As a virtual employee I often have a computer within arm’s reach. The need to access Deltek Vision on a mobile device has largely been non-existent for my work situation. However, recently I attended back-to-back conferences and I quickly found myself behind on my timesheets and desperately needing to submit an expense report. So one afternoon, as traffic died down while manning a tradeshow booth, I decided to install the Deltek Touch Time and Expense app on my phone.

The following blog outlines my thoughts and experiences using the app!

Deltek Touch Time and Expense:  What’s All the Buzz About?

This app is really easy to use! No seriously, it is. The clean smooth detailed design of the user experience shines through immediately. I quickly found myself navigating the menus and feeling a sense of insight regarding where I stood on past, present, and current timesheets and expense reports.

Expense reports have never been less of a hassle. I typically experience a lot of anxiety when it comes to doing expense reports. The idea of managing multiple, high value, expenses can be stressful to say the least. For me, Deltek’s Touch Time and Expense app took the stress out. I was able to quickly take a photo of my receipts with my smart phone, attach them to my expense report in Touch T&E, and voila – expense complete!

After long stints out of the office timesheets are no longer something I dread. Nothing sucks worse than being out of the office for days at a time. Oh wait – you know what sucks more? Trying to figure out how to bill all that time that you spent out of the office!

Managing my time on-site at these conferences with Deltek Touch Time and Expense could not have been easier. During down times I found myself quickly plugging my time in to Vision from my mobile device. No more sticky notes or emails to myself with logs of my time. This process was so easy that I now find myself using the application to log my day-to- day time after work while watching TV with my wife.

Like any application on a mobile device, Wi-Fi helps! The conference I was at had so many people using their phones that the 4G networks were basically useless. I quickly found a Wi-Fi hotspot and connected up and noticed a considerable increase in performance. Stay aware of the environment you are in and the technology you have available and make the most out of it!

This Deltek Touch Time and Expense App is Pretty Cool!

Overall I was extremely impressed with this application. The ability to instantly access my timesheets and expense reports on a mobile device was a life saver!  I’d encourage you to try the app out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Ready to start using the app? Watch this Deltek Touch Time and Expense Application tutorial and start doing more with your Vision system from a mobile device:

The digital age has revolutionized every aspect of our lives. If you want to know something, simply search for the answer on the internet. Email and social media are now prevalent ways to communicate, and are becoming increasingly effective marketing channels. This revolution has changed how we conduct business. More importantly, the way we market our business evolves daily and has created a new role called the marketing technologist. 

The Impact of More Data

A Forrester Research study found that 96% of CMOs surveyed agreed that the pace of change in technology and marketing will continue to accelerate. As a result, firms cannot rely on mass marketing techniques that provide little return on investment. A wealth of information about your prospects and their level of interest is readily available with the right tools and knowledge. This modern marketing world is becoming more strategic and performance-driven. So with the rise of performance-driven marketing, marketing decisions are based on extremely accurate data. This new era of marketing has given birth to a new breed of marketing professionals known as marketing technologist.

What is Required of a Marketing Technologist?

A marketing technologist is a unique individual that is characterized as analytic and creative. They have a background that is a blend between information technology and marketing. Furthermore, a marketing technologist is the secret to staying ahead the technology curve and your competition. They know how to analyze the data collected from marketing campaigns to gain a deeper understanding of your customers. In fact, they can use this data to determine the level of interest of a potential lead to create a nurturing campaign that guides the lead through the business development process. In addition to creating content and evaluating campaign performance, marketing technologist are tech savvy and understand how new marketing technologies work. This increased ability to collect accurate data in near real-time is the direct result of the digital age and the advent of new technologies.

