Full Sail Partners Blog | Support (2)

You may have already asked the question or may be wondering, what will happen to Deltek Vision with the new announcement of Spartan?  For those that don’t know, Microsoft announced that the Windows 10 operating system will debut an entirely new web browser, code-named Spartan. Many IT savvy clients have already been asking the question, what does this mean for Deltek Vision? Will Deltek Vision still work? The short answer is, “Yes.” 

Microsoft made the following statement, “Project Spartan is Microsoft’s next generation browser, built just for Windows 10. We will continue to make Internet Explorer available with Windows 10 for enterprises and other customers who require legacy browser support.” Additionally, Kyle Pflug, program manager for Spartan, wrote in a blog post, “Based on strong feedback from our Windows Insiders and customers, today we're announcing that on Windows 10, Project Spartan will host our new engine exclusively. Internet Explorer 11 will remain fundamentally unchanged from Windows 8.1, continuing to host the legacy engine exclusively." He added, “Enterprises that adopt Windows 10 will be able to set IE11 as the OS's default browser using group policy settings”. 

Internet Explorer is a staple performer and Microsoft will continue to support it for years. Microsoft has promised to support the browser with security updates for at least the next eight years or through January 2023. So rest assured that Internet Explorer will still exist and therefore Deltek Vision will still work. 

With that being said, Deltek has already been looking at ways for firms to connect to Vision without Internet Explorer to become more system agnostic. New features that can run on any web browser include, the new project manager portal (Navigator) and an upcoming CRM portal. Additionally, Deltek product developers are looking at ways to further minimalize reliance on Internet Explorer with future releases. 

For those firms that need to connect to Deltek Vision from a MAC or any tablet or phone today, there is Vision Unleashed. This solution allows your firm to access your Deltek Vision data anywhere with almost any device. Additionally, a 30-day FREE provisional test period is available. 

Bottom line: 

1. Firms already have options already available to you to access your Deltek Vision data without Internet Explorer
2. Internet Explorer isn’t going away any time soon
3. Deltek is committed to the Vision product 

Should you have any questions regarding this or any other technical questions, we encourage you to reach out to your Deltek Partner.

 

Are you ready? Year-end is upon us. As part of a yearly tradition, we are providing you with resources and reminders to assist your firm with year-end processing. Check out the information below, and let us know if you have any questions.

Don't Forget Your Deltek Vision Year-End Processes

As we come into the holiday season many of us in accounting face the coming season, not only with the joy of family and friends coming together, but with a sense of impending dread – YEAR-END and TAX SEASON are looming – ugh - have another drink.

W-2s - 1099s - journal entries - checking and double checking each number!  Auditors - shareholder meetings - endless explanations’ of what the results mean (even though you have been saying for the past 6 months) - Oh the joy of the season!

As we go through the year-end process there are mistakes we (and others) make that are easy to recover from like entering the 15 page depreciation journal entry “backwards” at midnight sitting in your semi dark office chugging your 15th pot of coffee.  Some are more difficult – like removing all the lower levels of your work break-down structure (did that once – glad our backups worked). So outside of deleting the database, what are some of the items in Vision year end processing that are hard to recover from?

>> Learn more

Is Your Deltek Vision System Year-End Process Stress Free?

Year-end is always a stressful time of year, but it doesn’t have to be.  As with everything else in the world of Accounting, planning and preparation is the key to a successful and stress-free year end. Check out this article talk provides a few tips to make your year-end close just a little easier.

>> Prepare more

Webinar: Stress Free Year-End Process - Yes You Can!

Join our on-demand webinar to see how you can make your year-end stress free.  Our panel will provide insight into best practices, tips to close your books with ease, and focus on those “gotchas” on year-end processes. See what our panel says about the following year-end items:

1. How to make your process efficient
2. Avoid disruption to production
3. Communication topics to provide your staff and management
4. Saving money by evading closing obstacles

>> View more

Deltek’s Year End Resources

Deltek Customer Care is working to assist you with year-end activities. You can now take advantage of year-end resources:

• Year-End Forums
• Phone Menu Guidance
• Year-End Info Center
• Quick Chat Guidance
• Year-End Guides & Videos

>> Know more

We hope these resources serve as good reminder. Best wishes from the Full Sail Partners' staff! Wishing you a prosperous 2014.

It’s Time to Upgrade! Regulatory and Year-end Updates Available ONLY on Vision 7.2 or 7.3

Working in the most recent release of your Deltek solution ensures your firm is benefiting from all the features and enhancements engineered into the latest versions of Vision. Your support and maintenance plan entitles your firm to download the latest version of your product here if you're not up-to-date!

