This is the sort of adversarial match that goes on too often every day for professional services firms. Buyers are overwhelmed by the sheer number of features when they watch a software demo. What is often forgotten, though, is that elephant in the room – the function of the software and how the product solves your business problems.   

Differences Between Features and Functions

But first, what’s the difference between features and functions? Features are all the cool things software can do. While functions are all the cool things software can do…FOR YOU! 

A solid ERP should support your professional services firm’s business processes. You should not need to change your business processes; the technology should be there to strengthen your processes. 

Usual Process for Seeking New Technology

Let’s check out what often occurs as a professional services firm seeks out solutions to its business issues:  

1. Deciding the Need 

Here is usually how it goes.  A firm feels business pains – growing pains, direction, or market pains, etc. The leaders decide that new software will solve their problems and set about contacting vendors to see what their software will do. What is sometimes not communicated, though, is exactly what the problems are. Sometimes the leaders keep their needs/want to themselves preferring instead to see what the sales rep has to say, or sometimes they simply don’t know exactly what the problem is or how to solve it.   

2. Feature Overwhelm 

The eager sales rep arrives and starts working with the firm trying to understand the business issues, however, there remain the previously mentioned miscommunications regarding the business issues that need to be solved. So, the sales rep, having confidence in the quality of the product to solve a myriad of issues, launches a demo campaign perfectly designed and choreographed to show every remarkable thing the software does. It works - the firm is awestruck by all the impressive features, but will they solve the business problems? 

3. Selecting the Solution 

After looking at several vendors’ presentations and perhaps even some RFP responses, the firm gathers, compares notes, and ultimately chooses the most appealing and financially comfortable solution.  

I’m sure, as a savvy member of our business community, you spotted the increasing snowball of issues that all come down to one basic, yet seemingly elusive, concept – the lack of clear definition, well-defined communication, and effective partnering with the vendor on the business issue(s) itself.   

Solving the Business Issue...the Function 

Now, let’s replay that same first scenario with a significant tweak to the beginning. The professional services firm is realizing some sort of business pain: current market/direction pains or future growth and development pains, disparate and inefficient processes, and lack of relational data for business metrics. Key firm members still convene to try to clearly identify what the issues are.   

However – and here’s where it gets exciting – they reach out to a preferred vendor who, together  with the key firm members: 

• Clarify the business issues. 
• Develop a plan to solve them. 

And only then do they … 

• Acquire the right software solution. 

Notice how the features weren’t even mentioned yet? Sure, it’s important to have cool things that your software business solution does which make everyday work life easier or more interesting. And yes, it’s great to have hotkeys, a special GUI (graphical user interface) on pages, neat buttons, and clicks. But, in too many instances, those features are there mostly to sell but not to solve. They are frosting, gravy, or special sauce – yummy to see and eat, but without solid nutrients, are not satisfying the functional need.  

And what’s more, those “bling” features almost always end up costing far more than going with what may seem like an initially expensive business solution. The cliché, “you get what you pay for,” is very true in the software industry. Going with a less expensive solution can sometimes cost more in the long run, because if you haven’t solved your business issue, you end up with voluminous customization costs or just more disparate systems.   

Partnering with Firm and Vendor Garners Results 

At some point in the future after choosing based solely on price, bells, and whistles, you will likely need to cut your losses and just go with a vendor who will work with you to solve your business problems. It’s the partnering of a professional services firm and vendor which garners the real result. 

In the Forbes.com article, “To Increase Revenue Stop Selling” former contributor, Mike Myatt, states that organizations want to be treated like partners and not a software sales targets. Working with its vendor is the only way a successful solution will be realized resulting in a long-standing, productive business relationship. In the article, he says, “Engage me, communicate with me, add value to my business, solve my problems, create opportunity for me, educate me, inform me, but don’t try and sell me – it won’t work.” 

The article makes you think about it - do you establish trust by profiling and targeting prospects, or by attempting to understand the needs of a potential client? This is much more than a semantical argument – it’s a philosophical shift in thinking, and a practical shift in acting. Stop selling and start serving.  

To put this in terms for your professional services firm, stop buying and start receiving this service. I’ll go even further and suggest an early warning sign…if your vendor doesn’t keep the door open that its software may not be a fit until an in-depth discovery is done, and all stakeholders are aligned, be wary. A solid partnership will be cognizant of the fact that an install that isn’t actually solving problems is a lose-lose situation.  

