Full Sail Partners Blog | Technology Solutions (5)

What exactly is being in the cloud? Well, being in the cloud simply means running your firm’s ERP such as Deltek Vantagepoint or Vision on a remote server. Therefore, your firm does not need to concern itself with having the IT infrastructure on premises. Furthermore, being in the cloud allows your firm to focus on the more important matters of running your successful business leaving the IT responsibilities to the professionals. Let’s check out how your firm benefits from being in the cloud.

Cloud Means Lower IT Costs

Being in the cloud, your firm doesn’t have to worry about staying up to date with hardware and software. Simply stated, there is no need to buy additional servers, Windows operating systems, or SQL licenses if your ERP system is in the cloud. As a result, IT professionals managing your ERP system in the cloud will handle all of this for you so there are no additional costs incurred.

Cloud Security is Top Notch

With cloud management, your data is safe. Cloud professionals handle automatic updates and do multiple daily backups. Malware and virus scanning are also performed regularly. Most importantly, if there is a problem, business continuity is of the utmost importance. Cloud professionals work to ensure that your data is accessible as soon as possible in a disaster situation.

Reduced Burden

Being in the cloud, your firm does not have to deal with handling the setup or deployment of your ERP solution which ensures that it does what you are expecting. Cloud professionals have experience with the product you are using or are thinking of upgrading to in the cloud. Furthermore, a testing environment can be put in place for your firm to get comfortable with the ERP it wants to use. For example, you can try Vantagepoint thoroughly before committing the company to upgrade.

All Cloud Solutions Are Not the Same

Choosing the right partner to host your ERP system in the cloud is extremely important and not all cloud solution providers can be treated equally. Therefore, picking the right cloud partner is essential to ensure your ERP system is properly taken care of by the right professionals. For instance, you want to choose a partner that specializes in the ERP system you want to have hosted in the cloud. This ensures they know the ins and outs, and all the requirements to successfully maintain your ERP system.  

The Cloud Makes Running Your Business More Efficient

Leaving your IT issues to the professionals in the cloud, you can focus on the matters that really drive firm success. Moreover, with secure 24/7 access to your data from anywhere with an internet connection, you can ensure you have what you need when you need it enabling your firm to run efficiently. If your firm does choose to upgrade your ERP from Vision to Vantagepoint, being in the cloud would make it a much easier transition for your firm.

As the life blood of project-based firms, projects must be run efficiently and effectively from start to finish. Fortunately, Deltek Vantagepoint provides the functionality to give project managers more tools to run their projects. Furthermore, Vantagepoint seamlessly integrates your firm’s business processes using an impressive feature suite bringing business development, accounting, resource planning and project management together. By empowering the different roles within firms, projects are better managed and thus more successful. Let’s check out the power of Deltek Vantagepoint.

User Convenience

Deltek Vantagepoint is user-friendly with easy to understand workflows. The browser based Vantagepoint interface offers the ultimate convenience for its users. Additionally, in 2020, there will be an add-on for Outlook. Users will be able to manage Vantagepoint activities within their Outlook calendar. Synchronizing of contact records and smart scheduling will be available to make managing projects even more convenient.

Vantagepoint Project Hub

Project managers can get access to all they need to manage their projects through the project hub in Deltek Vantagepoint. In 2020, the project hub will be expanded to include more functionality. A new interactive Gantt charting tool gives project managers the chance to view their schedules plus change them via a drag and drop option. Also, a scenario planning feature and revenue forecasting tool will be added to the project hub offerings.

Data for Informed Decision Making

In Deltek Vantagepoint, there is a dashboarding framework that ensures project-based firms have proper metrics and information for informed decision making. There will be further expansion of the dashboard to include more visual dashparts in 2020. Currently, the Vantagepoint Intelligence (VI) module is available, but later in the year there will be VI Analysis Cubes which offer pre-calculated data for analysis by anyone in the firm.

Deltek Vantagepoint is Becoming More Powerful in 2020

There will be even more improvements to Deltek Vantagepoint’s functionality throughout 2020 further powering your firm projects. The 3.0 release in late January has already provided some dashboard improvements as well as the Gantt scheduling feature. With the second release, 3.5, the new revenue forecasting tool will be available, as well as the Outlook add-on and Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) to enhance the mobile time and expense app. Finally, the 4.0 release planned for Q4 will focus on resource planning features like scenario planning and more revenue forecasting. Are you new to Deltek and Vantagepoint? Time to learn more!

