ARH Successfully Converts to Deltek Vision from FMS, Realizing Companywide
ROI, Including a $40,000 per Year Savings in Staffing
THE CHALLENGE
ARH found that using FMS as their accounting software package was adequate,
but as the company progressed, more than an accounting system was needed
to manage the growth and sophistication of their projects and transactions.
Since FMS was built on outdated technology and would not have new releases,
ARH felt it was important to move to a business management system built using
a technology framework which supported their growth and has an eye to the
future. Also, the realization that data was completely decentralized prompted
the desire to condense information into one central database. ARH wanted to
advance from an FMS used only by administrative staff to an ERP system utilized
by all employees.
As younger senior management took more of a lead role in the company, the
ability to access accurate, timely information that could be shared across the
enterprise and pushed out to project managers was necessary. They no longer
wanted to rely solely on the undocumented experience and knowledge of senior
management.
During the evaluation process, ARH identified that maintaining historical data
was crucial to the company. They concluded there was a significant value
attached to this historical information and the process of converting the data
was an important consideration. After going through a manual process of
maintaining and migrating data when moving to FMS in 1999, ARH knew that
the ease of conversion would greatly influence their decision.
Adams Rehmann & Heggan
(ARH) is an award winning
consulting firm providing a
broad range of professional
engineering, surveying,
planning and GIS services
throughout New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and
Maryland.
www.ARH-US.com
P: (609) 561-0482
Headquarters: Hammond, NJ
No. of Employees: 75
An additional challenge for ARH was the need to reduce the time it took to produce financial statements and
billing necessary to improve the company’s reporting capabilities and cash flow.
THE SOLUTION
Neil Reid of ARH spearheaded the process of evaluating business management systems. He identified
criteria that was important to the company such as having one database, a dashboard, and ability to
manage more people and projects, as well as improve financial reporting and cash flow. “Our
management team got together to identify what was important to our company. It’s important to get
buy-in from the executives at the beginning of the process,” said Neil.
With the help of Acuity Business Solutions, a Deltek Premier Partner, Neil was able to gather all of the
necessary information to make a decision about Deltek Vision. ARH had worked with Acuity Business
Solutions for years and trusted their knowledge, as well as their ability to guide the conversion process.
Since ARH used FMS, the conversion process was quite simple. They followed the recommended
conversion process and used a two-phase strategy. This included running a trial system prior to the final
conversion which gave staff the chance to get comfortable with some of the methodologies and processes
of Vision. This approach also provided an opportunity to optimize some of the data affected by the
conversion process. As a result, the system was functional – or “live” – just one day after the conversion.
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THE BENEFIT
ARH has found they are able to get more done with less effort. They can now push critical information to
project managers, who can easily retrieve it from their Vision dashboard. The company finds they are able
to process more transactions and better manage vast amounts of information with the same amount of
staff. By converting to Vision, the hiring of an additional staff member was not needed, resulting in a
savings of $40,000 per year.
ARH has seen other significant benefits from using Vision. Since the system is web-based, there is the
ability to easily meet deadlines and do much more remotely. Project managers are able to get information
on demand, monitor employee utilization and review project scopes. Also, monthly reports and financial
statements are now available earlier and with minimal lag time since Vision has eliminated the need for
double-input.
The dashboard functionality has made reporting easy and has given project managers the ability to access
information on their own. “Previously, if you needed any kind of information, you had to go to many
different people to gather the details. Vision has improved efficiency amongst our employees,” said Neil
Reid. “This is vital especially for billable employees.”
Neil found that working with Acuity Business Solutions helped significantly during the conversion
process. Having a consultant that has led many similar conversions and can help guide the process is
essential for success in having your new system up and running correctly.
THE CHALLENGE
ARH wanted a business
management system that
utilized one database, a
dashboard, ability to manage
more projects and
employees, improve cash
flow and reports, as well as
maintain historical data.
THE SOLUTION
ARH converted from FMS
(an accounting system) to
Deltek Vision (a
comprehensive business
management system).
THE BENEFIT
ARH found they could
process more transactions
with the same staff, provide
better, on-demand
information to project
managers, meet deadlines
easily and produce reports in
less time.
ABOUT ACUITY BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Acuity Business Solutions helps project-based businesses such as Architecture, Engineering and
Environmental firms, Government Contractors and Professional Services firms find opportunities, win
business, deliver projects, and manage their organization.
We are committed to your business results.
ABOUT STAMBAUGH NESS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
Stambaugh Ness Business Solutions (SNBS) is a leading technology consulting company providing solutions
designed to help firms achieve their business goals. Clients benefit from SNBS’ depth of industry knowledge
and applied best practices. SNBS has built an impressive track record, partnering with
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hundreds of firms to reduce technology costs, increase return on investments (ROI) and maximize
profitability. SNBS is an affiliate of Stambaugh Ness, PC, CPAs and Business Consultants, which is an
independent member of the BDO Alliance USA.
ABOUT DELTEK
Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for professional
services firms and government contractors. For decades, we have delivered actionable insight that
empowers our customers to unlock their business potential. 15,000 organizations and 2 million users in over
80 countries around the world rely on Deltek to research and identify opportunities, win new business,
optimize resources, streamline operations, and deliver more profitable projects. Deltek – Know more. Do
more.® www.deltek.com
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