Why the Growing Demand of the Marketing Technologist

The marketing technology software industry is booming. International Data Corporation (IDC) recently reported that organizations worldwide will spend over $130 billion on software over the next five years for marketing departments alone. Today, having a website and a few social media accounts is the norm for business. Now there is a never ending sea of content management and marketing automation platforms that allows for all types of new creative ways to engage customers. More importantly, these platforms can be integrated with internal CRM solutions to increase marketing effectiveness by:

• Enabling lead nurturing before the sales team gets involved in the sales process.
• Gathering data about potential leads by tracking their web activities, browsing habits, and responses to marketing efforts.
• Prioritizing leads by scoring them based on their recorded activities and recognizing when a lead is ready to be engaged by the sales team.

As more technologies enter the marketplace, the demand for marketing technologist will grow.

The Future of the Marketing Technologist

Even though SHRM, the leading organization for human resources professionals, does not recognize “Marketing Technologist” as a job title, there are job postings on employment websites with similar job descriptions across the country. According to a recent study by Gartner analyst Laura McLellan, CMOs will be spend more on information technology than their counterpart CIOs by 2017. Marketing departments are spending more on technology than information technology departments - that is saying a lot about the future of marketing and is indicative of the future growth of the marketing technologist role. As companies invest more into their marketing technology, having a qualified individuals will be a requirement.

A current trend in many organizations is to closely align the marketing and technology departments to work together as a team. Not because they do not want to hire a marketing technologist, but rather the result of having a limited amount of people to choose from with experience in both marketing and information technology. The title of a recent article posted on Forbes, “The Rise of the Unicorns – Why Marketing Technologists will Rule Modern Marketing” supports this assertion and supports the real growth in the marketing technologist role.

What’s the biggest nuisance of every company? What is that one activity that makes almost every employee groan with boredom?  Timesheet completion! Getting employees to complete timesheets on time and accurately is a thorny problem that plagues many firms.  While it can be a laborious process, it’s also an enormously important part of the accounting function.  

Full Sail Partners Mock Interview with Michael Scott of the Office

Michael Scott is the co-manager of the wildly successful Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of Dunder Mifflin, the New York City-based regional paper and office supply distributor, and the central character on NBC’s mockumentary “The Office.”  Let’s see how Michael handles this.

Wendy:  So, Michael, what’s the key to getting your employees to complete their timesheets?

Michael Scott:  Here at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, we don’t believe in timesheets. Because then we would have to pay our employees based on the hours they actually worked.  And we don’t want to do that.  We find that paying our employees for their actual hours really hurts my numbers, and I end up looking bad.

Wendy:  You know, of course, that you still have to pay your employees, even if they don’t submit timesheets.

Michael Scott:  Oh…uh, of course was just joking – you need to lighten up [smiles and laughs uncomfortably].  We used to have a “timesheet trophy” that employees kept on their desk if they were the last to submit their timesheet.  Then we had David Wallace sit at employees’ desks until they completed their timesheets.  But he got mad at that, because I was calling him to drive from New York every week.

Wendy:  Now that many employees are virtual, what do you do?

Michael Scott:  I have found electronic shaming successful. I post pictures of my employees with little signs around their neck stating, “I was late submitting my timesheet” on their Facebook pages.  You’ve seen the dog shaming pictures …they always make me laugh [chuckling to himself for several minutes]!  Oh, and we got Ryan to set up a twitter account #timesheetyouarelateagain.  We are up to 9 followers!

Wendy:  Public shaming is probably not the most effective way.  You might want to look at your timesheet process:  maybe it’s too difficult or laborious.  Also, you could communicate the value and importance of timesheets which might help them understand the impact on your accounting process.  Or you could …

Michael Scott:  [Interupting] Blah, blah, blah … you corporate eggheads are all the same. Employee communication, streamlined processes … I don’t know what any of that stuff means.  You know [leaning forward] the best way to truly motivate employees? Buy them stuff!  I take most of my weekly paycheck and buy my employees things in order to get them to complete corporate forms.  Why just last week, I bought Stanley a refrigerator.  Sure, I don’t have much left over for my own needs, but it’s completely worth it.  I look like a corporate hero and my employees are happy! 