Finding the Wonderful Consultants Who Care  

So where are these wonderful consultants who care and want to partner with your professional services firm to solve your business issues? They’re out there all right. Yes, they’re tougher to identify among all those throwing the title around on their business cards or in their lingo.  

Here are 5 tips to help you find the right business solution partner. You’re looking for consultants who: 

1. Talk more about you and less about themselves and their product features.
2. Question and then listen.
3. Work with you and don’t sell to you.
4. Take the time to build trust and mutual respect.
5. Provide solutions that function for your firm instead of features that “could” work.

Partner Up to Navigate Features vs. Functionality 

Interested in learning more about finding a business solutions partner to help your firm operate better? While you’re at it, get rid of those boxing gloves. You won’t need them now that you can win the match – because you know how to make the right choice between features vs. functionality in selecting your next business software solution. 

As a veteran of the architecture, engineering, and construction industry for over 17 years, I've seen firsthand the importance of having a reliable and effective CRM system in place. When it comes to professional services marketing, Deltek Vantagepoint CRM is the go-to solution for many professionals in the industry. In this blog post, I'll explore why professionals in the industry love Deltek Vantagepoint CRM and why it's an essential tool for successful marketing and business development. 

1. Robust and Customizable Dashboards 

One of the most significant benefits of Deltek Vantagepoint CRM is the robust and customizable dashboard. The dashboard provides an overview of all essential information, including opportunities, leads, clients, and projects, in one centralized location. The dashboard is fully customizable, allowing you to choose the specific metrics and data that are most important to your marketing efforts. The ability to view all relevant data in one place helps marketing professionals make informed decisions and streamline their workflows. 

2. Natively Built Integration with Other Deltek Vantagepoint Modules 

The natively built integration between Deltek Vantagepoint CRM and other Vantagepoint modules offers numerous benefits to marketing professionals in the architecture and engineering (A/E) industry.  

First and foremost, the integration provides a complete view of the client's journey, from initial contact to project completion. This means that marketing professionals can easily access all relevant data related to a client, including project milestones, billing and invoicing information, and resource utilization. Having a complete view of the client's journey allows marketing professionals to make informed decisions about how to allocate their time and resources, resulting in more successful marketing campaigns and a better overall client experience. 

Another significant benefit of natively built integration is the prevention of duplication and errors. Because all data is up-to-date and accurate across all modules, there is no need to manually input information into multiple systems, reducing the risk of errors or duplications. This also means that marketing professionals can spend less time managing data and more time focusing on high-value activities, such as nurturing leads and developing targeted marketing campaigns. 

In addition, the natively built integration ensures that all data is secure and protected. Because there is no need for custom connections or plugs, there are fewer potential vulnerabilities in the system, reducing the risk of data breaches or security threats. The integration also ensures that all data is backed up and recoverable in the event of an outage or other issue, providing peace of mind to marketing professionals who rely on the system to manage their critical client data. 

3. Robust Reporting Capabilities 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM offers robust reporting capabilities that allow A/E professionals to analyze and measure the effectiveness of their marketing and business development efforts. The reporting capabilities include customizable reports, dashboards, and analytics, giving A/E professionals the insights that they need to make data-driven decisions. The reporting capabilities also allow A/E professionals to track the ROI of their marketing campaigns, pipeline and forecasting, and win rate percentages enabling them to make adjustments and improvements as necessary. 

4. Comprehensive Contact Management 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM provides comprehensive contact management capabilities that allow marketing professionals to manage all client and prospect data in one place. The contact management capabilities include contact details, communication history, and relationship tracking, ensuring that marketing professionals have a complete view of all interactions with clients and prospects. The comprehensive contact management capabilities also enable marketing professionals to segment their contact lists for targeted marketing campaigns. 

5. Mobile Accessibility 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM is mobile-accessible, allowing marketing professionals to access critical information and tools on the go. The mobile accessibility feature enables marketing professionals to stay connected and informed, no matter where they are. The mobile accessibility feature also allows marketing professionals to quickly respond to client and prospect inquiries, improving customer service and satisfaction. 

Watch a brief demonstration of the Deltek Vantagepoint CRM Mobile App here. 

6. Connection to Outlook and Gmail 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM allows marketing professionals to connect their Outlook and Gmail accounts, enabling them to synchronize email communications and appointments with their clients and prospects. This integration ensures that all communications are recorded in the CRM system, providing a complete view of all interactions with clients and prospects. The integration also enables marketing professionals to schedule follow-up activities and reminders directly from their email accounts. 

