Full Sail Partners Blog | Project Based Firms

In today's fast-paced business environment, finding internal information quickly is crucial. Surveys reveal that professionals often spend a significant chunk of their time just searching for necessary data and files. Deltek Vantagepoint, with each update, continues to streamline this process, making it even more efficient for users to retrieve project data and contacts. The enhanced search functionality acts as a virtual "easy" button, empowering users in professional services firms to locate precise information swiftly, leading to more insightful dashboards and reports. Let's dive into how these improvements elevate the user experience in Vantagepoint. 

The Basics 

The Search field in Vantagepoint now offers an intuitive interface with an updated Saved Searches menu. This menu not only provides quick access to frequently used searches but also includes newly added filters and sorting options. 

Custom and Shared Searches: A New Dimension

In addition to the standard searches like “Active,” “All,” and “My Company,” the updated Vantagepoint introduces more nuanced custom and shared search capabilities. Users can now create highly tailored searches that align with their specific project needs. Shared searches, curated by Vantagepoint administrators or power users, are now more refined, displaying results tailored to each user’s role and permissions.

Navigating Saved Searches with Enhanced Preview Options

The process of navigating through saved searches has been simplified. Clicking on a search now brings up an enhanced preview box, showcasing a more detailed snapshot of the results. This allows for quicker scanning and locating of specific records.

Enhanced Record and List Views

Upon selecting multiple results, the updated interface presents a more organized record-by-record view. Users can toggle through records effortlessly and switch to the ‘List View’ for a comprehensive, sortable, and filterable table of records.

At the top of the screen, it shows the total number of records. Each one has its own page, and users can toggle through each record using the arrows next to the record numbers. Users can also see the records in List View by clicking the List icon.

List View shows all the selected records in a sortable, filterable format. They can also be edited or modified from the List View table.

Streamlining Searches with the "Active Only" Toggle Feature

In Vantagepoint 6.5 released in fall 2023, a new feature streamlines the search process: the "Active Only" toggle. This convenient filter is present in the "Find [record]" field, enabling users to swiftly narrow down their search to only active records with a simple flip of the switch.

The "Active Only" toggle remembers your preference even after you log out, ensuring a consistent and efficient search experience in subsequent sessions. This enhancement has been integrated into a variety of forms across the system, from Billing to Resource Management, ensuring that users can maintain productivity with ease.

Creating Custom Searches

Custom searches have become more user-friendly. The interface guides users through a straightforward process of defining search criteria with improved field lookups and operator options. This update ensures that users can pinpoint the exact data they need with minimal effort.

Basic Custom Search

In the Contacts Hub, click the New Search button, and the new search window will appear over the current screen.

By default, it is auto-populated with “Active” in the Contact Status field. Beneath Contact Status, there are three columns. These columns are used to define the criteria for the search:

• Field Lookup: Look up fields available within the Hub (in this case, Contacts).
• Operator: The operator options tell Vantagepoint how to look for information. For example, if the Field Type is “Firm Name,” the operator options include options like “Contains” or “Is Empty.” Date-based fields include terms like “Is Today.”
• Value: This is the “what” that the search engine is looking for, such as “ABC Company” or “March 1, 2021.”

Vantagepoint automatically generates results below the search bar. The ability to quickly preview search results allows users to tweak the search criteria until they find exactly what they need without having to open a new search each time.

From here, users can click “Apply All” to be taken to the record-by-record view of their search results.

Advanced Custom Searches: A Deeper Dive

The Projects Hub now offers more complex search functionalities. Users can perform layered searches, combining multiple criteria to drill down to very specific project data. The interface intuitively guides users through setting up these advanced searches, making it accessible even for complex queries.

By default, the Project Status in the top row is set to Active. To view dormant or inactive projects, users can click the “X” next to the status and make another selection.

To perform a more advanced search, such as all the projects assigned to a certain project manager within a certain industry, users can combine search criteria.

• In the second row, enter “Project Type” as the Field, “equals” as the Operator, and “Educational/Educational Facilities” as the Value.
• Add a new row. Enter “Project Manager” as the Field and “equals” as the Operator. Enter the project managers’ name(s) as the Value.

Note that, based on this field type, the available options for Value will appear in the dropdown box. Results that don’t match the query will appear as well but are shown as grayed out.

Advanced Search Settings: Tailored to Your Needs

The Advanced Settings in the search box have been enhanced to provide even greater flexibility. Users can now specify their search criteria at various levels – from the overall project to phase or task level, accommodating a broader range of search needs for different users.

In this case, if the project managers had been assigned to specific tasks or phases of projects, that would show up here, in addition to project-level assignments.

Leveraging Power Search for Optimal Results

These enhanced search capabilities are just the tip of the iceberg. Deltek Vantagepoint's latest version offers a wealth of features designed to optimize data retrieval for project-based and professional services firms. To fully grasp these advancements, we encourage you to explore our mini demo, which covers both the basics of searching and some more advanced searching features.

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the demand for seamless remote access to critical data is paramount for professional services firms. You may already have encountered the Deltek Touch Time and CRM mobile applications and have a strong desire to empower your employees while they’re on the go, allowing them to leverage the capabilities of these apps to access your Deltek Vantagepoint data remotely. Whether you envision your staff accessing data from the comfort of their homes and abroad, or you foresee the immense value it can bring to project managers working in the field, we understand that venturing into Deltek Touch Time and CRM mobile applications to access from the web can seem like a daunting prospect. So, in this blog, let us address your concerns and delve into the benefits and safety measures involved for your professional services firm and try to allay your fears.  

Safety and Security

First and foremost, we realize that security is of the utmost importance to your professional services firm. However, when properly deployed with Secure HTTP and a robust password policy, accessing your Deltek Vantagepoint data from anywhere becomes as secure as accessing your online banking information. Your professional services firm’s data integrity remains intact, and you can trust that your business information is protected.