Wendy:  Well Michael, this has been an interesting and enlightening conversation!  

So why are timesheets so important?

Getting employees to complete timesheets on time and accurately is, as we’ve discussed, a difficult problem. In a professional services firm, we sell our consultant’s time which equates to the largest expense on your income statement. The importance must be conveyed from the top down and here are reasons why firms should be concerned:

• The sooner timesheets are in, the quicker your firm can get paid
• The sooner you can get paid, the more you have to invest in your firm
• Incomplete timesheets lead to inaccurate reporting and wasted time
• Delayed timesheets (especially 1-2 weeks) can lead to overruns

So how do you get timesheets submitted?

Once employees understand the importance of timesheets, there are a variety of ideas to get those timesheets submitted accurately and on-time.  Some have suggested withholding paychecks until a timesheet it submitted, but know that there are laws that protect employees for non-payment due to lack of timesheets.  There are other ways for companies to incentivize employees to take care of this function.  First, after you’ve explained the importance of timesheets, you could try some of these serious (and perhaps not so serious) ideas.

• Give late employees a paper check instead of the more convenient direct deposit.
• Make timely submission a portion of the performance review process.
• Incentivize positive behavior by offering awards for consistent timely submission – gift cards, paid days off, office lunch, etc.
• A lawyer, William Peacock, describes one solution he knew:

One firm installed a kegorator with a homemade card scanner that checked to see if the timeslip had been submitted. If so, employees could pull a pint, reported AdWeek.  Did it work? Oh yeah. Timesheet completion was up 90 percent.  People drinking in an ad agency -- that's a novel idea, [but] is there any way this is a Bad Idea? No. Heck no…In all seriousness though, a lot of businesses freak out when alcohol is involved. And it's for good reason: injuries, social host liability, sexual harassment, general stupidity -- whatever. We'd venture a guess that the automated dispenser only put out once per timesheet. Giving someone a single beer as an incentive is one thing -- throwing a full-on kegger is a whole different (and legally dangerous) matter.

Glad we’ve figured that out!

Despite all these ideas (including Michael Scott’s “buying them stuff”), the absolute best way to get employees to submit accurate and timely timesheets is to make sure you have the most efficient timesheet system in place.  Making the process clear, understandable, and efficient will ensure that you get those necessary timesheets making your firm, once again, a smooth sailing enterprise. 

Photo Credit: NBC

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.

Our modern day culture is often obsessed with perfection. Magazine covers are graced by photoshopped professional models and our TV screens are filled with successful eclectics whose wealth is their biggest problem.

Fortunately, perfection is not an attainable goal; the real goal is the path we follow as we strive for peak performance which is the essence of a 'perfect employee'.

It was Vince Lombardi that said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Considering that the NFL Super Bowl trophy is named after Vince Lombardi, you could say he knew a thing or two about peak performance…

So, what qualities help us along this path to being the ‘perfect employee’? 

What are the 11 P's of Peak Performance?

If obtaining peak performance is our professional goal, then, what exactly are the attributes that we need to be the 'perfect employee'?  Following is the list of benchmark qualities you should strive for on your path:

1. Proficient. Sure, you can’t have all the answers but you know how to dive in or connect with the right people to figure them out. You come to the table with suggestions - not more problems. You are constantly looking at how to improve the process.

2. Proud. You are proud of your work because your efforts are always well thought out, tested and reviewed. You don't rely on others to finish your assignments but ask others to quality check your work to make sure it is always correct.

3. Persistent. We all know to learn from mistakes, but the 'perfect employee' personifies this concept. You admit when you are wrong sooner than later. If you don't know how to do something, you find out how … with no excuses.

4. Passionate. You LOVE what you do and radiate emotion when you talk about your work!  You learn on your own, offer improvements, and share with others what you know.