7. User-Friendly Interface 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM has a user-friendly interface that is intuitive and easy to use. The interface is designed to be customizable, ensuring that marketing professionals can easily navigate to the specific data and tools they need. The user-friendly interface also ensures that marketing professionals can quickly onboard new team members and get them up to speed. 

8. Manage the Entire Project Lifecycle in One Place 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM allows marketing professionals to manage the entire project lifecycle, from opportunity to project closeout. The system provides a complete view of all project-related information, including proposal and contract details, project milestones, and financials. The ability to manage the entire project lifecycle in one system streamlines the workflow, reduces duplication, and improves collaboration among team members. 

9. Real-Time Data Access 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM provides real-time data access, ensuring that marketing professionals always have access to the latest information. The real-time data access feature enables marketing professionals to respond quickly to changing market conditions and client needs, ensuring that they remain competitive in the industry. 

10. Customizable Workflows 

Deltek Vantagepoint CRM provides customizable workflows, enabling marketing professionals to create workflows that align with their specific business processes. The customizable workflows feature ensures that marketing professionals can automate tasks, streamline processes, and improve efficiency. 

In conclusion, Deltek Vantagepoint CRM is an essential tool for marketing professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Its robust and customizable dashboard, integration with other Deltek Vantagepoint modules, robust reporting capabilities, comprehensive contact management, automation and workflow, mobile accessibility, and user-friendly interface make it the go-to solution for professional services marketing. With Deltek Vantagepoint CRM, marketing professionals can streamline their workflow, increase efficiency, and make informed decisions that drive results. 

It’s no shock that technology is constantly changing. While some firms are accustomed to decentralized pursuit and marketing data, others are recognizing the need to consolidate platforms and streamline processes. In doing so, teams are discovering that a shared resource offers more transparency and accountability if executed smoothly. What are you waiting for? 

My years as a proposal specialist, marketing coordinator, marketing director, and now a CRM consultant have shown me that not all firms, or systems, are the same. There are often similarities regarding firm priorities, but people and processes can vary greatly. Let’s look at some pointers from the success stories and perhaps some lessons learned from others.  

Approach as a Team 

DO: Approach a CRM implementation with a TEAM mindset. 

The more successful implementations not only have executive support throughout the process, but they have executive engagement and involvement. This takes a commitment of time and effort from the leadership team as well as other stakeholders. Stakeholders may include members of the leadership team, marketing, and business development, seller/doers, proposal coordinators, and more.  

In Deltek Vantagepoint, everyone is using the same system and the same data, but for multiple purposes. This is certainly a team project, whether you would like to admit it or not. This concept is likely a change from previous processes.  

DON’T: Expect the marketing team to implement and roll out to the entire firm. 

There’s more to Deltek Vantagepoint CRM than marketing. It’s true! A strong CRM can guide how your firm identifies, pursues, and wins work. By capturing the right data, results can be analyzed and strategies adjusted.  

Engage Stakeholders 

DO: Think about business processes as a whole.  

It can take a large team of people in various roles to win work. Everyone has a part in the process, and representatives from those roles should be included in the implementation team. In Deltek Vantagepoint, many roles touch even just one project record. Business developers, proposal coordinators, project managers, finance teams, and project accountants all have a vested interest in recording data. The process needs to be seamless and support business processes. 

Ask questions, and then ask more! A few to get you started include:  

• Where do groups track efforts?  
• What reports are modified outside of Vantagepoint?
• What information do you want to know but have no way of knowing?
• How many emails are sent to find out who talked to John Doe recently? 
• What are the pain points in the process of winning work?

DON’T: Assume an individual or small group has all the answers to the above questions.  

Each role has an interest in different parts of the process. Use this opportunity to address as many as possible while implementing CRM in Deltek Vantagepoint.  

Manage Expectations 

DO: Identify firm priorities to focus on.   

What are the primary goals? And what is the timeline to accomplish these? Priorities usually identify themselves after stakeholders converse and discuss wish list items. Here are more questions to prioritize:  

• Does the firm want to have a clean pipeline?
• Does the firm want to utilize project forecasting?
• Does the firm want to know what is being spent on the pursuit of work? 
• What is the return on effort for marketing initiatives?
• How easily can a contact list be created for a holiday mailer? 

Secondary priorities can come into the fold after the primary priorities are rolled out. For firms new to CRM, there are recommended stepping stones to build upon and each of those takes some time. After all, a CRM implementation is usually rolled into a potentially busy workload. Identifying priorities and creating realistic timelines helps team members understand what’s important now and what to look forward to in the future.    

