickly when a failure does occur, view our webinar.

 Infograph presented by Dell

While much of the country endured 100+ temperatures, the attendees at the annual Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Build Business Conference in San Francisco experienced daily highs of 72 degrees. Although the temperatures were low, the event was burning with energy as attendee's embraced this year's theme of "Take Action".  

At the conference, Deltek announced a strategic alliance with SMPS. The partnership will include identifying best practices and trends to advance technology's role in the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Additionally, mySMPS added a collaborative space for Deltek Users and SMPS members to interact, ask questions, and provide feedback on improvements.

Full Sail Partners is a proud supporter of SMPS as demonstrated through active involvement of its employees and consultants. Full Sail Partners’ CRM Consultant Kevin Hebblethwaite officially took on the role of SMPS National President and announced the board’s plans for the upcoming year. A “scan” of the marketplace through a survey has been deployed to the SMPS membership. The purpose of the survey is to incorporate the feedback into the society’s long-term plans. The survey currently has a 24% response rate and is expected to continue to increase. Expected key initiatives, supported by survey responses, include marketing integration, expansion of SMPS’ education offerings, and the development of operational standards and toolkits for local chapters.

At the event, Kevin brought a chuckle to the audience as he officially announced he's "weird" and encouraged others to embody a spirit of thinking that is not limited by sticking with the norm.  Kevin explains further that “politely shaking things up a bit can often short-circuit the path to success in areas such as relationship development, process improvement and differentiation.”

Full Sail's Director of Marketing and Business Development, Sarah Gonnella, also attended the event and is entering her second year term on the SMPS National board's Technology Committee and contributes to SMPS Connection and the Marketer. At the end of August, Sarah rolls off of the SMPS Atlanta Board and joins Kevin Hebblethwaite as a Past President of the Chapter. Both are proud to be part of such a strong chapter, which received 1st place Striving for Excellence Awards for website and large chapter. “SMPS is one of the best organizations in the AEC industry. I encourage those involved in business development, marketing and strategic planning at their company to actively get involved. The organization really does advocate, educate, and connect members,” remarked Sarah Gonnella.  To find out more about the a, e, and c of SMPS view this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syHFDKAxsW4.

Scott Seal, Director of Service Development, is a new comer to the SMPS network and joins the host chapter, San Francisco.  “I’ve heard a lot of great things about the organization and I look forward to getting involved on a local level. The conference was a great way to kick-off my experience. As demonstrated by the awards, I’m excited to be associated with such a great chapter,” commented Scott Seal.   The San Francisco Chapter's President, Alethea O'Dell, was recognized as the President of the Year. Her gracious acceptance speech brought laughs and tears to the audience as she thanked her "Big, Bold, Bad A$$" board and committee members.

Full Sail Partners looks forward to “Dreaming Big” in Orlando, Florida at next year’s conference and encourages you to share your story about SMPS or your conference experience.

A Cautionary Example of Using KPIs

If a Project Manager Falls Down in the Forest and No One is Around to See It, Does the Project Manger Still Get the Quarterly Bonus?

I have been giving a great deal of thought to KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) lately.  One thought was about the idea of the unintended consequences of putting a “suite” of KPIs (KPIs are like potato chips, you can’t have just one. . .) in place, specifically for Project Managers.

How will their behavior change?  Will measuring chargeability for their project teams cause the employees to be more utilized or cause billable project to become less profitable?

Let me throw out an example.  This example is based upon a real client and provides KPI insight. The Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Company A wanted to incentivize their project managers to produce more revenue.  So, after months of discussion and planning, the partners setup revenue targets for each PM based upon past performance and a generously favorable potential revenue prediction for the next year.  The Project Managers would be paid a bonus at the end of each Quarter for any Revenue they brought in over the projected target.  This was very generous, and all the partners agreed that this would drive business revenues higher.

Except it didn’t happen exactly the way they wanted it to.

Here is a graph showing how their revenue was before this particular KPI was put in place:

And here is the before and after picture:

Ouch!

This of course caused their accounting team to load up on antacids for most of the year.  Their KPI (and bonus program based on that KPI) had encouraged some behavior that was not necessarily good.  The Project Managers did not care about recognizing any revenue (and by extension, billing the client) until the end of the quarter, and when they did, they typically over-recognized and over-billed.

This problem caused a cascade through-out the organization.  Clients noticed and started to question why this month’s bill was so much larger that last month’s.  Average AR started to go up.  Cash flow went down.  Lines of credit had to be accessed to make payroll (and pay the quarterly bonus).