Cost-Effectiveness

Furthermore, for professional services firms, we know that the financial aspect of offering another feature is always a big concern. Yet, with Deltek Touch Time, the cost implications are minimal. The primary expense lies in the initial setup, generally taking no more than an hour or two. The foundation for this access is already embedded in your existing Deltek Vantagepoint installation. So, you can rest assured that the transition to remote access is cost-effective and well worth the investment.

Ease of Configuration

Moreover, configuring Deltek Touch Time for web access is a straightforward process, especially for a single server installation. It can be executed with minimal downtime or even scheduled for after-hours operation with careful planning. In cases where multi-tier installations are involved, there may be a bit of added complexity, but these nuances are well-understood and can be expertly addressed. The Full Sail Partners’ team has a wealth of experience assisting numerous professional services firms in navigating this transition, and we encourage you to reach out to us for any necessary support.

How Can You Access These Features?

Finally, you may be wondering, how do you open Deltek Vantagepoint to the internet to allow your professional services firm’s employees access to new features like Deltek Touch? It’s easy, just follow these steps:

• Modify your Firewall: Adjust your firewall rules to permit port 443, which facilitates secure HTTP traffic, to be forwarded to your Vantagepoint server. We advise that you test the setup at this point by visiting your Vantagepoint login page, ensuring that everything is still functioning correctly.
• Checking Domain Accessibility: Verify that the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) is accessible both internally and externally. Minor adjustments to your Domain Name System (DNS) settings may be necessary to achieve this.

By following these steps, you will seamlessly enable access to Deltek Vantagepoint from both onsite and offsite locations. Once this is confirmed, you can promptly inform all users to utilize the Touch links for their Deltek Vantagepoint requirements. How convenient is that?

Access to Data from Anywhere is Within Your Grasp

The transformation to accessing Deltek Vantagepoint data from anywhere, at any time, is well within your professional services firm’s grasp. You can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your data is securely protected while remaining readily accessible to all your employees whenever it is needed. We encourage you to share your thoughts regarding having seamless remote access to your essential data with us, and if you require any assistance or guidance, do not hesitate to contact our knowledgeable team at Full Sail Partners.

Deltek Vantagepoint announces an exciting new update, offering a wealth of tools and features to continue to increase collaboration and productivity for project-based firms. Vantagepoint 6.5 includes a substantial release filled with enhancements across multiple modules that benefits different user groups. In this article, I’ll be covering the top 5 features that I think will have the biggest impact in the daily usage. Without further ado, let’s jump right in! 

1. Accounts Payable (AP) Invoice Approvals Enhancements

This update brings significant time-saving enhancements to AP Invoice Approvals, including improvements to Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), the introduction of a new field, and more. 

• Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR): One of the standout features of this update is the integration of ICR for AP Invoice Approvals. With ICR, Vantagepoint can read details from uploaded AP Invoice files and automatically populate several key fields in the AP Invoice Approval form. These fields include Vendor, Address, Invoice, Invoice Date, Invoice Amount, and even Currency if you work with multiple currencies.  
• Streamlined AP Invoice File Uploads: When you upload an AP Invoice file, the system provides a preview pane on the right side of the AP Invoice Approvals form, displaying the uploaded document. While this update may seem small, it’s incredibly helpful when managing multiple files within the same AP Invoice.  
• Invoice Amount Field: ICR automatically populates the Invoice Amount field on the AP Invoice Approvals form with the total amount from the uploaded file. This field is now always editable, ensuring that the value matches the total amount in the Project Information grid. If there's a discrepancy, the system will display a warning message upon submission. 
• Adjustable Right Pane: In the Transaction Center, when viewing the AP Invoice Approvals form in Detail View, you can now display a PDF of the AP invoice in a preview pane on the right side. This convenient feature allows you to simultaneously review the invoice while making edits to the invoice and project information. 

2. Smoother Vantagepoint Connections with API Enhancements 

Deltek Vantagepoint 6.5 introduces an array of powerful API enhancements to streamline your workflow. With new AP Invoice Approval API Endpoints, Third-Party Integrations API Endpoints, and the PUT Post Timesheet Entry API Endpoint, integrating with Vantagepoint has never been smoother. 

• AP Invoice Approval API Endpoints: For those integrating with Vantagepoint, new API endpoints for AP invoice approvals are now available. These endpoints adhere to existing validations, restrictions, and security requirements at the application level, ensuring seamless integration. 
• Third-Party Integrations API Endpoints: Another API-related enhancement is the introduction of Third-Party Integrations API endpoints. Just like the AP Invoice Approval endpoints, these follow established validation, restriction, and security protocols. 
• PUT Post Timesheet Entry API Endpoint: To simplify timesheet management, the new PUT Post Timesheet Entry API endpoint allows you to post timesheets for individual employees or multiple employees at once. This API endpoint respects existing validations, restrictions, and security measures. 

3. Long-Awaited Dashparts Types  

The latest additions to Vantagepoint Dashparts offer customized metric presentations, extended role-based security, and improved functionality, streamlining operations for efficient data access and evaluation. 

• Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dashpart Type: With this new dashpart type, you can highlight crucial metrics for better data evaluation. Other customization features include changing the background and text colors, turning on/off sorting, selecting the date ranges, adding calculations, adding filters, and more. Even more, you can use the conditional formatting that will dynamically change the tile color when comparing KPI values to static values. 
• Firm Dashpart Base: This new dashpart base displays firm-related information from the Firms hub, including vendors, clients, competitors, or government agencies. This enables quick access to relevant firm data directly from your dashboard. 
• Role-Based Security for More Dashpart Bases: Role-based security settings, previously available for Employee dashparts, are now extended to several other dashpart bases, including AR Detail, Project, Project Detail, and Firm. This enhances data security and access control within your organization. 
• Timesheet Floor Check System Dashpart: This new dashpart empowers you to perform employee timesheet floor checks directly from your dashboard. This feature replicates all actions available in the Floor Check dialog box in the Timesheets module, such as sending reminders, opening or printing timesheets, and checking timesheets from different periods. 
• Dashpart Calculations: You can now create dashpart calculations based on selected columns in the current dashpart. These calculations respect filters and date ranges applied to the columns, allowing for more precise data analysis. Dashpart calculations are different from calculated fields, which are formulated from all available fields of a dashpart base. 
• New Columns for the Project Detail Dashpart Base: Additional columns have been added to the Project Detail dashpart base to enhance cash flow visibility for clients using Paid when Paid (PWP) payment terms. These columns provide insights into invoice status, discounts taken, payment dates, and more. 
• Update to the AR Comment Column: Users can now add or edit AR comments directly from drill-to dashparts with the AR Detail dashpart base, simplifying AR management. 