As many in the professional services industry know, Deltek is the leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and other software solutions designed exclusively for project-based businesses. There are more than 30,000 organizations and millions of users in over 80 countries that rely on Deltek solutions. Wow! Those are some impressive numbers.

Out of the many ERP solutions Deltek offers, the newest and most innovative ERP system is Deltek Vantagepoint. Deltek listens to its client base and continually evolves its solutions to meet their clients’ growing needs. After receiving client feedback, Deltek created Vantagepoint which is largely based on the Vision ERP system with a lot more functionality. However, many small to mid-sized firms view Deltek solutions as only for large firms. So, let’s see what benefits Vantagepoint has to offer these smaller firms?

Deltek Has a Partner Program to Support Vantagepoint

A common thought is that Deltek only supports larger firms as clients, and there is concern that smaller clients might not receive quality customer care. However, this is not the case. Deltek has an extensive network of trusted partners that can help you identify your firm’s unique needs and successfully implement your new Vantagepoint ERP system. By utilizing a Deltek trusted partner, your firm will get the individual attention that is required to maximize the benefits and value of Vantagepoint.

Trusted partners offer more than implementation services, since they can also provide consulting and advisory services, ongoing training and more. As a result, you are never alone on your journey to bring your entire business operation into one system. Furthermore, you can even select the partner you want to help navigate your successful implementation and continued use of Vantagepoint. 

Deltek Vantagepoint Addresses Your Firm’s Needs

Although each firm has its own unique needs and requirements, Deltek Vantagepoint out-of-the-box is ready to fully support all the roles and functions of your professional services firm. With Vantagepoint’s simple to understand user interface, each employee at your company can quickly learn how to use this solution to help them successfully complete their jobs. Whether it’s accounting, business development and marketing, project management or HR, all employees in your firm will have the right tools at their fingertips to be productive. Even more, with all roles working in one system, upper management and executives have insight into all the business functions to ensure the firm’s success regardless of the size your firm.

Deltek Vantagepoint Fits all Sizes of Project-Based Firms

Deltek Vantagepoint is the perfect project-based ERP system for firms of all sizes. From small growing firms to large firms, the features within Vantagepoint help deliver profitable and successful projects. Additionally, Vantagepoint was designed specifically around both the needs of your firm and employees. Here are some key features that make Vantagepoint the ideal solution for small to mid-sized firms:

• Vantagepoint is simple to configure ensuring it aligns with the unique needs of your business with the Activation Wizard
• Using the Proposal Editor, you can create profitable and winning proposals based on the historical performance of previous projects
• The Engagement Hub allows you to have insight into your business, and Hey Deltek is Vantagepoint’s personal assistant that helps users locate, open or create new records in the Engagement Hub
• A simple to understand user interface helps create an intuitive user experience
• You have access to the information in your Vantagepoint database from anywhere at any time using Cloud technology

Deltek Vantagepoint Can Help Small to Mid-sized Firms Be Successful

Running a successful firm requires it and its employees to have access to the best tools available. With Deltek Vantagepoint, all sizes of professional services firms get what they need from easy to use features to support from trusted partners. Since Vantagepoint is designed specifically to meet the needs of professional services firms like those which are project based, all sizes of firms including small to mid-sized will benefit from using Vantagepoint.

Business Intelligence (BI) puts together business analytics, data mining, data visualization, technology resources along with the best practices to help companies make more data-driven decisions. Business intelligence can help businesses make better choices by displaying present and historical data in their business context. Analysts can use data visualization to provide performance and competitor benchmarks for a smoother and more efficiently run organization. Analysts can also detect market trends to boost sales or income more quickly. Making sure you are using BI and data visualization properly is important. Let’s look at how you can choose the right data visualizations for your company.