5. Productive. Your willingness to push up your sleeves and work overtime while not jeopardizing other commitments is renowned. While we all have parts of our jobs that are not favorable, 'perfect employees' realize the goal of those less desirable tasks and get them done.

6. Positive. You exemplify “Can Do!” by accepting that you can always improve, you see challenges as opportunities, and you think about how things can be done instead of complaining about what you can't change (including the past).

7. Professional. You understand that while comradery is important with co-workers and clients, there is a fine line between “fun” and unprofessional “fooling around.” You make sure your work is top notch and your comments will not ever be construed as childish or offensive.

8. Able to keep Promises. You are always thinking about priorities and when the job will be completed in order to deliver in order to keep your promise. You communicate when a conflict arises but still look to deliver on time. You are faithful about deadlines and rarely provide excuses.

9. Punctual. You understand the value of time, yours as well as others. People think “punctual” is your middle name.

10. Able to Promote … others and yourself. You promote great deeds and great work regardless of who completed it. You are always thinking and talking about ways to make the workplace a better environment for your colleagues and services better for clients.

11. Purposeful. Each day has a purpose. You take each day and every action seriously; constantly thinking about what needs to be accomplished and how to generate purposeful results.

HOW to be “perfect” (or close)?

Among many things, today’s professional service firm managers are constantly striving for the most effective and efficient way to operate their business. They are inundated with data and, while reviewing latest financial results, finding the right business indicators for planning, understanding modern marketing trends and, of course, keep up with technology – simply managing the business can fall through the cracks. If your business is thriving, then it is evolving, and you need technology that can keep up with it and keep your business moving ahead. Enter open architecture (OA).

What is Open Architecture?

Open Architecture is when a systems specifications are accessible and allows further system development. Additionally, systems that allow an application programming interface (API), new system features can be developed and integrated with other software.

How Can I Benefit?

• Flexibility – Your business is unique. Although you may perform similar functions as other professional services firms, how you conduct business is uniquely – you. The reality is there is not one system “out of the box” that completely provides everything for your very individual business needs. Finding a system that gets you most of a specific functionality is one thing. Finding a system with an open architecture allows you to meet the specific functionality and meet the special needs of YOUR business is quite another. A system with open architecture will allow you to customize the design (both in processes and fields for data collection) to meet your specific needs
• Efficiency – Time is precious (not to mention expensive). Open architecture systems allow you to reduce duplicate entry and incomplete processes – reducing errors and omissions. When your software systems “talk” to each other (for example the information from your opportunity system automatically converts to a project when awarded) the data is automatically transferred between the systems eliminating the needs for staff to duplicate entry and reducing errors. You can also build in validation requirements to ensure YOUR business process is followed.
• Connectivity – Access is important. You need your data regardless of which system you’re looking at or when you need it. An open architecture system will share your data with other systems and allow you seamless access to it. For example, when you are awarded a project that meets certain requirements that project information can be automatically uploaded to your website – keeping your site relevant to YOUR business.

Don’t take our word for it

Now that we know what open architecture is, let’s talk specifically about how an OA will help your professional services firm. An ERP like Deltek Vision allows even those with limited IT knowledge to customize and build business intelligence processes through the use of workflows. 

Let’s say during your sales cycle when you change the stage to “Awarded” you typically have a series of other fields and processes you have to go through. A workflow can trigger those processes:

• Change Status to Sold
• Change Probability to 100%
• Change the Date Closed to Today’s Date
• E-mail Accounting to open a project (or even allow the system open up a project)
• E-mail Marketing to advise a new project was won

Duplicated or unnecessary efforts equates to lost time. Alternatively business processes that are not followed can spin cycles down the road (that is why the process is there in the first place – right?). Many of these items are easily resolved through workflows where some can take advantage of the flexible software solution already available, while others may need to take it to a higher level to tailor to their unique requirements. The possibilities for innovation are limitless with a system that has an open architecture.

