A multitude of government contract work sparked growth for IT services firm, InScope Solutions. Identified as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Washington, D.C., area, InScope needed a project-accounting system that could streamline accounting processes and comply with the cost-accounting standards of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. The company rapidly outgrew QuickBooks and required advanced project-accounting tools to design job-cost models. Knowing its cost structures, InScope could place highly competitive, accurate, and compliant bids to win more government contracts. With that in mind, InScope aligned with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner SSi Consulting to deploy Microsoft Dynamics® SL. Since the deployment, InScope has gained U.S.$10 million more in revenue, decreased auditing time by 50 percent, and reduced book-closing time by one week. The full case study is attached.
As an aside SSI Consulting was just recognized as Microsoft's Partner of the Year for the East Region at the Microsoft World Wide Partner Conference! Impressive Recognition!
Become more familiar with Microsoft Dynamics an integrated ERP solution from Microsoft.
- Learn about Microsoft’s strategy around making ERP as pervasive as Windows Server
- Learn more about Dynamics business solutions, and the power they deliver when coupled with personal productivity software
- Experience an automated workflow scenario with Microsoft Dynamics and SharePoint.
- Network with other key C-Suite Executives in the community and the local Microsoft team.
Please select from the following dates:
Friday July 18th from 9:30 am to 11:00 am – Click Here to Register
Friday August 15th 9:30 to 11:00 am – Click Here to Register
Both events will be held in the Microsoft Technology Center 12012 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston Virginia 20190-5869
Registration links are above or you can also contact Christine Zmuda (czmuda@microsoft.com or 301-467-1412) for questions regarding this executive event.
Now in its 13th year, The Grant Thornton Government Contractor Industry Survey continues to assist government contractors in preparing for the future of their business. Through collection and analysis of responses from a cross-section of companies that consider the government to be a significant customer, the survey offers an in-depth look at the government contract industry as a whole and into the day-to-day business of being a government contractor.
By completing this survey, government contractors receive the survey results which makes for a great benchmarking tool for the C-Suite. The survey is open until June 20th, 2008, to participate visit www.grantthornton.com/govcon .
See the attached file for the survey highlights from last year. Great information!
I hear from many government contractors that they feel like there should be more options in the ERP marketplace for government contractors. Here's a case study which shows how Phoenix International is using Microsoft Dynamics to meet their DCAA compliance needs and make confident decisions based on accurate and accessible financial information.
Larry Mocniak, CFO selected Microsoft Dynamics® SL because of its superior ability to analyze data and flexibility to resolve problems within the existing outsourced model. “Having used Oracle at previous companies, I knew it would be cumbersome and require full-time maintenance,” explains Mocniak. “With Deltek, you can’t create customized queries because the software only enables information to be pulled in predefined formats. Plus, the cost of implementation is too high.”
There are now over 15,000 Dynamics SL customers and growing. Read the case study to understand why.
I was fortunate enough to attend the M&A Roundtable sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP. It was a very well attended session with high level industry executives attending.
While there was a lot of good information shared, one interesting trend I learned about was the increased interest in foreign companies looking to acquire US based Defense firms. As you can probably guess this makes a lot of sense, given the devaluation of the US Dollar . This economic factor is making this acquisitions more easily attainable. For companies located within NATO based companies this is a great way to drive collaboration across the defense industry and this teaming is welcomed by our US Government.
This slide taken from Richard Knop, Sr Managing Director of BB&T's International Investment practice remarks shows that overall the M&A market remains strong for the government contracting technology firms and cites New Entrants as one of several factors driving growth in acquisitions.
Top 100: The challenge to stay on top
Contractors face uncertainty with tight budgets, procurement woes and a lame-duck administration
Here's a quick excerpt from the article:
"To continue to grow in today’s market, Top 100 companies are forging closer customer ties, streamlining internal operations and chasing emerging opportunities. All of this is happening against a backdrop of tight budgets, shifting buying patterns and increased oversight of government operations.