4. Improved Labor Resource Assignments and Unit Planning 

Deltek Vantagepoint 6.5 brings notable enhancements to the Planning module, aimed at improving the management of labor resources and unit planning within your projects. 

• Fill Labor Resource Assignments with Planned Hours: On the Labor tab of the Plan form, a new feature called "Fill Hours Per Day" empowers you to assign planned hours to workdays for labor resources based on specific criteria. You can choose to allocate hours based on a set number of hours per workday or a percentage of the employee's hours per day. This streamlines the process of planning labor resources and ensures more accurate assignments. 
• Unit Planning Enhancements: Unit Planning has also received improvements, allowing you to view planned, actual, and baseline unit data more effectively. This includes the ability to display sub-rows for unit quantities, cost, billing amounts, and allocation in each calendar period of your project plan. Additionally, you can now specify unit planning data export settings based on the desired timescale, whether by day, week, or month. 
• Plan Expenses and Consultants in Calendar Periods: For companies using the Resource Planning module and planning expenses and consultants, Vantagepoint 6.5 introduces the ability to plan expense and consultant amounts in calendar periods within the Plan module. This feature enhances the granularity of your planning capabilities. System administrators can configure these options in Settings, and individuals can modify them for specific plans if they have the appropriate access rights. 
• Show the Critical Path on the Gantt Chart: When it comes to project scheduling, understanding the critical path is crucial for project managers. In Deltek Vantagepoint 6.5, you can now visualize the critical path of your project directly on the Gantt chart within the Schedule tab of the Plan form. The critical path represents the sequence of tasks or phases that cannot be delayed without affecting the project's completion date. By toggling on the "Show Critical Path" option above the schedule grid, tasks or phases on the critical path are highlighted in red, making it easier to identify and manage them.

5. New Workflow Functionality

The workflow functionality in Deltek Vantagepoint has been enhanced with two significant features: 

• After Completion Workflow Type: Vantagepoint 6.5 introduces the "After Completion" workflow type for Application workflows. This workflow type allows you to define additional actions that should occur on a transaction after it has been successfully posted to the database. This feature enhances automation and customization capabilities within your workflows, enabling post-processing actions tailored to your organization's needs. 
• Support for Alternate Approvers: In the Approval workflows, a new set of options has been introduced to support alternate approvers. These options include "Do Not Allow Employees to Approve More than Once," which prevents an assigned approver from approving a record more than once, and "Do Not Allow Employees to Approve Records They Have Created," which prevents approvers from approving records they themselves created. These options enhance workflow management, impartiality, and control in the approval process. 

Enhancements Abound with Deltek Vantagepoint 6.5

Deltek Vantagepoint 6.5 introduces a wide range of enhancements and features designed to streamline operations, enhance security, and improve functionality across various modules. These updates empower organizations to make more informed decisions, increase efficiency, and maintain data accuracy in their day-to-day operations. With these improvements, Vantagepoint continues to evolve as a powerful and versatile solution for project-based businesses. To see these improvements and more, make sure to watch our “What’s New in Vantagepoint 6.5 Webinar” by clicking the image below.

For many years, project-based firms have utilized multiple technology platforms to track different pieces of crucial information. Perhaps human resources, finance, marketing, and project managers all have been using a separate platform at the same firm. How does information flow? Is it a manual process, are the systems integrated, or does everything stay siloed? There are numerous benefits to housing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and client relationship management (CRM) information in ONE accessible platform. Here in this blog, let’s check out 6 reasons for project-based firms to have an integrated CRM and ERP.

#1 Simplify, Streamline, and Save

We all want to streamline relevant business and project-based matters where we can, right? Having all CRM and ERP data in one platform, the information only needs to be entered once. ONE TIME. The data entry point can vary from browser to app, to Outlook, or to another platform, but it ultimately only gets typed in once. When integrating CRM and ERP, gone are the days of having to search through multitudes of emails to find out who last spoke to the pertinent client to get important details.

Additionally, having ERP and CRM systems together as one may be a cost savings as well. There's no additional hosting, no, or less, integrations to manage, and no additional platform to learn, maintain, and train on. This is a prime example of the concept that "less is more."

#2 Find the Latest Information with Less Noise

Just think of employee-client interactions and the information that is gathered as a firm resource. Business resources, especially for project-based firms, are meant to be shared efficiently, and that information should be available when others need it. Furthermore, new information is constantly coming in and a CRM tool provides your teams a platform to document and share this information, keeping everyone informed. With one clear space to keep this information organized, you can expect fewer logins, fewer emails, and less noise. Moreover, if CRM data is captured timely and correctly, it takes significantly less time to research the latest communications with clients. This activity tracking can help keep pursuits and projects on track.

#3 Increased Collaboration

Roles within a project-based firm sometimes have a defined description, and oftentimes the same information can be significant to different roles within the business. Whether it's key performance indicators (KPIs), pipeline reports, win rates, resume information, or contact lists, having ERP and CRM data in one place promotes collaboration between departments. This is especially true with human resources, finance, and marketing groups. This sharing of data located in one place allows understanding of other areas of the company, thereby creating a healthier collaborative environment firm-wide.

#4 Transparency Allows for Productivity

Executives, managers, leaders, and even staff, in project-based firms, want to know what work may be coming up. While they all may have their specific reasons for this knowledge, they shouldn't have to rely on someone else to distribute the information that they are looking for when they need it for their own purposes. Transparency can keep employees at all levels informed and therefore productive. And why not allow them to see this information on the platform in which they are already working? 