How could this have been prevented?  Looking back, it is obvious right?  But at the time, this sounded like a great idea and everyone was committed to making it successful.

1. Too much focus on one KPI is not a good thing.  They should have used several measurements that touched upon AR, Chargeability, and (Project Managers cover your ears!), Client Satisfaction.
2. Quantitative measurements are great, but we also need some Qualitative measurements in the mix.
3. Involve many different types of people in your KPI development.  Someone might have pointed out this scenario at the beginning if the partners had not developed this on their own.

Which brings me to my final point... KPIs only help if you review them frequently and action is taken based upon them.  A well designed KPI exists to measure performance and if adjustments are not made based upon them...then no one saw the Project Manager fall in the forest.

View webinar on KPI Insight for Project Managers.

The SMPS National Technology Committee 2012 survey revealed the top 3 technology topics professional services marketing and business developers would like more information on is communication tools, customer relationship management systems, and collaboration tools. The results of this study are probably not surprising.  People are on the go and are collaborating with multiple groups in different locations at a fast pace.  We have demands from work, family, and other organizations to keep track of.  The key ingredient needed is effective communication and collaboration.  

Social media allows people to connect and communicate, but one missing piece is still the collaboration and organization to get things done. A new collaboration software tool is looking to tackle this issue.  Kona is an online space for any group to privately connect, organize, discuss, and get things done together.  The tool is specifically for people involved with multiple groups like, project teams, volunteer organizations, membership clubs and even family events.  Kona keeps track of everything each person is responsible for and discussing across all spaces in one personalized place.  The current tool was developed by Deltek and is in beta.  Kona is FREE and available through the internet and also has a mobile app. 

As an example, let’s say that you are pursuing 3 proposals, you are director of an association committee, and you also need to organize your family activities.  Kona allows you to create five separate spaces for each of these items (separate space for each proposal, one for your committee, and one for your family).  You can invite separate people to each space. Those that are a part of the association don’t need to view you’re your family and proposal information, for example.  So you just send committee members an invite to your committee space.  However, you have the ability to view the discussions and tasks that occur over all 5 spaces.

For marketers, one of the biggest struggles when dealing with teaming arrangements is keeping communication in one location and making sure everyone is aware of decisions. Now you can quickly communicate through a discussion thread versus strings of emails which may or may not hit all of the right parties.  Since you can access Kona through an app you don’t have to be at your computer to join the conversation, which is great for those on a job site.  Agreed upon tasks are outlined with due dates.  You are able to upload files so the entire team can view.

The current capabilities continue to be tweaked so for those that would like to influence the development of this collaboration tool there is still time.  For those that need a way to communicate among disparate groups check out Kona (www.kona.com) and let us know what you think.  

Like Kona on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KonaLife
Follow Kona on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kona_life

To check out more features and compatibility requirements, visit iTunes: http://bit.ly/KY4JNd.  You can also search “Deltek” from your iPhone apps.  You can also view an introduction of the tool on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clEEzM0RZr4.

To view a presentation, join us on July 19, 2012 at 1:30pm ET.

In today's world it's important to make sure your resources are effectively allocated and outsourced expenses are doing all they can to keep you ahead of the pack. No matter whether your IT support is outsourced, dedicated, or part-time, there are expectations your firm should have to ensure your Deltek database is properly managed. We invite you to take the IT challenge to see how you can improve. 

IT Challenge 1:

IT Challenge 2:

IT Challenge 3:

Did You Pass the IT Challenge?

Full Sail Partners can assist you with any of these concerns to ensure your IT staff is providing your data the security your firm needs. In addition to these services, our hosting division can offload the expense of servers, peripheral software, redundant back-ups and allocation of resources to address your Vision IT needs. Our hosting professionals only provide hosting services for Deltek Vision and coordinate with Deltek support on known issues. This specialized expertise comes with years of hands-on experience and provides your organization a high level of confidence that your data is secure. Outsourcing your IT Management of Vision with Full Sail Partners allows your firm to focus on your core business, while we ensure your IT landscape is fully prepared.

To find out more about how Full Sail Partners' application hosting can ease your worries and save your firm money, visit our website. To speak to someone about these services, contact Scott Seal at sseal@fullsailpartners.com or 888.552.5535 x118. We look forward to relieving your IT worries and helping your firm Reach Full Sail!