DON’T: Expect to successfully roll out a complete CRM in a few months. 

On the surface, that’s potentially an achievable goal. However, it may be more transactional than impactful. Do it right and go for impact!   

Make Decisions 

DO: Identify needs, discuss solutions, and make decisions.  

Making decisions allows for configurations to be made and tested. Once tested and confirmed that the process and system meet user needs, then document and execute it. Most CRM configurations can be modified and adjusted as needed. You must start somewhere though.  

DON’T: Delay decisions.  

I see implementations lose steam when decisions take too long. Sometimes this is due to not having the right team members around the table. Teams must include decision-makers and doers.   

Educate  

DO: Socialize the concept of CRM with employees.  

Introduce bite-size pieces of visuals, data, or processes in company meetings. By nature, some employees may become CRM champions or power users. Give them access and let them promote CRM with the implementation team. It’s always great to identify those cheerleaders within the firm that naturally promote a CRM because they believe in the process and trust the data.  

DON’T: Shock your users and give them a manual. 

People don’t typically like surprises. CRM implementation is no different. Helping others recognize what’s in it for them can go a long way. Even without the presence of a formal CRM platform, some employees are likely tracking CRM-like information. Perhaps it’s in a spreadsheet, email platform, another CRM tool, a notebook, or even their heads! Introduce them to a new tool to increase efficiency. 

Be Open to Adaptation  

DO: Recognize that this is a fluid and ongoing effort.  

Your business is constantly changing, which means your CRM system will need to adapt to those changes. A well-implemented CRM has an accompanying maintenance plan and onboarding steps.  

DON’T: Think you’re done after your go-live date.  

Tweaks will be made along the way, and workflows may change your life!  

Everyone Should be Involved When Implementing CRM 

There are many best practices to learn from and take advantage of here. While CRM is a tool that was historically used by marketing teams, Deltek Vantagepoint offers so much more than that. A theme that should be promoted throughout an implementation is “our system.” A CRM implementation is a group effort and everyone throughout the firm should be considered and involved throughout the process. 

It’s hard to believe that it is already so late in the year. It feels like not so long ago we were trying to beat the heat with cool drinks on sandy shores. But now the weather is beginning to cool down and the leaves are changing color, and that can only mean one thing: time to hunker down and manage the firm’s holiday contact list! Hopefully, this process has already been started but if not, this article shares a couple of tips on how using Deltek Vantagepoint features and functions can help maintain the firm’s holiday contact list and keep it clean for the future.  

Data Clean Up 

Before getting into the nitty gritty of data cleanup, let’s do a quick review. Every contact needs to have at least five parts: contact name, job title, firm name, email address and firm address. These five fields are standard in Vantagepoint, and with this information, marketers can build basic lists to use for both email marketing and direct campaigns.  

Then there are pieces of contact information that can be considered “nice to have.” These include attributes like market, rating, source, contact owner, mailings and segment type. These are not essential to the contact, but they can help narrow down who they are and what exactly the contact means to the company. 

Once marketers have identified their must-have and “nice-to-have” contact fields, head over to Vantagepoint and view the contact in list view. Using this Vantagepoint feature, allows marketers to quickly see what contact data is missing or outdated. See the screenshot below. 

This feature isn’t just in the Contacts hub either, so be sure to look for it in other hubs that may need some cleaning up as well.  

Send More Emails  

To avoid ending up with a bunch of old contacts, the best advice is to send more emails! Of course, don’t just spam the contacts, because that would just drive them away. Instead, think about sending newsletters weekly and/or monthly. By sending regularly email marketing campaigns to contacts, marketers will get contact information back such as bounced email addresses. This piece of information could indicate that the contact has moved firms or retired. Doing this throughout the year will help make the effort of creating holiday contact lists less daunting.  

Create Marketing Campaigns for Segmented Lists 

In the same vein as the last tip, use Vantagepoint Marketing Campaigns for list segments. To do this, create a new Marketing Campaign record with the name “List-Holiday Card,” for example. Then associate different contacts based on their segments (whether it be geographic, demographic, etc.) to add them to a list aka the Marketing Campaign record. With these new marketing campaigns more emails can be sent, and as contacts are created and updated, they can be added to different lists. 