Whether it's timesheets or project records, most employees are in their firm's ERP daily and should be able to quickly access what information they desire in one place. Employees should have the ability to see the big picture as well as drill down to their specific information.

Take for example, that according to the 44th Annual Deltek Clarity A&E Industry Study, win rates were strong among A&E firms, but there was a decline in the number of proposals submitted. Having the visibility of win rates certainly allows for a stronger Go/No-go process, which allows project-based firms to be selective, and effective, in the work they pursue.

#5 Use Accountability to Create Consistency 

With transparency comes accountability. Principals, seller-doers, and business developers with project-based firms should be held accountable for keeping their colleagues informed. Winning work is imperative for project-based firms, and communications and pursuits are firm resources. For this to be successful, however, there needs to be support and enforcement from all levels of leadership. With an integrated CRM and ERP, information about upcoming pursuits or projects flows freely and everyone can be held accountable. Consistency is crucial to success.

#6 Leap Toward Digital Maturity

Another finding in the 44th Deltek Clarity Study is that more than 82% of A&E firms anticipate being “advanced” or "digitally mature” in the next five years. Strategic technological improvements are a big focus for both project management and financial management. Is your project-based firm part of this trend? Having CRM and ERP woven together is certainly a step toward digital maturity.

Now is the Time to Integrate Your CRM and ERP

These six compelling reasons clearly show the value of integrating your CRM and ERP into one system. You’d agree that every project-based firm would benefit from cost savings and increased collaboration firm-wide among other benefits. Is your firm ready to make the move? If so, one of our CRM consultants would be happy to discuss it with you!

Within Deltek Vantagepoint lies an extremely useful tool that, when enabled and configured, allows a professional services firm to manage multiple companies within a single Deltek Vantagepoint database. However, the benefits of multicompany functionality seem to elude many professional services firms that would gain the most from its capabilities. So, in this blog, let’s delve into this multicompany functionality and discuss why, when, and how firms should use this fantastic feature.

Why Use Deltek Vantagepoint Multicompany?

Basically, the need for a multicompany environment comes down to the ability to track entities with separate tax ID numbers in a single Deltek Vantagepoint database. Some of the scenarios that require multicompany management include:

• Banking relationships
• Investments and/or holding company requirements
• Tax reporting
• Professional licensing requirements
• Foreign country reporting requirements

Additionally, the need for intercompany billing can occur when two or more related companies make payments on behalf of the other companies. The most common reason for intercompany billing is the sharing of labor resources between companies that have separate payrolls and/or vendor payments for another related company.

When a professional services firm decides to utilize multicompany functionality, it is recommended that sub-ledgers be enabled to track the due to and due from, and clear intercompany balances. With multicompany enabled, users can use both the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable aging reports for intercompany balances.

First Determine the Internal Pricing Structure

Upon implementing multicompany functionality in Deltek Vantagepoint, professional services firms must first determine what internal pricing structure to adopt. The options are:

• Re-class only - moves the transaction to intercompany Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable at cost
• Project Centric - leaves the transaction on the books of the project’s company with some amount of compensation also moving to keep the loaning organization whole
• Employee Centric - moves the transaction back to the employee’s company with some amount of revenue moving back as well
• High Accountability – which uses a work breakdown structure (WBS) to manage transactions and point directly to the company that owns the transaction

Keep in mind that there is considerable flexibility within the options above. Different methods can be configured for different transaction types. Also, by order of operation, the distinct options can be overwritten at the individual company level or by the project at the lowest WBS level.

Intercompany billing makes accounting’s job easier regarding multicompany transactions. When transactions are made to projects not in the home company (the company where the transaction is being posted), invoices and vouchers are created through a series of postings that are reflected in the general ledgers (GLs) of the respective companies. These invoices and vouchers also appear on the Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable aging reports noted above. The Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable balances can then be cleared by using the standard check processing and cash receipt routines.

More Benefits of Multicompany

Using Deltek Vantagepoint’s multicompany functionality provides another benefit to firms with consolidated reporting. Consolidated reporting allows a view of the performance of all the companies within the database. Consolidated groupings can represent all companies or a cross-section of companies depending on the needs of company leadership. The consolidation process incorporates standard eliminations of configured control accounts and client-defined accounts, such as capital investments in related companies. Consolidations are “memo” entries and are not posted to the GL.

A multicompany database permits each company to maintain a unique GL while still only creating one set of shared GL account numbers. Furthermore, professional services firms can restrict GL account numbers, and other master records can be shared and/or restricted as well. Vendors (managed in the Vantagepoint Firms Hub) can be shared across the enterprise. However, the accounting tab is company-specific for account number and 1099 purposes.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, the multi-currency application works in tandem with multicompany to allow companies to have a unique functional currency – the currency the company does business in. This is an excellent feature for professional services firms that work internationally. Lastly, the consolidation process can include Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) compliant currency translations and gains/losses entries.

Take Advantage of Deltek Vantagepoint Multicompany Functionality

Is the multicompany functionality in Deltek Vantagepoint the right fit for your professional services firm? Don't leave it to guesswork. Schedule a Navigational Analysis with Full Sail Partners today. We'll help you assess your firm's unique needs and guide you in determining if the multicompany feature is the best solution for you. Dive deeper, make informed decisions, and ensure your firm sails smoothly towards success. Contact us now and let's chart the best course for your business!

The Labor Cross Charge utility of Deltek Vantagepoint is often an underused accounting feature by project-based firms. It is simply not being utilized because users are not quite familiar with the concept and how it could be of benefit. So, first off, the labor cross charge capabilities in Vantagepoint are based on similar theories as multi-company but are focused on the interaction within a project-based company and its organizational breakdown structure (OBS) and only focuses on labor. Before we dive deeper, here are some links to some resources about multi-company functionality and OBS in case you are unfamiliar with these topics.  

High-Level Insight into Cross Charge in Deltek Vantagepoint 

To those unfamiliar with the concept, cross charging is a financial tool that only impacts the general ledger. It does not change project reporting since the time charged to a project remains on the project for billing and reporting purposes. Cross charge is labor-focused and occurs after the timesheet is posted.  