Don’t Go at It Alone

While technology fads come and go, it can be hard to tell which ones you should ignore and which you should embrace. The benefits of open architecture are clear – flexibility, efficiency and connectivity. But don’t go at it alone – you have better things to do with your time then sifting through mounds of technical documents – reach out to your friends at Full Sail Partners to consult on how open architecture can make you shine.

The much anticipated wait for Deltek Vision 7.4 is finally over! To kick off 2015 on a high note, Deltek is releasing the most powerful version of Vision ever. So what features and enhancements are included with the newest version of Vision? Let’s see!

Deltek Vision 7.4 Features and Enhancements:

• Increase project management accuracy with new task dependencies | Plan projects with Task Dependencies, change dates and choose the Predecessor and Successor date changes along with it. Additionally, added right-click functionality to easily move dates.
   
• Deliver consistent opportunity estimates even faster with the new fee estimate tool | Standardize the way professional services firms develop fee based scopes:

1. Create Fee Estimate for the Opportunity based on templates
2. Create reports to include with proposals
3. Create projects from the Fee Estimate mapping compensation values and Work Breakdown Structure
4. Project Fee estimates stay intact in Project Info Center
    

1. Include User Defined Fields on Invoices
2. Control your Invoice Subtotals
3. Group your billing phases for your fee invoices
    

• Associate All button - Quickly associate a supporting document with all voucher lines
• Key Convert and Combine Records even if they have planning data.
• Audit Trail for Closing/Opening Accounting Periods
• Create and schedule recurring/reversing Journal Entries

I think by now we can all agree: The ability to automate proposals with InDesign and Deltek Vision is the greatest thing to happen to proposal creation since the copy and paste function! In this blog we are going to dive deeper in to the realm of automating information out of Vision in to InDesign and take a look at the two coolest ‘outside of the box’ features currently available. If you are just looking to get started with automating information from Vision to InDesign be sure to check out this previous blog.

It is important to continue looking at ways to increase efficiency throughout the entire procurement process. From proposals to the short-list interview, integrating Deltek Vision and Adobe InDesign can give your firm the competitive advantage needed to wow the client. Answer in days, not weeks. Spend less time on boilerplate material and more time on compelling, tailored responses that will further set your firm apart from the competition.

So, how can we use the Adobe InDesign and Deltek Vision integration in new powerful ways? Let’s get started with my two favorite outside of the box features:

1.  Create new, customized, cover sheets while preserving your firm branding.

Utilize the power of integration to create customized cover sheets for each new proposal. By utilizing the powerful template system created by Deltek you are able to wow the client by creating a beautiful combination of your firm branding and project specific information.  This marriage of project-specific information and targeted marketing media will allow you to quickly separate your firm from the competition with the first thing the client sees – the proposal cover!

2.  Stand above the rest and break away from the chains of PowerPoint

You’ve landed that ever elusive short-list presentation. Congratulations! Now you have to win it, or all of the work that you did was for naught. This is your opportunity to separate yourself from the competition. You can basically guarantee that the other short-listed firms are going to present a boring old standardized PowerPoint presentation. This is your chance to stand out and relate to the client on a personal level.

How does the Adobe InDesign and Deltek Vision integration help your presentations stand out from the rest? Simple:

• First impressions are everything | Too many professional services firms fail to differentiate their firm from the competition and let the client mistakenly believe that the decision boils down to price. By creating your presentation in InDesign, you are able to break away from the design restrictions of PowerPoint and instantly differentiate yourself from the competition.
• Eliminate mistakes | How embarrassing is it when our proposals and presentations reflect two different sets of data? Avoid this pitfall by automating all client and project specific information directly from your Deltek Vision system.
• Reinforce your firm branding | Your firm spent countless combined man hours putting together a proposal that got you to the short-list stage. At this point the client likely feels like they know your firm on a basic level. So why change your overall branding now, and start anew? By creating your proposal and presentation from the same set of templates and data-sources, you reinforce your firm branding at every stage of the sales process.