Monitor New Contact Creation with Scheduled Reports 

Another good practice is to have Deltek Vantagepoint monitor what new contacts were created in the database. Deltek Vantagepoint allows the user to send scheduled reports of what contacts were created in a set period of time (i.e. weekly, monthly, etc.). When these are set up, a report will be sent to the user consisting of all the new contacts and will include who initially created the contact and if there is any missing information that needs to be added. In the case that any of the aforementioned key fields of the contact are missing, the user can follow up with the contact creator and ask them to fill out the required information. This feature can also be used for projects and employees, but in our case monitoring contacts is best. 

Use Workflow Warnings and Errors for Must-Have Contact Information 

Finally, make sure you are using workflows to your advantage. These workflows can be set up to indicate errors and warnings when a contact has missing information. Warnings will simply alert the user that the contact needs more information, but they will allow the contact to be saved nonetheless. Errors on the other hand will completely stop the user from saving the contact. Both of these options are effective ways to keep a contact list clean but be sure to choose which one to use carefully.  

See these Contact Management Tips in Action  

These are just some ways to utilize the Deltek Vantagepoint system features and functions to manage contacts, even outside of the holiday season. To see these features in action, click the image below to watch a replay of the webinar, A Modern Approach to Managing Holiday Contact Lists. 

We encounter many numbers throughout our lives. Over time, perhaps we learn which ones matter to us and which ones are just a number. So, when is a number just a number? One place to look is with Deltek Vantagepoint project numbers.  

After working countless hours with firms for their Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint, some of the more engaging and attention-grabbing conversations include project creation and project numbering. It turns out some firms rely quite heavily on project numbers. While this is technically not wrong, it may just be causing more pain than value. Wait until your Vantagepoint users see how much easier things can be in Vantagepoint when you stop caring so much about the number. 

New Deltek Vantagepoint Projects Hub 

The projects hub has expanded its use in Vantagepoint. It now captures the entire life cycle of a project - from pursuit through awarded and completed project. This means that a project number is assigned from the start.  

Because of this, the project number initially created is just that-a number. It doesn’t really matter. GASP! 

Project Numbers can now be “Dumb” 

In the past, many Deltek Vision users set up “smart” project numbers. Other users may have used numbers so complex; they could call them “brilliant” numbers. Over time, project numbers were heavily relied on to tell a story of the year it was created, the client, the number of projects the firm had with the said client, and so on.  

While some firms invested in scripting to automate the smart numbers, others had their staff complete forms to submit to accounting and perhaps a pair of employees was responsible for assigning the next project number based on a coveted spreadsheet. Get rid of the firm’s project setup forms forever with Vantagepoint! 

Let the System do the Heavy Lifting with Autonumbering  

 Who doesn’t want to make their workday easier? One-way Vantagepoint helps with this is by setting up autonumbering. Deltek Vantagepoint project autonumbering, proper education and training can give users independence to enter and track their own pursuit and project efforts. Talk about streamlining processes!  

 The autonumbering feature in Deltek Vantagepoint automatically generates an identification number for new records, including project records. And, in the autonumbering setup firms can define the structure of the project number to match the business requirements.  

How to Configure Autonumbering 

A Deltek administrator can enable automatic numbering by going into Settings > Workflow > Numbering. See the screenshot below. 

Then hover over the row of the system numbering format to update. For this example, select Project then go to the column called Auto Number Source. See in the screenshot below the various options to create an auto number source including Expression, Stored Procedure or Web Service.  

Below is an example of using the Expression Auto Number Source. When that option is selected, there are a few options. First, is that autonumbering can be set up for Overhead, Promotional and Regular project charge types. Once the charge type is selected, the Project Auto Number Format can be defined by inserting a row for each component of the project number.  

In the example below, this client wanted to show the year the project record was created in four characters, the next project in the sequence beginning at 439 with two leading zeroes, and, finally, a period followed by the project center level of office.  

Below the Project Auto Number Format grid are a few fields specific to which row is highlighted. In this screenshot, the “characters” row is selected so it’s displaying that specific row’s sequence number length, sequence number position and starting sequence number, 439. As each row is built, the sample value field will update.  

Once that is defined and saved, every time a new regular project is created, the number will automatically populate. Users won’t have to think about which project number to use next nor fill out a form to get the “next” project number from a separate log or notebook. See the screenshot below for how this will look for users. 

Autonumbering is defined as a Regular project record. 

 Autonumbering is defined as a promotional project record. 