Since Deltek Vantagepoint is project-based, this simply means that time is entered to a project number whether time is spent on a regular, revenue-producing project or an overhead effort. By default, the labor cost follows the project’s organization. If the cross charge process is not configured or run, the labor cost will remain on the income statement of that organization.  

Why Use Cross Charge?  

As financial and operational managers, we know that revenue can only be earned when a cost is incurred. For this reason, cross charge allows project-based businesses to move these elements in and out of various “buckets” within their organization. When a combined income statement is run, all cross charge entries will zero out and the original revenue and cost will remain.  

The cross charge process is used when project-based firms loan and borrow resources at the lowest level of the OBS, which could be:  

• Office - OBS is organized based on the physical locations of your offices  
• Department/Discipline - OBS is structured around different functional areas or departments within your organization 
• Market Sector - OBS is focused on your firm's market sectors   

A good situation for using cross charge would be with a civil engineering firm where projects will be needed for various disciplines. For instance, the survey department would loan their staff to the engineering projects and cross charge would be the financial component to drive and manage the accounting for the labor.  

There are two internal pricing options to choose from when configuring cross charge:  

1. Project Centric – This is when labor remains on the income statement of the organization where the project resides. A multiplier is then used to move some portion of operational/overhead (OH) costs from the loaning organization to the borrowing organization. This factor could be limited to a fringe benefit rate or represent a breakeven OH rate or even include some profit. The purpose is to ensure that the loaning organization has an incentive to keep their staff busy, but they also need to be mindful not to over-extend their resources. 
2. Employee Centric – This works by sending labor back to the employee’s organization. Using typical billing rates, although a multiplier can be used, the revenue is moved from the project’s to the employee’s organization. The purpose again is to ensure the loaning organization doesn’t lose the ability to show a profit by sharing their staff.  

Real-life Application of Cross Charge in Deltek Vantagepoint 

Here is a success story where the operational process and projects are built on the premise that fee and scope drive work breakdown structure (WBS) in a client’s Deltek Vantagepoint database. Under this model, high accountability becomes the first option where phases and tasks within a project are assigned to different organizations based on the portion of the work. Employees charge the phase/task that is assigned to the organization they “live” in. This results in more closely managed projects because the profit accountability is shifted back to the organization supplying the labor. This process eliminates the need for cross charge. 

 However, realizing that in order to run successful projects, there is a necessity to anticipate unplanned needs. This means that the project-based firm must have the ability to borrow an employee from another department for a short-term assignment or a last-minute need. For example, the base building studio decides it needs input from the interior design studio. In this scenario, the client falls back on the project-centric method noted above as a mechanism to facilitate resource sharing and not impede project progress. Furthermore, this is a prime example of a need for cross charge.  

Gain Control of Resources with Cross Charge  

The Labor Cross Charge utility in Deltek Vantagepoint can provide the functionality required to ensure an open and smooth process of resource sharing for your project-based firm. With a thorough understanding and effective implementation, cross charge can provide another dimension in managing your business.  

Interested in more information about using cross charge and how it can help unlock the full potential of Deltek Vantagepoint? Want to learn other ways of ensuring your project-based firm is running as efficiently as possible? If so, Full Sail Partners is happy to offer your firm a Navigational Analysis. 

Deltek Vantagepoint is a powerful tool with many capabilities to ensure the success of project-based firms. Despite the availability, many users often don’t use the system to its full capacity or simply overlook some of the features of Vantagepoint that will make their jobs easier. In this article, I’ll just scratch the surface of Vantagepoint’s capabilities by sharing 10 tips and tricks. Hopefully one or two of these will help you get more out of your system.  

#1 – Use the Application Finder to Get to Your Information Faster 

As part of its re-imagination process, Deltek took the redesign of the user interface seriously. This means getting the information you need faster and more streamlined. One way they did this was by adding an Application Finder or search bar to the left-hand navigation. You can use this application finder to type in a few characters of what hub you want to open. For example, if you want to open a project record, you can begin typing “Pro...” and it will display all the areas with the word project in it.  

And, with Vantagepoint 5.5, you’ll find little stars next to each sub-menu and you can click to fill in the star and make it available in the favorite menu. To toggle between the favorites menu and the normal menu, use icons directly below the find application and above the menus. Find application is active no matter which icon is selected. See below for an example. 

#2 – Personalize Vantagepoint in My Preferences 

While the Deltek admin can configure the settings for the company, security roles, and even specific users, you can personalize some of the Vantagepoint experience just for you! By clicking on the gear in the top right corner, then selecting “My Preferences,” there are some ways that you can personalize your experience. Some of those include:  

• Set your preferred project search sort order. You can choose to sort the project lists by Project Name or Project Number.  
• Choose whether you select saved searches or records when running a report. 
• Choose whether you want to default to an accounting period or be prompted to select an accounting period upon initial log-on to Vantagepoint.  
• If your firm has turned on the Contact Qualification settings, you can choose the default Qualified status as either New Lead or Qualified Lead.  
• You can set your default Country for all addresses in the system.  
• You can choose what you want to load initially when you log into Vantagepoint. Options include the Application last used, the default Welcome Page, or you can select a specific application.    
  

#3 – Access Vantagepoint from Your Phone 

This is often one of the most overlooked features of Vantagepoint – the mobile apps! Deltek has created two mobile apps specifically for Vantagepoint. One is for time and expense and one is specifically for CRM. Both are available for both iPhone and Android users. Stop what you’re doing right now, open your phone, go to your app store, and then search and download at least the Deltek T&E for Vantagepoint.  

The Deltek T&E for Vantagepoint allows you to complete and submit your timesheet on the go! And, with Vantagepoint 5.5, Deltek improved the navigation menu and usability to make completing your timesheet even easier. The T&E app also allows you to submit expenses from your phone too. It utilizes ICR so that you can snap a photo of a receipt and the app intelligently reads text and handwriting to populate the form using machine learning.  