These are two of my favorite ways to use the Adobe InDesign and Deltek Vision integration to make my life easier. Are you thinking outside of the box and using this functionality in any neat ways? We would love to hear - please comment below.

Not currently integrating your Deltek Vision system with Adobe InDesign? Click below to learn how to begin:

Full Sail Partners, a Deltek Premier Partner, is pleased to announce that Heath Harris, and Wayne Johnstone, have joined the Full Sail Partners’ team. These new hires highlight a continuing effort to further bolster the information technology service offerings of the firm. Both of these employees have the skills and knowledge to help clients optimize their IT solution systems to grow and enhance their operations.

Heath Harris is a well-rounded network specialist with 10 years of experience focused on providing Deltek Vision installations, data migrations, upgrades, and customization for small to medium sized firms. As an IT Consultant, Heath will help firms leverage their investments in the Deltek Vision platform by ensuring that systems are optimized for efficiency and advising clients on how to use technology solutions to meet their business objectives.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Full Sail Partners’ team," said Heath Harris. “I am excited to join a company with the passion for helping clients utilize technology to drive and manage profitable growth. I look forward to collaborating with clients and implementing the right solution for their needs.”

As a Product Developer, Wayne Johnstone assists in the development of custom solutions to automate critical business processes for professional services firms. His extensive background in .NET development, SQL programming, and solution architecture surrounding Web based development technologies provides Full Sail Partners with the expertise required to provide solutions that will bridge the gap between independent silos of information.

"Becoming a part of the Full Sail Partners’ team is a wonderful opportunity," said Wayne Johnstone. "In both the professional services industry and the technology community, the Full Sail Partners’ team is known for developing innovative technology solutions to assist professional service firms optimize their business. I'm really looking forward to working with the talented product development group to advance our offerings and continue to deliver solutions that help our customers grow their firms, and get better business results."

As business continues to grow for professional services firms, these recent hiring’s are indicative of Full Sail Partners’ commitment to helping clients excel in today’s quickly-changing economic environment

“Historically, automation has focused on the reduction of manual processes internal to Deltek Vision,” said Wes Renfroe, VP of Technology, “but many of our clients are embracing next generation solutions in the cloud to further augment their processes. With the addition of Wayne and Heath, Full Sail Partners’ development efforts are focusing on enabling clients to integrate their data in Deltek Vision to and from other disparate sources.”

Interested in meeting the rest of the crew? Check out are updated staff page!

In the modern business environment, decision makers observe daily how technology is driving business transformation. More and more CFOs, CMOs and business leaders with IT leadership roles are having the conversation about how their businesses are growing and the impact the cloud is having on their organizational IT plans.

I often speak with customers about the ways we are helping organizations transform into digital businesses and how that enables greater responsiveness in a mobile-driven, cloud-first world. As there becomes less separation between our digital work and digital life, enabling experiences delivered across devices and through the complete cloud is vital.

But what is the ‘complete cloud’? While it is tempting to think of the cloud as a single-entity consisting of raw processing power; the truth is that the complete cloud is more of an ecosystem with many distinctive parts that interact with each other.  To take things a step further, the complete cloud allows you access to your entire technology setup, and all of your data, from anywhere, on any device!

Complete Cloud Solutions - What does this even mean?

So, how is the complete cloud changing the way firms do business? Let’s first examine three aspects that define what exactly a complete cloud solution is:

• A truly complete cloud offering includes everything from SPAM protection to server intrastructure and software in one package.

To get even more specific, when you utilize a complete cloud solution, your technology package should minimally include hardware like an LCD monitor, a cloud-computer with the latest operating system, virus and SPAM filtering, and Microsoft Office. You should also be given unlimited storage with a server plant fit to run all of your business applications.

 

• Ability to unite all of your systems and processes with one single contact.