Don’t Stop with Just Project Numbers 

The autonumbering function is not just available for project records. Deltek Vantagepoint has made autonumbering available for employees, firms, marketing campaigns, equipment and user-defined hubs. And, other areas with numbers can be automated too including phases, tasks, accounts, units, accounts, vendors, company, office, discipline, and more! 

Once you’ve crossed over to the autonumbering dark side, you’ll want to set it up for everything in Deltek Vantagepoint. Click below to learn more about Full Sail Partners Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint upgrade assistance services. 

The Vantagepoint Connect add-in with Vantagepoint CRM provides two-way synchronization of your contacts and calendar items within your Outlook email application. Outlook Connect empowers users across the firm to help nurture client relationships and collaborate with your team. While in Outlook, users can pin the context pane, so it remains visible. This allows the ability to view contacts and firms in the context of the active email addresses to provide quick insight to contact and firm information along with activity, pursuits, projects, and marketing campaigns. This visibility provides the entire team with valuable information while emailing and scheduling meetings. Let's take a look at how Deltek Vantagepoint Connect empowers users at your firm. 

Executives Seeking to Unify Their Team 

Sharing critical data easily across the firm is a key objective, yet a challenge for every executive. Managing and sharing data across the organization increases the ability to make crucial decisions across the business. Accessing data in a tool, like Outlook, that the firm uses on a daily basis eliminates roadblocks and redundancies for users across the company. With Deltek Vantagepoint Connect, Outlook allows users to search for and view information entered in Vantagepoint for any firm, contact, or project while in the tool. 

Increasing Client Communication Tracking for Marketing & Sales Teams 

When different departments approach tracking data in different ways, it adds barriers for marketing and sales to attain a holistic view across the firm. Identifying how to provide quick access to users entering and pursuing business across the firm ensures marketing and sales are able to provide meaningful reporting about the firm’s efforts. While using Outlook, team members now have the ability to create firms, contacts, pursuits, projects and activities within Vantagepoint as they are responding or sending emails. Having client data at your fingertips promotes transparency across the firm and improves communication to ensure departments are no longer working in silos. Outlook Connect integration is a vital tool to connect to your ERP to help marketing and sales strengthen collaboration across the company.    

Improving Project Management Productivity 

Project Managers live by tasks and schedules. During a project, a task is much more than just a to-do. It is also the way project-based firms bill for their time. Project Managers additionally need the ability to schedule and synchronize internal calendars and meetings. With the Vantagepoint Outlook Connect, users can now synchronize calendar items between Outlook and Vantagepoint. This eliminates the need to enter data twice.  

Outlook Connect also streamlines the process of scheduling meetings through the Scheduling Assistant. Through the Scheduling Assistant, clients can see the team's availability and choose a time to meet that works with both of their schedules. The client only sees available times and does not see any other details or appointments on your calendar. Alternatively, project managers can also provide specific times that are available for the entire team and provide defined time slots to the client. Once they choose a time, all internal team members will receive an invitation on their calendar. Lastly, when a calendar event is shared with Vantagepoint, users can log that time to their timesheet. Talk about improving productivity! 

Accessing Financial and Project Client Communication History   

Many times, firms may overlook finance’s need to access client data from Outlook. Finance always seems to be in the ERP system working on billing, AR and financial reports. However, Outlook is something they also use on a daily basis. One key way finance may find value from Outlook Connect is its ability to log email or correspondence related to billing. Outstanding AR, project contract documentation and contract changes should all be logged in your ERP related to the client, contact and project. Documenting correspondence and keeping client communication up to date guarantees all team members have access to the latest client communication history.   

Enable Your Professional Services Team 

Data has the potential to transform professional services firms' business when users share information across their entire company. No matter what role you are in, getting helpful data into the hands of your users enables them to make informed, data-driven decisions. Check out our past mini-demonstrations to see how Deltek Vantagepoint + Outlook is changing the way CRM is managed by professional services firms. 

Click the image below to learn how Full Sail Partners can help you Synchronize Your Business Outlook Calendar with Deltek Vantagepoint. 

For professional services firms to be successful, they need a client relationship management (CRM) system to help them focus their business development strategies to identify prospective projects and to nurture client relationships to ensure they win new projects. Furthermore, an effective CRM system requires firm employees to use the system and this is not just directed to the business development team. This requires the entire firm to be updating client records to ensure the most up-to-date information is available for business development. However, firms that have invested in a CRM system seem to have a common hurdle which is employee adoption. Here are a few things that can negatively impact user adoption at your firm.