Please note that you’ll need the CRM license to access the Deltek CRM for the Vantagepoint app. With this app, you’ll be able to view, add and edit records including firms, contacts, projects, and activities. And, with Vantagepoint 5.5 or later, you can snap a photo of a business card, and using the same ICR technology, it will either add or update the contact information.  

#4 – Don’t Miss an Important Alert or Assignment 

The notification center allows you to instantly see how many outstanding action items and notifications you have. You’ll know you have an important notification when a red number appears in the top right corner of Vantagepoint. This notification center is organized by Action Items and Notifications. The Action Items area includes activities, approval assignments, and past-due timesheets. The Notifications area includes workflow notifications, alerts, and failed and completed process server jobs. 

#5 – Use List View to See and Update Many Records at Once 

Every Hub area in Vantagepoint has the ability to show one record at a time or multiple records at once using List View. No matter what Hub you’re in, to toggle between record and list view, click the button with the three lines just to the right of the record numbers (see screenshot below). 

When you go into List View, you’ll see all of the records you have opened based on your search criteria. And, once you’re in List View, you can do a few different things. Below are just a few of the list view functions.  

• Quickly sort and filter the records by clicking the little funnel icon on the right-hand side.  
• Choose which columns (or fields) you want to see in list view by clicking the gear just above the list of records
• Update the information in each cell by clicking in it.  
• Download the records as they currently appear on the screen by clicking the down arrow just above the list of records. 
• Save the view so you can apply it again or save different views based on the task for that session.   

#6 – Stop Wasting Time Searching for Your Information 

If you find yourself constantly looking for the same records or the same type of records over and over again, I encourage you to create a saved search. You can create saved searches for yourself or for others (based on your security settings) to quickly find the records you need. Some popular saved searches include: 

• Projects where I am the Project Manager (or Principal or Marketing Manager), 
• Contacts located in a certain city or state,  
• Clients where I am the client manager, and 
• Active pursuits which can be a list of projects in certain stages. 

Watch this mini-demo to learn more about searching and saving frequently used searches. 

#7 – Set Up Projects Faster Using Project Templates  

With Deltek Vantagepoint, there are most likely going to be more people creating new project records. This includes marketing, business development, project managers, and accounting. This differs from other ERP systems, including Deltek’s previous Vision system, where mostly finance or accounting open new projects. Because of Vantagepoint’s streamlined project lifecycle, you only need to open one project record that will be used from pursuit to project delivery.  

Make the project creation process faster and more consistent by utilizing project templates. When you create a project from either another project or a project template with a structure already determined, Vantagepoint will build that new project with that same structure and/or allow you to choose to edit the structure during the project creation process.    

Through this process, you can choose the levels of the project that you want to use as well as add additional levels and edit values as needed before saving.  

#8 – Use the Calendar to Complete Your Timesheet 

If you’re like me and find visual displays easier to read than line-item displays, then the Calendar is for you! The calendar feature is found under My Stuff and allows you to create, edit, and schedule events and activities as well as their associated tasks and timesheet entries. You can use the Calendar Timesheet Pane to add timesheet entries. In this view, you can see recent projects and upcoming assignments and drag these items to the calendar.  

#9 – Share Vantagepoint Records Easily 

Because Deltek Vantagepoint is a web browser-based application, each record or screen has its own URL that is specific to your Vantagepoint instance. You can save your Vantagepoint URLs to specific applications, Hubs, or records similar to how you save other favorite websites, or you can share them with your coworkers.  

See the screenshot below, specifically the URL at the top of the image. I can copy and paste that URL link to send in a Teams Chat or email to one of my coworkers. When they click on the link, they will be prompted to log into Vantagepoint but then be taken directly to that project record.  

#10 – Get the Right Help, When You Need It 

Another part of Deltek’s reimagining was the help or support portal for Vantagepoint. No matter where you are in the system, you can click on the question mark in the top right corner and the Help options will change dynamically based on what Hub or application area you’re currently in. The example below shows project-related information including links to Online Help, Learning Aids, Information Center, and more.  

If you find yourself not knowing what a specific record or application does, what to do next, or if you want to learn more, make sure the next step is to click the question mark in the top right corner.   

Do More with Deltek Vantagepoint 

These are just 10 tips and tricks to help you get more value from Deltek Vantagepoint. To see these and others in action, please click the image below to view our mini-demo series – Powering Project Success with Deltek Vantagepoint. Each mini-demo is less than 15 minutes and will show you how Vantagepoint empowers the different roles in your firm.  

This year’s Deltek ProjectCon, formerly known as Insight, was a successful return to an in-person conference after two years of being virtual. With great anticipation, Deltek users converged in Nashville at the Gaylord Opryland November 15-17th. Choosing from over 390 sessions across 11 tracks, all Deltek users were able to discover many tips and identify actionable items to help their firms maximize business performance and revenue while also figuring out how to use their Deltek solutions in innovative ways. 

Deltek Vantagepoint and Vision users had the opportunity to learn all about the latest product enhancements as well as network with peers during the various educational sessions offered. The sessions that Full Sail Partners’ team members attended varied from finance to resource planning to marketing and business development. Also, seven experts from Full Sail Partners presented at a few sessions this year. Here is a recap of some of the exciting things that were taken away from ProjectCon 2022.

Single Source of Truth Between Deltek Vantagepoint and ADP 

Full Sail Partners’ very own Rick Childs, Principal Consultant, Jennifer Wilson, SQL Developer, and Scott Seal, VP of Consulting, shared details on the newest Blackbox Connector offering at ProjectCon. Attendees here learned how Deltek Vantagepoint and ADP could work together to enhance the payroll experience. They saw how this new Blackbox Connector securely and seamlessly integrates the ADP platform with Vantagepoint and how the Vantagepoint Payroll Interface allows firms to efficiently move Vantagepoint project hours to ADP payroll hours based on business rules. Furthermore, attendees discovered that employee data can now be integrated between ADP Workforce Now and Vantagepoint with a single point of entry upon the employee hiring process. 