Temporal Visualizations

In the temporal category, data visualizations belong if they satisfy two conditions: they are linear, and they are one-dimensional. Temporal visualizations normally have lines that either stand alone or intersect with each other, with starting and ending time. Some common examples of data visualizations include scatter plots, time series sequences, timelines, line graphs, and polar area diagrams. These visualizations are usually pretty easy to recognize and understand. Picking the right visualization all depends on the kind of story you are trying to tell. When choosing a temporal visualization, your end goal should be comparing one or many value sets. This can help you easily show the low and high values of a data set.

Hierarchical Visualizations

In the hierarchical category, data visualizations are those that organize groups within larger groups. These are best used to display clusters of information, especially if they flow from one point to another. Typical hierarchical visualizations are tree diagrams, ring charts, and sunburst diagrams. Just like any type of data visualization, it is important that you are effectively telling a story with the graphics that you use. For this type, showing levels of importance coming from a single source is the main purpose of these visualizations. The only downside is that these graphs tend to be complex and sometimes difficult to read. The tree diagram is used most frequently because of its easy-to-follow linear path.

Multidimensional Visualizations

While linear data is easier to understand, sometimes you have the need to capture your audience’s attention. Multidimensional displays two or more different variables to create a 3D data visualization. These types of visualizations are scatter plots, pie charts, Venn diagrams, stacked bar graphs, and histograms. These visuals can break down a ton of data into key takeaways, making it easier to clearly identify what you are trying to get across. Multidimensional is used to compare data and parts of a whole and show relationships between two variables. With multidimensional data, you are able to choose different colors and shapes to really customize your graphic.

Data Visualization Makes an Impact

Choosing the right visualization for your data directly impacts how it gets across to the viewers. Your main goal should always be to properly tell a story with the graphics that you use. Data visualization allows you to display specific data in an eye-catching way leading to a successful conveyance of important and relevant information.

During the lifecycle of a project in the professional services industry, there is a lot of information being shared among all the members of the project delivery team. Furthermore, history has shown that there is a larger amount of project related documentation being created as the professional services industry continues to become more digitized. As a result, more information is being shared and there are more decisions and final approvals to be made.

With all this information bouncing back and forth, it can become difficult to track what your other team members have reviewed. Therefore, making timely decisions becomes increasingly harder which can jeopardize the successful delivery of a project. However, Deltek has created Deltek PIM to help firms better manage project documentation to allow project delivery team members quick and easy access to important project related information.  

Easily Track Submittals with Automated Workflows

There are all types of various submittals that have to be tracked and documented during the lifecycle of a project. For many firms, this is still done using spreadsheets and other manual methods. Due to this, tracking change orders becomes a heavily manual process which is time consuming and prone to errors.  

What if there was a way to make this process less time consuming and allows for improved tracking of submittals? With Deltek PIM, firms can take advantage of the workflow functionality to create a formal submittal review process. What makes PIM’s workflow functionality so great is that it allows project team members to track the status of each submittal throughout the entire process. Even more, it allows team members to see who has reviewed the submittal and who still needs to review it to help ensure it gets processed and approved before the deadline. PIM also sends reminder alerts to individuals when a deadline is approaching to ensure they review the change order before the deadline.

Emails Here and Emails There

During the project lifecycle, email is a leading communication method amongst project team members. However, have you ever left someone off an email, or have you not been included on one? If this has ever happened, it is likely that a project team member has been left out of the loop about critical project information. Even worse, a project team member may not receive a crucial document that contains important project information.

The problem with emails is that the sender may not include an important recipient, or the recipient may not open the email in time to make an actionable decision on the information being shared. Thus, the decision-making process can be delayed, and the project timeline can be put in jeopardy. However, Deltek PIM provides a solution to improve project communication.

With PIM’s email management functionality, the entire project team has access to all the conversations that have influenced changes to the design and construction process of the project. Furthermore, PIM’s email management solution allows for the storage of project related communications in one centralized area designated to a specific project. Therefore, you never have to worry about obtaining these communications even if a team member is on vacation, out on leave, or has left the firm. All this information is permanently stored and made easily accessible.

Keep Up with Important Project Documents

A large portion of delivering a successful project requires keeping project documents up-to-date and organized. This means having access to the latest version of a document and being confident that the version you are working on is the most current version. With most document control processes, it’s difficult to know if the version you are working on is the correct and most recent version. Even more challenging, what if someone is trying to make changes to the same document at the same time? As most can agree, document management can be truly challenging and can hinder the success of a project.