Important Note Regarding Year-End Regulatory Updates in 2014

Year-end updates in 2014 will be supported only on Vision 7.2 and Vision 7.3. Regulatory updates for releases prior to Vision 7.2 will not be delivered.

Check out the Deltek Support Assurance Product Lifecycle on the Deltek Customer Care Connect website for the latest information on your product's status and definitions of the support delivered in the Active, Maintenance, and Sustaining phases.

Is Your Firm Prepared for Deltek Vision 7.3?

Because of Microsoft’s de-support of Windows XP in April 2014, Deltek can no longer support the Windows XP client operating system beginning with Vision 7.3 and extending to future releases. 

The following client operating systems will be supported for Vision 7.3:

• Windows 8 or 8.1
• Windows 7
• Windows Vista

Additionally, to use this new version you must ensure that .NET Framework 4.5 or 4.5.1 is installed. For more information on the .NET Framework and to determine how best to deploy the 4.5 or 4.5.1 release within your organization, please refer to the Microsoft web site at http://www.microsoft.com/net.

Are you ready? Year-end is upon us. We thought we would highlight some resources to assist firms with year-end processing.

Don't Forget Your Deltek Vision Year End Processes

As we come into the holiday season many of us in accounting face the coming season, not only with the joy of family and friends coming together, but with a sense of impending dread – YEAR-END and TAX SEASON are looming – ugh - have another drink.

W-2s - 1099s - journal entries - checking and double checking each number!  Auditors - shareholder meetings - endless explanations’ of what the results mean (even though you have been saying for the past 6 months) - Oh the joy of the season!

As we go through the year-end process there are mistakes we (and others) make that are easy to recover from like entering the 15 page depreciation journal entry “backwards” at midnight sitting in your semi dark office chugging your 15th pot of coffee.  Some are more difficult – like removing all the lower levels of your work break-down structure (did that once – glad our backups worked). So outside of deleting the database, what are some of the items in Vision year end processing that are hard to recover from?

>> Learn more

Is Your Deltek Vision System Year End Process Stress Free?

Year-end is always a stressful time of year, but it doesn’t have to be.  As with everything else in the world of Accounting, planning and preparation is the key to a successful and stress-free year end. Check out this article talk provides a few tips to make your year-end close just a little easier.

>> Prepare more

Webinar: Stress Free Year-End Process - Yes You Can!

Join our on-demand webinar to see how you can make your year-end stress free.  Our panel will provide insight into best practices, tips to close your books with ease, and focus on those “gotchas” on year-end processes. See what our panel says about the following year-end items:

1. How to make your process efficient
2. Avoid disruption to production
3. Communication topics to provide your staff and management
4. Saving money by evading closing obstacles

>> View more

Deltek’s Year End Resources

Deltek Customer Care is working to assist you with year-end activities. You can now take advantage of year-end resources:

• Year-End Forums

• Phone Menu Guidance

• Year-End Info Center

• Quick Chat Guidance

• Year-End Guides & Videos

>> Know more

We hope these resources serve as good reminder. Best wishes from the Full Sail Partners' staff! Wishing you a prosperous 2014.

Welcome to our first Deltek Vision How-To Video Series. Today we will learn about Deltek’s Vision Info Center Help section. This video will answer some common questions asked by clients are:

1. Do you have a complete list of the fields in Vision?
2. Do you have a help guide so I can learn about the fields available?

   

Check out additional how-to videos by clicking here. 

In my day-to-day conversations with companies I am often discussing IT support issues surrounding their firms’ backup plan for their firms’ key financial and marketing data. As I speak to these firms I inquire about steps they are taking to protect this critical data.  I often pose this simple question “How long could your firm survive without access to this critical data?” Most firms indicate that they could not afford to be without access to this data for more than a day or two. Yet most have not taken precautions to have a 1-2 day restoration plan/ disaster recovery plan. In many cases these IT support issues seem to be a direct correlation to the firms’ reduction in IT support staff (internal & external) over the last several years. In many of these discussions it is often discovered that there is no backup plan for the firm’s critical data, no testing of backups to verify the integrity of the backups and no off-site backup storage.  Two fairly typical conversations have occurred over the last couple months (names omitted to protect the guilty).

The first required assistance to move their financial database from a crippled failing server to a new server. In the process Full Sail Partners’ Consultant requested to have the firms IT support to provide a backup of the Live Date. Upon restoring the backup provided it was discovered that the firm had been backing up a sample database for over a year and had never backed up their “Live” database. Thankfully disaster was avoided when Full Sail Partners’ Consultant was able to successfully make a backup up of their “Live” database on the dying server and restore it onto the new server (before failure happened), prepare accurate backup plan and validate the backup to verify that it was actually the “Live” database. Not sure they know how lucky they were to still be in business.