From this session, attendees took away the following: 

• Understood approaches between Deltek Vantagepoint and ADP Workforce Now for employee PTO accruals and PTO requests & approvals 
• Found out how to automatically provision a Vantagepoint User ID & Role based on a hiring event in ADP Workforce Now  
• Saw how a GL Payroll Distribution Journal Entry seamlessly returns to Vantagepoint as a reviewable and postable file 

New and Improved Deltek Vantagepoint Accounting Features to Automate Business 

Here, Terri Agnew, Principal Consultant, and Theresa DePew, Senior Consultant, with the Full Sail Partners’ team reviewed ways to use Vantagepoint to automate accounting departments at project-based firms. Attendees familiarized themselves with improved features in Vantagepoint and discovered the latest and greatest features including approvals, billing, AR, reporting, and dashboard features. Moreover, having spent more than 1,000 hours helping more than 100 companies upgrade from Vision to Vantagepoint, these two consultants provided expert advice to those financial teams in attendance. 

Create a More Collaborative and Efficient Team with Deltek Vantagepoint 

In a third presentation by members of the Full Sail Partners’ team, Amanda Roussel, Senior Consultant, and Rana Blair, Principal Consultant, helped to show ProjectCon attendees how to create a more collaborative and efficient team environment with Deltek Vantagepoint using one firm’s story. Professional services firms strive to efficiently manage project lifecycles and attendees here got to see how one firm created a more cohesive and streamlined method for operating their project-based business.  

JCJ Architecture took attendees on a journey through their new project lifecycle and saw how their team reimagined their processes from pursuit identification to final project execution, resulting in a more collaborative team environment. Having better data provided better analysis, which resulted in better decision-making. Attendees furthermore discovered ways to bring teams together and gain knowledge about the visibility Vantagepoint brings. 

Better Vantagepoint CRM and Business Development Dashboards 

Amanda Roussel, a Full Sail Partners’ Senior Consultant, found a lot of value in this session. She learned tips for marketing and business development leaders to use and adjust CRM dashboards in Deltek Vantagepoint. Pre-defined dashboards for CRM provide insights for active pursuits, previous quarter pursuits and other significant CRM data. To discover more, simply make minor adjustments. 

Attendees explored additional configuration options like calculated and user-defined fields and workflows, so data is captured and used to chart historical trends for key business development metrics. No more need for Excel! Amanda additionally felt that the session did a great job of teaching how to focus on filters and confirmed the best practice of always copying a dashboard/part before editing. Furthermore, Amanda felt that attendees gained great insight into tracking stage changes. 

CRM and Business Development Dashboards 

Amanda Roussel, Senior Consultant, also attended this session which reminded attendees that most business development activity happens outside of the office. With Deltek Vantagepoint CRM, business development activities can be managed from wherever. Attendees of this session learned how Vantagepoint Connect for Outlook or Gmail and Mobile CRM help nurture client relationships, firms remain competitive, and ensure that the right projects are being managed while on the road. Moreover, attendees reviewed the critical tools for business development and tips to best leverage those tools to maximize marketing and BD efforts. Amanda noted that most of the session focused on Outlook which showcased its fluid functionality with the bidirectional sync with Outlook and Vantagepoint.  

What’s New and Coming in Financial Management 

Theresa DePew, Senior Consultant with Full Sail Partners, attended this session. Here attendees learned exciting enhancements focused on improving the experience of the finance team. This included ways to streamline the current billing process with the use of email templates as well as having further support for the billing client changing over the life of the project. Finance teams can also improve the collection process with AR dashboards and can automate manual processes with automatic bank feed. 

Attendees at this session: 

• Were able to identify new features and enhancements for more efficient financial management in Deltek Vantagepoint 4.5, 5.0 and 5.5 2 
• Saw a sneak peek of upcoming releases 
• Understood how to prepare and take advantage of the best features for the finance team 

Resource Management and Planning – It's Not Just for Staffing 

For those interested in Deltek Vantagepoint Resource Planning, this session was a great opportunity to hear another firm’s story with using it. Attendees here learned about Kahler Slater’s 14-year experience having implemented Resource Planning in 2008. The firm uses it for staffing, but it is also an integral part of the firm’s culture and processes. The firm’s process begins with a plan for nearly every project with all staff having access to resource management. This empowers teams to better manage resource allocation. To ensure project resource needs are managed, project managers and staffing advocates meet weekly. Using a staffing advocate bridges the requirements of staff career development, passion, and wellness with the needs of a project. Immediately after creating a plan, firm leaders access staffing, revenue forecasting and project probability which helps to ensure project success. 

Key takeaways for attendees at this session: 

• Pinpointed how to identify the right personnel to work toward achieving firm objectives 
• Discovered how to create more accurate revenue recognition 
• Learned how to maintain and produce a backlog through revenue forecast 

Save the Date for ProjectCon 2023 

With all that Deltek users learned at the conference this year, 2023 should continue to be a stellar year for project-based firms. Deltek has already announced dates for next year’s ProjectCon which will be in Orlando, October 16-19, 2023, at the Gaylord Palms. Don’t forget to mark your calendars!

The new features in Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 enhance usability, increase personalization for individual users and streamline project management and accounting workflows. It’s easier than ever for professional services firms to access the right information and complete common tasks quickly. Here’s an overview of what’s new.

Schedule Dependencies

Users with the Resource Planning Module can create dependencies in the Gantt chart and manage a project’s critical path. Project managers can quickly visualize and modify the project schedule, work breakdown structure elements and the relationship between those elements. When an update is made at one level, all of the dependent levels are automatically updated.

Dependencies are also accessible in the Project Planning report. Users can view information about dependency relationships between work breakdown structure elements, projects and associated labor codes.

Drill-Down Paths

Help users access the right information quickly with drill-down paths. Users can determine which information is shown when they drill down into key summary metrics on a chart or table. For example, when a user clicks on a column displaying outstanding accounts receivable data, Deltek Vantagepoint can be configured to show them a dashpart with AR invoice detail.

Personal Dashboards

Users can now create their own personalized dashboards without engaging an administrator or manager. This added flexibility will help expand adoption and free up administrator time since users can customize more of their experience with Deltek Vantagepoint.