The Lack of Defined Processes

Time and time again, firms roll out a new CRM system with the assumption that it’s just requires switching it on, and it’ll take care of itself. However, this is not the case. Firms need to first start off by identifying what goals they want to achieve so they can actually see results. Once they have their goals identified, a formal process needs to be outlined to ensure the CRM system is utilized in a way the benefits firm and aligns with current marketing and business development procedures. Here are some things to consider when defining a process:

• What is a lead and when does a lead become an opportunity?
• Who has the information at your firm that needs to be entered about a contact?
• Who can update contacts and what can they update?
• What role is responsible for cleaning up the CRM database?
• What reports are required for different roles?

Misguided Goals

Goal setting for business development teams are far too often focused on dollar amounts and win rates. However, this thought process ignores setting goals that align with the firm’s strategy for achieving their targeted dollar amounts and win rates. For example, the sales cycle to win a project for many professional services firms can be months to years depending on the industry. Therefore, having a goal that helps the business development team keep up with touchpoints helps ensure client relationships are being properly managed. So when considering goals, it’s important to develop goals that align with your firm’s strategic client management process.

Picking the Wrong CRM Solution for Your Firm

There are several things to consider when selecting a CRM solution for your firm. Firstly, not all CRM systems are the same and have different capabilities to support different industries. For instance, having a CRM system that integrates with your firm’s accounting and project management platforms is essential for professional services firms. Especially if you want all your firm’s data in one central location and your desire is for people to utilize the CRM system. An example of this is a firm that uses Deltek Vantagepoint or Vision for their accounting and project management, the obvious CRM system selection is Deltek CRM.

Additionally, system integration is great, but having a CRM system that has a friendly user interface is important as well to increase user adoption. By selecting a system that is intuitive and well designed, implementing a CRM adoption directive will most likely succeed across your firm.

Increase CRM Adoption

Many firms struggle with getting employees to adopt a new system. However, this does not have to be the case. By setting goals and processes for different teams within your organization to encourage use, your employees will be able to see the value of the CRM system. Lastly, make sure to point out the fact that a CRM system will help your firm continue to grow and be successful in the future.   

The world of professional services firms revolves around clients and projects. It’s a daily process of finding new clients and pursuing them for new work with hopes that all this effort equates to a winning project. While some firms chose to treat this like a rat race, others have learned that it’s more efficient to be strategic and intentional with their tactics. The latter has also likely adopted Deltek Vantagepoint CRM. Which enables professional services firms to use data to make actionable decisions that generate profitable projects.

Use Deltek Vantagepoint CRM to Track Client Relationships

Touchpoints galore! That’s right, professional services firms have touchpoints with numerous people at client firms and the information gained during these interactions needs to be collected and stored in one common place. By having these insights stored in a centralized system, firm marketing and business development teams can identify new pipeline opportunities and nurture key relationships.

Additionally, Deltek Vantagepoint CRM is the only real project-based CRM and supports the “seller-doer” model. The “seller-doer” model is when project managers and/or consultants are responsible for providing their services as well as generating new work. With Vantagepoint, “seller-doers” can easily record client touchpoints since they are in the same system being used to deliver and manage projects and engagements.

Gain Insights into Client Interests

Creating the right messaging and keeping clients engaged is a daily battle for marketers. Each victory is one step closer to winning the war, or in this case, new work. In this modern-day business development warfare, insights into client behavior are the weapons to success. Marketing campaigns in Deltek Vantagepoint can be used to track and measure the success of particular marketing efforts. Initiatives such as email blasts, webinars, industry conference sponsorships and more can all be tracked in Vantagepoint marketing campaigns.

Using these insights, marketers can determine which techniques and messages are working best to keep clients engaged. Business development teams can identify firms and contacts that are demonstrating high levels of interest and know what is getting their attention. As a result, relationships can be nurtured, and proposals can be more tailored to address the unique needs of a client.

Identify Opportunities and Create Winning Proposals

Often, it’s not just about finding new work, but it’s also about picking which request for proposals (RFPs) to pursue. Let’s admit, proposals are time consuming and often require the involvement of staff from several departments. Furthermore, firms often lack a go/no go process that is based on actual data. However, that doesn’t need to be the case if firms are using Deltek Vantagepoint.

Vantagepoint is a single source of truth since it contains project pursuit and opportunity information. Prior to picking which RFPs to pursue, business development teams using Vantagepoint can:

• Identify if internal resources are available to assist with the response.
• Apply lessons learned from previous wins and losses.
• Use quantifiable data to determine if an opportunity is financially beneficial for the firm.