The good news is that Deltek PIM makes document management simple. When firms adopt PIM’s document management functionality, they are able to implement standard document management processes and make sure project team members are compliant with them. Even more, PIM ensures one single version is available to all project team members which reduces duplication and provides the team access to the latest version.

Improve Project Collaboration with Deltek PIM

Information here and information there, information is everywhere. Well, this can be great for somethings like researching an item before making a big purchase. However, information everywhere is not so great when trying to deliver a project for a client. With Deltek PIM, all project related information is located in one space making access to it quick and easy for all project team members.  

In the workplace, communication is vital to success. Leaders must make sure that their team knows what is happening on a constant basis and what is expected from them. Not only does communication keep everyone abreast of the goings on, it also encourages relationship building which leads to a more productive and engaged workforce. So, how can you improve your office communication to make it the most effective?

Have Open Meetings      

Having team meetings in a common, open venue is a great way to encourage communication. It is a receptive environment offering the opportunity to discuss issues that are on team member’s minds. The face to face dialogue of open team meetings allows for matters to be actively addressed and some problem solving to occur. Additionally, all team members can contribute their input which provides various points of view.

Listen and Encourage Feedback

For effective communication to happen, leaders must listen to what their team members have to say. They must keep an open mind and really hear what is being said before following up with the team. They should also encourage feedback from the team to make sure that what they are trying to convey is being accurately digested. With the give and take of all parties, communication will thrive.

Keep Humor

Another trick for improving office communication is making it light and relaxed. When dealing with subjects that can otherwise be intense, keeping humor in the conversation makes the message easier to pass along to the team. This does not mean you have to become a stand-up comedian but just insert some humor into the discussions.

Be Appreciative of Efforts

A necessity for business leaders who want to have improved communication with their teams is to show appreciation for their team efforts. When they attend a meeting and offer feedback, thank them for their time. Being respectful towards your team shows that you care, and in the end, will make them more engaged with your firm.

Update Frequently

Frequent updates are certainly required to improve communication. When communicating more boilerplate information, they can be done in one of two ways - either by email or via an internal newsletter. While emails are good for quick reminders, internal newsletters impart much larger amounts of general information to all team members.

Effective Office Communication Helps with Retention

When firm leaders use effective office communication, they are engaging their teams. Engagement is a big reason that employees choose to stay employed with a firm. So, by improving office communication, you are not only helping with productivity but ultimately staff retention as well.

If you haven’t heard yet, Deltek has reimagined Vision to create a more powerful and user focused ERP system specifically for professional services firms. Deltek Vantagepoint’s 360-degree view of a firm’s projects offers improved productivity, increased profitability and significantly improved strategic business decision making capabilities. Vantagepoint is an incredible upgrade from Vision and is continuing to grow with each new version. The latest release of Vantagepoint has even more enhancements which will allow firms to deliver even better projects. Let’s take a look at what’s new with Deltek Vantagepoint.

New Proposal Builder

With the new Vantagepoint proposal builder, business development teams can quickly put together impressive proposals to stay ahead of the competition. This new visual proposal builder provides a drag and drop option for images, allows project descriptions to be taken directly from project records and offers the ability to easily create resumes. Within the new proposal builder, there are also reusable templates, boilerplates and master elements to ensure your branding is correct. Having the ability to quickly create uniformed proposals allows business development teams to focus on the other activities required to create new business opportunities. 

Combined Opportunities and Projects

Project information is now consolidated into one hub making it easier to create, manage and deliver projects. By combining opportunities and projects, all project details can be monitored in one place. Having one location for project information prevents duplicate records, simplifies project administration and provides complete visibility into projects.

Streamlined Billing and Invoicing

Enhancements have been made to the billing and invoicing processes with the latest Vantagepoint release saving time for accounting teams. Deltek realized that having billing and invoicing in one place will greatly improve the user experience. With Vantagepoint, users can view project details that include billing information in the new Projects hub. As part of this enhanced capability, draft invoices can be reviewed and approved by project managers directly from their projects. Therefore, the overall time from draft to final invoice is cut short with this interactive billing process. Accounting teams and financial managers can analyze financial information and email final invoices more efficiently and improve cash flow.