Update Percent Complete from the Dashboard

With Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5, project managers can easily manage percent complete with fewer clicks, ultimately improving reporting and billing accuracy. There are new columns in the project dashpart base for Weighted Percent Complete and Weighted Percent Complete Cost. Users can see and modify the percentage of completion per project billing or cost amount right from the dashboard.

Streamlined Purchasing

Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 enables staff to perform purchase requisitions and process approvals within any browser. Purchasing Requisitions, Purchase Orders, Items and Items Master are now accessible in the navigation pane of the browser application.

Other Purchasing Updates

Additional purchasing updates in Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 include: 

• New layout for suggested vendors
• Ability to add a vendor on the fly
• Ability to attach documents of any status
• Ability to view purchasing reports
• Redesigned interface for the purchase requisition form

Accounting Updates

Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 offers several new features that streamline accounting processes. Users can now post cash receipts that were created in bank reconciliation. This option is available for those that have rights granted to their role in the Accounting tab from Settings >Security> Role. The Transaction Center Approval option must also be set to “No” in Settings and Accounting Transactions.

Other Accounting Updates

The other accounting updates in Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 include: 

• Expanded reporting in timesheets and billing
• Print capability for Billing Category Rate Table reports
• New overtime premium calculation that uses the cost rate in the Billing Labor Override Table instead of the Cost Rate in the Employee Hub for the employee

Email Templates

To help support digital payment processes, Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 allows users to use email templates when sending electronic payment remittances by email. Templates can be configured to reuse standard information, such as regular text or database fields. Email templates are available in the Vendor Payments, Employee Payments and Payroll Payments applications. Users can save templates for personal use, for all users with the same role, or for all users within the firm.

Approval Center Updates

Users can restart approvals for timesheets and expense reports. This process removes all approved history and comments that are associated with the record and begins the process from the first step, no matter where the record is in the approval process.

General Usability Updates

Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 also comes with a number of usability updates:

• See notifications immediately instead of every five minutes with real-time alerts.
• See all users viewing a record.
• Set favorites in navigation to find commonly viewed applications with ease.
• Set minimum/maximum and default values for standard numeric fields.
• Use predefined searches within Advanced Search.
• Print timesheet reports from the Floor Check dialogue box.
• Access Labor Planning videos in Online Help.

Learn More About the New Features in Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5

This is just a high-level overview of the many new features in Vantagepoint 5.5. To learn more about what Vantagepoint has to offer, watch What’s New in Deltek Vantagepoint 5.5 on demand.

The net revenue growth forecast for A&E firms is the highest it’s been in 10 years. Based on the findings from the 43rd Deltek A&E Clarity Study, the industry has rebounded from the pandemic with full pipelines and an optimistic future outlook. Meeting that demand comes with serious challenges, with labor shortages and rising costs being most prominent.    

Firms are turning to technology to empower their teams and improve project delivery. They’re prioritizing the right investments over simply purchasing the newest technology. Here are the top insights from the study and some guidance for ensuring that technology investments deliver positive ROI. 

Top Technology Challenges for A&E Firms 

The top technology challenge professional services firms are facing is the inability to invest time in learning. With full project pipelines, firms are dedicating resources to completing client work, limiting the time they can spend on learning new technologies. Small firms struggle with this issue the most, though it’s a prominent issue for medium and large firms as well.  

Technology costs, which topped the list in last year’s report, was the second most commonly cited challenge. Firms are also struggling with prioritizing which trends apply to their organization. With so much technology to choose from, many firms are understandably unsure which trends to pursue. Finding the right fit, whether it be data science tools or digital twins—for the firm and for their client base—isn’t easy.  

Other challenges include educating employees and clients about trends, lack of champions to drive technology adoption and limited corporate openness to emerging technologies.  

A&E Firms Are Focused on Getting it Right 

Firms are honing in on the initiatives that enable them to take a pragmatic approach to technology adoption and integration.   

When asked about their top three technology initiatives:  

• 64% said creating strategic technology implementation plans.  
• 47% said educating staff on technology trends. 
• 46% said identifying and developing technology subject matter experts. 

This pragmatic approach is a good way to enter into digital transformation. However, firm leaders should be careful not to get stuck in a cycle of endless planning. One way to cautiously approach technology is to look for ways to expand usage of current tools. This can provide quick wins and competitive advantages without requiring significant investment or onboarding time.  

Internal Champions Can Take on Challenges and Lead Key Initiatives 

To take on technology challenges in the short term, firms should engage tech-savvy employees as internal technology champions. Technology champions can help improve the ROI of technology in the following ways:  

• Fill current skill gaps by leading the charge to incorporate technology into project execution.  
• Promote and expand adoption of existing technologies throughout the business.  
• Identify the most viable technology investments and trends for the firm.  

Only 36% of firms ranked this as one of their top three initiatives, meaning that many are missing an opportunity to address current gaps in technology planning and adoption.  

Which Technologies Should A&E Firms Focus On? 

To help guide technology planning, A&E firms should look at technology as falling into two buckets. Technology that supports project delivery, such as smart infrastructure and digital twins help firms remain competitive and address common challenges in the building process. Business-optimizing technologies, like data science and next-level project management tools can be used to automate repetitive tasks, empower workers to make more informed decisions, and ultimately improve client satisfaction.  

For more insight into which technology areas A&E firms should focus on, watch the webinar.  

Focusing on these areas will enable firms to address some of their biggest concerns: 

• Attract and retain talent by appealing to the next generation of employees, who want to work with companies that give them access to the latest technology.  
• Prepare for disruption. As innovation continues to transform the A&E industry, the right technology will help firms future proof their businesses.  
• Increase revenue streams by identifying the ideal services and delivery methods that lead to competitive advantages and higher profits.  

Dive Deeper Into the Technology Insights from the Deltek Clarity Study 

Firms aren’t investing in technology for technology’s sake. They’re focused on making the right investments that will enable them to increase productivity and compete for projects and talent. With the right guidance, they can take on the opportunities and challenges ahead. For more technology insights, download the full report.