After deciding which new RFPs to pursue, Vantagepoint remains a handy tool for the team responsible for preparing the proposal response. Being a project-focused CRM tool, the new pursuit stage begins by capturing project information in a new project. This allows the team to build an actual project plan with assigned resources, timelines, and budgets to ensure the final proposed project can be delivered in a profitable manner.

Additionally, past project information with descriptions, pictures, budgets and more can be included as reference project information. As is the same for resumes of employees that are identified as key resources for the project.

Automate Activities, Notifications and More with Workflows in Deltek Vantagepoint CRM

Updating data and maintaining clean accurate data is a daily struggle. More importantly, without taking the time to keep data up to date, it eventually becomes useless. Workflows are essential for automating repetitive tasks and notifying people about actions that need to be taken. In Deltek Vantagepoint workflows can:

• Update a client record when a change to the client field is made in a user defined grid.
• Provide an error notification with a user fails to update a required field or uses a wrong value.
• Trigger follow-up reminders for predefined activities in a marketing campaign.
• Automate the RFP go/no go process.

While these are just a few examples of workflows available in Vantagepoint, a Full Sail Partners’ consultant can help identify more workflows a firm can utilize to meet their unique needs. Click here to reach a crew member.

Win More Work with Deltek Vantagepoint CRM

Being that Deltek Vantagepoint is a project-centric CRM, it’s built and designed for the way professional services firms do business. Firms using Vantagepoint CRM gain a clear vision into their business development pipeline, nurture the right client relationships at the right time, and can propose competitive and reliable project bids. Now is the time to adopt Vantagepoint CRM and all its capabilities to win more business.

It seems like déjà vu and it should. It’s the same scenario played out over and over again for every proposal professional. Sitting in a dimly lit room with a lukewarm cup of coffee behind stacks of RFPs with pages upon pages to read. This entire process seems to be on constant repeat as you extract important details to determine which RFP is the winning one for your firm. However daunting and looming the task seems, the process is necessary.

For a proposal professional, the repetitive preparatory tasks are important since they are the gatekeeper that determine which RFPs receive a response. As a result, this responsibility requires analyzing specific metrics and information to determine which RFP your firm can win. In doing so, they utilize the infamous go/no go process to compare the details within the RFP to determine which opportunity is the best fit for their firm. But what if there was a solution that can help select the winning RFP for your firm? Well, there is since Deltek Vantagepoint CRM is more than your average CRM.

Deltek Vantagepoint is Your Source of Truth

A major benefit to starting the go/no go process with the Deltek Vantagepoint is that it already contains project pursuit and opportunity information. By using Vantagepoint early on in the process, you can:

• Identify available internal resources to assist with the RFP response
• Compare previous wins/losses and apply lessons learned for better decision making
• Quantify the go/no go process to make more objective decisions
• Avoid high risk pursuits and projects
• Improve your overall win rate
• Use automatic notifications to stakeholders to inform them of the go/no go decision and next steps

Utilize Vantagepoint User Defined Fields and Workflows

With user defined fields, a go/no go process can be created based on your firm’s needs. From simple to complex, Vantagepoint can be aligned to meet your business goals. User defined fields allow your firm to capture intel during the go/no go process and even apply a numeric score to criteria your firm uses to make a final decision. If your firm chooses to use a numeric score, a workflow in Vantagepoint can be created to determine whether or not to pursue an opportunity. A short list of some great areas to track using a numeric score that can be calculated using a workflow are:

• Experience with type of work in the RFP
• Client relationship type
• Client relationship status
• Past project performance for client
• Amount of work to be subbed
• When did you learn about the opportunity (before advertised, etc.)
• Does the project align with the firm’s strategic plan
• Can we compete with known competition
• Number of competitors
• Is there an incumbent

Implementing Deltek Vantagepoint CRM for the Go/No Go Process

When adding Vantagepoint CRM into your firm’s go/no go process, it’s important to thoroughly evaluate:

• If you’re asking the correct questions and weighting them appropriately
• Past wins and losses to identify what questions you could have asked to make a better go /no go decision
• Ways to simplify the process for others in your firm like project managers and senior management
• Collaborate with others at your firm on questions and metrics that should be included
• Test, test and test again to fine-tune the go/no go process

Start picking the winning RFP for your firm by using Vantagepoint CRM in your go/no go process.