Improved Dashboards

Without being able to visualize your data in several formats, it is difficult to make fast and actionable decisions. With Vantagepoint, dashboards have been enhanced to provide improved business intelligence and offer more actionable insight. Now there are new chart dashparts and better ways to sort, group and filter data. Multiple dashboards for users can be created and configured to meet specific user needs allowing for even more effective business management.

Get Ready to Upgrade to Deltek Vantagepoint

With all these features offered by the newest release of Deltek Vantagepoint, professional services firms can run their projects even more effectively. Deltek strives to power project success and will continue to seek out more improvements to help project-based firms run at their best. Are you ready to upgrade to Deltek Vantagepoint today? Check the official Deltek Vantagepoint Readiness Portal to learn more about the requirements and when you should start considering upgrading to Vantagepoint.

In the business world, it is vital that your company stays ahead of the competition. Business leaders must consistently evaluate many things from the technology being used to the way the business is organized. While firms tend to spend a lot of money on business development activities, they focus less on technology advancements. This is a costly mistake since technology is rapidly changing and continues to provide solutions to many common business challenges. Let’s see why companies should prioritize digital innovation.

Worth the Cost

Businesses push back on investments in technology because of the cost to upgrade their current systems. However, they don’t consider the cost of their current software being outdated. Choosing to save that money and not invest in new and up-to-date software could lead to more problems down the road like hardware failure.

Even more significant, using outdated systems can be frustrating and lead to less productive employees and slower work production. Using current technology will promote productivity plus allow employees to learn what is new so they can benefit their customers. Keeping up with the growing technology can give companies the edge over others that are still using out-of-date systems.

Reducing Redundancy 

There are many software offerings available to reduce redundancies and improve employee efficiency and productivity. Firms first should find an application that will communicate with other systems they have in place. Employees should have an easy and effective way to get data from one place to another without having to import and export to different systems. Having a system that can interface with a client’s software can make it easier to manage data. Working with current software eliminates duplicate data which results in more work down the line.

Remote Access

As newer technology arises in the business world, mobility becomes an option for more employees. The ability to access corporate data while not in the office is essential to employee productivity. There is an additional impact on your team since data can be updated whenever creating real-time information. Furthermore, being able to work from wherever provides more flexibility to meet customer needs whenever they arise. Only the most current technology allows for these benefits.

Fostering Collaboration

Digital innovation promotes global collaboration. While businesses require collaboration, it is becoming increasingly difficult with more companies going global. By employing collaboration solutions, employees are able to share information real-time instead of storing it. Having the ability to share results instantly can improve employee relationships within teams located around the world.

Make Technology a Priority

Unsupported software and out-of-date hardware can cause data failure, but it also prevents businesses from being as productive as they could be. Pursuing digital innovation, companies can make sure they are on top of their games.  Up-to-date systems offering employee mobility ensures productivity and an exceptional customer experience. Prioritize technology for your firm.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to get more out of your Deltek products? Well, Deltek has a solution for you! If you’re a go-getter, you’ll find the Deltek Learning Zone (DLZ) a great tool to expand your capabilities. Let’s take a look at how you can access what DLZ has to offer.

Gaining Access to the Deltek Learning Zone

Here’s some side information before we go to deep. For starters, Deltek Vantagepoint and Vision are offered in two versions. One being on-premise, which means your firm hosts Vantagepoint or Vision on their own servers. The other being software as a service (SaaS). This means your Deltek product is hosted in the cloud and maintained by Deltek IT staff which relieves your firm of the burden on maintaining your software and having to have hardware to store your data. So, why is this important?

If your firm is a SaaS Deltek client, there’s some good news! You have access to the DLZ at no additional charge. If your firm maintains their own Deltek database, you still have access to the DLZ. However, there is a nominal fee your firm will have to pay to gain access.

Benefits of the Deltek Learning Zone

For starters, the DLZ is a learning tool. It allows users to access information and training materials about the Deltek products your firm utilizes. These resources allow you to learn more about the products you use and how to maximize them to reap all the benefits to improve your work performance. But wait, there’s more!