The second conversation was not quite as fortunate. This conversation started after they had their production server crash in a fluke lightning storm. Full Sail Partners Consultant was able to get the firm back up and running in less than 3 hours. However, after several attempts to recover their database, it was determined that the most recent valid database backup was over 3 months old due to not having regular off-site backups.

Often times firms hear these stories and ask how can they help their firm from becoming another story. I typically tell them that they need to make sure that their IT support either internal or external need to be verifying the integrity of the their database backups and also need to be storing these backups off-site. For those firms that may not have the desired level of IT support, Full Sail Partners now has both Hosted Solutions as well as On-Premise solutions for Deltek Vision to protect your firm’s critical data.

View our past webinar to learn more about what your firm can do to protect your data and ensure you have a back-up checklist.

Year-end is always a stressful time of year, but it doesn’t have to be.  As with everything else in the world of Accounting, planning and preparation is the key to a successful and stress-free year end.

Here are just a few tips to make your year-end close just a little easier:

• Communication – It is vital to communicate to the rest of the firm that year end is approaching and the important dates that they should be aware of: final timesheet due date, final expense report due date, etc.
• Create a calendar – Your calendar should contain all of your year-end deadlines: final AP check run, final timesheet due, final bank rec are all dates you may want to add to your year-end calendar.
• Create a year-end manual – Given that year-end procedures change very little from year to year, create a manual.  With a manual to refer to, you no longer have to rely on your memory or cryptic notes you may have taken in years past.
• Reconcile on a monthly basis - Stay on top of your monthly reconciliations.  Nothing adds to the stress of year end more than performing several months of reconciliations that could be done monthly.
• Recurring transaction files – If there are yearly JE’s or other transactions that you only post once a year, consider creating a recurring transaction file.  Each year those files will already be in place so you don’t have to re-create them from year to year.
• Order year end forms well in advance - Why wait until the last minute to order your 1099 and W-2 forms?  By ordering your forms in advance you know they are on hand when you are ready to process.

In addition to the tips above, Deltek publishes the Year End Bulletin each year.  This is an excellent resource for year end preparation of your Deltek Vision System.

Just remember to stay focused and keep organized and along with the tips outlined above, you will be surprised at how easy and stress free year end will be!

Hurricane Sandy spreads her reach to 13 states wide and the evaluation of the damage and impact begin to be accessed. After the superstorm subsides, the ability to communicate to family, co-workers, and clients becomes vital. This is then followed by returning to a sense of normalcy. Events like this provide a new perspective that we sometimes overlook, the ability to access our data. You don't have to wait until you lose your data or don't have a quick restore to address this issue.

For nearly five years, Full Sail Partners has been responsible for our hosted Deltek Vision clients a guarantee of 99.5%.  To meet that uptime guarantee, a way to monitor, maintain, and protect our clients was mission critical.  Three services are now available to all Deltek Vision clients who maintain their own on-site server with our best of breed tools and techniques.

Bulletproof

On a monthly basis Full Sail Partners will conduct an eyes-on, comprehensive inspection based on a checklist of over 30 parameters, deploy the latest Full Sail Partners scripts and tricks to maximize uptime, install the latest hotfixes, and perform a soup-to-nuts database restore to test your backup plan to ensure your backups are something you can count on.  We’ll also set up that restored database as a hidden test database so you have the ability to try/test/play without disturbing your production data.

Overwatch

Chances are good there’s more information in your database today than yesterday, and the database isn’t getting smaller or using less resources.  Most companies only discover these conditions when it is too late and Vision is already ‘down’.  That would be unacceptable for our hosting clients, so we developed ‘Overwatch’, a real time monitoring system tailored to all of the Vision critical metrics and services.  Overwatch allows us (and now you too!) to check the health of your Vision servers via a webpage and see up to date information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  Additionally, even when you’re not looking, Overwatch is.  Warning and escalating emails will be sent to your staff whenever something like memory usage thresholds are reached.  This allows IT to be aware of issues in time to react before they become showstoppers.

Catastrophe Protection

Even though Full Sail Partners utilizes multiple hosting locations and redundancy, we wanted the additional protection of an independent, standalone backup solution for our client’s database archives, logos, and custom work.  We felt so strongly about this strategy that we decided to make our solution available to our on-site clients.  If there is absolutely nothing else you do to protect your Vision data, a dependable, tested, offsite backup solution is critical.  In addition to providing anytime access to your encrypted database backups, we also include 30 days of free hosting and will have your database online and available within 24 hours of your loss of server casualty.