In a recent survey conducted by Full Sail Partners, 33% of clients did not understand the services provided by Deltek support vs. Full Sail Partners. Additionally, some clients don't understand what a Deltek Partner is and the value a partner can provide. So let's address these questions. 

What is a Deltek Partner? 
Deltek partners with a wide range of companies that act as an extension of their business. These partners include Infrastructure Technology Companies, Independent Software Vendors, Resellers, Consulting Partners, CPA Accountant Networks, and Hosting Companies. Full Sail Partners is an authorized software reseller, consulting partner, and application hosting partner.

As a Deltek Partner, what is your relationship to our firm?
Clients might be assigned to a Deltek Partner to help manage the relationship.  The management of that relationship includes administering your annual maintenance contract, providing you consulting services, and serving as your Deltek liaison regarding upgrades, expansions, maintenance questions, or Deltek announcements.  As a Deltek Partner, we also believe it is important to educate our clients through local user groups and our free webinars.  

When would I call Deltek Support vs. calling Full Sail Partners, my Deltek Partner?
Deltek Customer Care Support is included as a part of your annual maintenance contract or your subscription.  As a part of your maintenance, Deltek Customer Care provides a forum and a knowledge base to answer technical questions.  When answers can’t be found through those avenues, support can be contacted via phone at 1-877-HLP-PROJ (1-877-457-7765) or through the web at http://support.deltek.com.  For example, if you receive an error message while using the software, experience a software defect or need troubleshooting, or have a technical software questions, support can provide you answers.  

If your question is related to how to use the software, best practices, training, implementation, customization, or hosting services then Full Sail Partners can assist.  When in doubt we encourage you to reach out to your consultant or your Account Manager at Full Sail, we can help direct you to the right resource.

Who is our Account Manager at Full Sail Partners?
As an Account Manager at Full Sail Partners, our role is responsible for directing your firm to the proper channel and identify the most skilled resources to address your question or concern. I f you need to contact us please email sales@fullsailpartners.com or call us at 888.552.5535. 

Still need further clarification?  Add a comment to start the dialogue regarding your Deltek Vision Support needs.

Did you know you can enter your time into Deltek Vision from your iPhone or iPad?  I don’t know anyone that gets excited about filling in their timesheet, but the Deltek Vision Timesheet app allows me the ability to access my timesheet no matter where I am. For users that travel or are away from the office, it allows a convenient method to update your time on the fly.  Sorry, no more excuses for those on the road.

To set up the app, I searched “Deltek” from my iPhone app.  I clicked install and obtained my server name from my IT person to sync to my Deltek Vision database. The installation was simple.  The added security of a 4-digit pin also provides secure access to the app.  There is no syncing between my desktop and my phone. The information is automatically updated in real-time.

It’s easy to add a project to my timesheet and the favorite feature allows me to keep my frequently used projects. The project did, of course, have to be active and approved for use in processing.  With the iPhone 4s, I’m able to use the voice-to-text feature to speak my timesheet comments.  A very helpful feature when your drinking your morning coffee.  

Kudos to Deltek for this free, user-friendly app.  Now I can access my timesheet anywhere, anytime.

To check out more features and compatibility requirements, visit iTunes: http://bit.ly/Ki93E6. 

Update on 10/1/12:
For firms that need to access Deltek Vision for all applications via Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android any many other devices, check out Full Sail Partners' solution:Vision Unleashed.

Update on 2/25/13:
Deltek has a newer timesheet version available for iPhone and Android users. View this page for more information: Deltek Touch.

Full Sail Partners announces the launch of its firm and website. Visible online at www.fullsailpartners.com, the site illustrates the company’s client-centric philosophy and approach to business.

The company provides business consulting, technology solutions, and application hosting for Deltek Vision. Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for professional service firms and government contractors with more than 15,000 organizations and 1.9 million users in over 80 countries around the world. Deltek's ERP solution offers firms an integrated software product  to win more business, optimize resources, streamline operations, and deliver more profitable projects.

Keeping your firm on course, embodies the purpose behind Full Sail. Utilizing Deltek Vision, Full Sail Partners helps firms navigate the business horizon in an ever changing environment. We provide firms the tools and visibility to operate at maximum efficiency to bring them under full sail.

The power behind every great company is their employees. "I am humbled by the employees that helped launch Full Sail Partners. The passion, dedication, and collaborative effort put forth by our staff to launch this endeavor demonstrates what already makes this firm great," stated President Kevin P. O'Connor.