Sure, you want to get the most out of the Deltek products you already have access to. However, is there an add-on module that can help your firm streamline more processes? Well, you probably know the answer is yes if you’re an avid Deltek user. But you may not be sure of how they work and how easy they are to use. Well, the DLZ offers a simple solution for you to learn how these additional modules work and how easy they are to navigate.

Even more, many Deltek Vision users are preparing to upgrade to the latest Deltek ERP, Vantagepoint. However, many people are hesitant to change which is a natural instinct. Therefore, the DLZ offers several training tools to help overcome fears and answer the questions you have before upgrading to Vantagepoint.

Here’s What is Offered in the Deltek Learning Zone

Deltek created DLZ with the core understanding that people learn in different ways. As a result, they created several ways for you to increase your knowledge and proficiency with your Deltek products. For starters, they organized the majority of the educational materials on a role-based library. Meaning that it’s easy to find the right materials and training information that is specific to your job at your firm.

Futhermore, one person might learn by reading a document or watching a video, while others may need a more interactive environment. The DLZ offers several types of training tools to help users of all skills and to meet the needs of how different individuals learn. When you log into the DLZ, you choose to register for an interactive class or download on-demand videos and documents to get instant answers to your challenges you experience on a daily basis.

Do More with the Deltek Learning Zone

If you haven’t explored what is offered in DLZ, you may want to start searching through the resources available. The reality is, you have created a career in the professional services industry and it’s likely you’ll be using Deltek products throughout your entire career. With that said, you should take a deep dive into the DLZ to see what new things you can learn to make yourself your firm’s go-to resource for any Deltek related questions.   

Technology is a huge part of any growing business and leaders are constantly searching for emerging technology trends that can drive their businesses forward. Originally, the A&E industry strayed from embracing new technology because of the time and effort it took to learn and adopt the new trends. However, firms are now identifying technology as a strategic and innovative way to educate staff, identify key initiatives, and implement incremental changes to improve business.

Top Three Technology Trend Challenges

In this year’s Deltek Clarity Survey, firms were asked about their top technology trend challenges. The results presented in the 40^th Clarity Report showed that the top three challenges were the struggles of prioritizing trends, the cost of technology, and the lack of time to learn. Other challenges included client education, lack of leadership, and buy-in from firms.

Emerging Technology Trends

For the second year in a row, firms were asked how important nine emerging technology trends were to their businesses. Lining up with the top four from last year, The Internet of Things (loT) and Geo locations ranked in, closely followed by big data and data science.

The loT is the interconnection of devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data. It is important because connected devices offer the potential to better manage certain projects. The key is being able to extract and manage actionable data from the loT devices to make informed decisions.

Geo location is more prominent now than ever. Firms can leverage geo location information to make things easier for the employees and clients. Geo locations can be used to determine an employee’s location, to track how long an employee is on a job site or deliver valuable details about the client when you arrive at a project or client office. Firms can use this information to better manage projects and improve client satisfaction giving them a competitive advantage.

Application of Technology Trends

This year, firms were also asked to which areas of their business they apply technology trends. Most firms are looking at implementing these trends into projects themselves through either project management or project execution. Futhermore, more than half of the firms want to apply technology to improve their business development and marketing.

The problem is that not enough firms are seeing the value of technology and how it can improve human capital management. Potential and existing clients are wanting businesses to be tech-savvy, and those that can deliver streamlined services that use up-to-date technology will stand out from the rest. Embracing technology today can create a clear competitive advantage, while those who are not will have to play catch up later.

Top Technology Trend Initiatives

Additionally, firms were asked to identify the top three initiatives they are employing to address technology challenges in the next three years. Two-thirds of the firms identified creating a strategic plan as one of their top three initiatives, followed by educating staff and identifying and developing technology subject matter experts. With these initiatives in mind, how can firms get this information and learn from it and eventually apply it to their work forces?

First, firms just need to know where to start. Industry associations and partners are a great resource they can use to learn more about technology. Firms should not be nervous about integrating new technology into their organization because of the fear of failure. Once they gain an understanding of the technology, developing a budget for implementing these trends will become more manageable.

Learn More From the 40^th Annual Deltek Clarity Report

This is simply a summary of technology trends from this year’s report. For more details, download a copy of the 40^th Annual Deltek Clarity Report today. You may also find other topics of interest to keep your firm ahead of the competition.