To learn more about implementing these solutions in your disaster prevention, protection, and recover plans view our Comprehensive IT Services to Plan, Protect, and Prevent.

Good customer service is a rare commodity in this day and age of virtual customer support agents.   Business is done in an ultra-competitive arena where your direct competition is only a Google search away.  As a result, firms are developing customer relations management plans to help better serve their client base.  Has your firm ignored developing a plan to manage your customers?

A good customer relations management plan will act as a guideline for your firm when dealing with clients.  However, it is important to remember that there is no end-all-be-all remedy for customer support.  Some battles cannot be won, no matter how diligent and worthy your efforts.  This is why I compare having a strong plan, to a game of poker!

Much like in a game of poker, the typical customer service interaction involves some 'hidden cards' that you are not always privileged to see.  These hidden cards can be anything from possible prior negative history with your company, temperament, and maybe even personal issues that the customer is dealing with in their life.  It is because of these cards that we as customer service representatives, much like a seasoned poker player, must approach every hand as though we are playing with pocket ACES.

Pocket ACES are a poker player’s best friend.  The ACES acronym also happens to be easiest to remember four step processes for dealing with every day client interactions.

ACES stands for:

Accountability:	Take responsibility for fixing the problem.  This is the first and foremost job for any professional when dealing with clients.  We cannot change the past, so we must concentrate on moving forward and fixing the situation.  The best way to do this is by taking accountability over the situation.
Communications:	Clearly communicate the process.  Let your client or customers know how you are going to assist them, and then keep them updated throughout the process.  This breeds confidence and sets a level of expectation.
Empathy:	Acknowledge the impact that the situation has on the customer.  Letting the customer know that you understand their inconvenience can go a long way in building a personal connection.
Solution:	At the end of the day, make sure to solve the problem.  None of the above steps matter if you do not solve the problem at hand.  You owe it to your customers to provide a prompt and convenient solution.

As a professional, it is your responsibility to play like poker legend Phil Hellmuth and go ’all in’ for your customers with pocket ACES!

 

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

IT Challenge 1:

Question:

Is your database being properly backed-up, tested, and verified?

Answer:

Common mistakes include: A back-up is conducted, but the back-up wasn't tested and verified. Meaning it wasn't restored to verify the integrity of the database. Don't assume it will work just because there is a file! A separate archive is not conducted on the following files linked to Vision: custom reports, images, and invoice templates. The data is only part of the back-up.

Lesson Learned:

Full Sail Partners has had dozens of clients that have come to us over the years thinking their data was properly backed-up yet to find the last good back-up did not include up-to-date data. Can your business afford this mistake? What would you do if you had no back-up at all due to corruption or failed standard operating procedure (SOP)?

IT Challenge 2:

Questions:

Do you have the latest Vision updates of your software version, service pack, and/or hotfixes? Can your hardware support the latest version of Vision?

Answer:

The current version is Vision 6.2 Service Pack 1 with Vision 7.0 set for general release in 3rd Quarter. The impact on your business includes:   For firms running payroll, improper tax filings or withholdings can result when the latest tax information update is not applied. Newer versions resolve known issues. Lack of updates can result in inefficiency and unnecessary errors. New releases from Microsoft and other technology platforms can result in incompatibility. Software is an evolution and requires a dedicated resource. Aging hardware may not support future versions of Vision. For the current hardware document requirements click here.

Lesson Learned:

Lack of infrastructure investment can result in increased future expenses. New features like download enhancements and grid view capabilities improve efficiency for your staff. Your enhancement requests are being addressed with each hotfix and new release. Being on the most current version provides your staff the ability to take advantage of these new features. In Deltek Vision 7.0, some of the new enhancements include: contract management, simplified security updates, custom info centers, and much more.

IT Challenge 3:

Questions:

Do you have a disaster recovery plan that includes off-site back-up?

Answer:

In the event of a natural disaster or loss of your Vision server, it is important to be able to access your data at a remote location. Some potential scenarios to think about: Make sure your back-up is not on the same server as the Vision server. A server failure can result in loss of your current system and back-up data. Ensure that you have a back-up that is taken to a location outside of your building. If a disaster occurs at your current location, then again your current system and back-up is lost.

Lesson Learned:

The best scenario is to have a back-up that is outside of your current city. Additionally, think about how you will restore the data should you lose your server to maintain business continuity and how long will it take you to restore.

Did You Pass the IT Challenge?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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