“Tight budgets are always a two-edged sword,” said Linda Mills, corporate vice president and president of the information technology sector at Northrop Grumman Corp., No. 3 on the Top 100 with $7.9 billion in prime contracts. “The pressure to do more with less drives demand for IT because IT drives productivity. On the other hand, it can slow new system starts.” "
There are lots of details on who the growing companies are and projected transitions ahead. Check it out.
Webcast:
Business Development & Pursuit Management Solutions for Government Contractors
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 and Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 pm Eastern
Featured Speakers:
Henry McCallum, Senior Consultant and CRM Practice Lead
Duration: 1 Hour
To bid or not to bid. If you are struggling with data silos, inadequate data for decision-making and review, poor collaboration between Business Development units, or poor process management, then this solution can help your organization become more proactive and productive. Streamline the bidding process, gain valuable insight and reports, and quickly determine if a contract is a potential win as a prime, or if it should be considered as a sub to be a more likely winner. All this is possible and more with Dynamics CRM and ePartners Pursuit Management solution for government contractors.
This solution can integrate to any Microsoft Dynamics Financial Management Solution or Deltek Costpoint and/or GCS Premier.
Register Here for this Webcast.
The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards is the premier celebratory event honoring the leadership, innovation, and commitment to excellence of the people and businesses in the region’s government contracting community. Presented by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce’s Northern Virginia Government Contractors Council(GovCon), Professional Services Council (PSC), and Washington Technology, the 6th Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards will be announced at an evening gala some have dubbed the “Academy Awards of government contracting.” It is a truly unique networking event which draws 900+ industry and government leaders. Click on the Call For Nominations title above to see the nomination form attachment and submit your company today!
Big Thanks to Ed Schapiro for forwarding this along - looks like this course could be very helpful for the GC community! Here's more:
Contract renewal is a critical time for any GSA schedule contractor and must be anticipated appropriately. GSA has stepped up "pre-award" audits of extension proposals, and contractors will find these audits are no longer reserved for the unlucky few. The extension proposal and negotiation process is a significant event, with potentially serious ramifications for contractors - positive as well as negative. GSA schedule contractors are advised to invest the time and resources necessary to ensure a successful, speedy completion of the process. This half-day, in-depth class provides a comprehensive understanding of what to expect and how to prepare for this important milestone. Register at http://www.immixgroup.com/events/tr_050708.htm?ref=PTW Send inquiries to events@immixgroup.com
At FedSource's Outlook conference this morning, Ray Bjorklund presented information that the use of governmen wide task order contracts is declining.
According to FedSources' analysis, the use of GWACs has dropped 15 percent since 2005. The GSA schedule is down, from 17 percent of spending in the IT market in 2005 to 14 percent in 2007.
Meanwhile, the use of agency-specific, task order contracts is rising. Among these are contracts such as the Air Force's Netcents and Homeland Security Department's Eagle contract. Share your thoughts with Nick Wakeman, Author of this piece at Washington Technology.
Here is an excerpt from Nick Wakeman, Tech Editor of Washington Technology.com on the proposed sales tax on computer services done in the State of Maryland. If you are interested in actively fighting this issue, there is a grass roots effort via www.fightthetechtax.com.
The Maryland information technology community is fighting hard against a new sales tax scheduled to go into effect July 1.
Although it is a state tax, any government contractor doing business with a federal agency in the state will feel its impact, said Julie Coons, chief executive officer of the Tech Council of Maryland. The council and the Maryland Chamber of Commerce have formed the Fight the Tech Tax coalition to push for a repeal of the tax. Other members include the IT Association of America and Computing Technology Industry Association.
The state legislature passed the sales tax in November; it requires companies to pay a 6 percent tax on the sale of computer services. For the full article, please click here.
March 27, 2008
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Lunch & Learn for Government VARs
Microsoft, Diamond Mind, and PVBS are excited to announce a new seminar for companies that sell products to the Federal Government. Learn how some of the top Value Added Resellers to the Federal Government are using Microsoft Dynamics NAV to improve operational performance and monitor key business metrics. You will also get quickly up-to-speed on new government procurement initiatives including SmartPay2, which starts December 1, 2008.
The seminar will take place at 11:30am on April 22nd at the Reston Technology Center. To register, send an email to michelle.pycior@pvbs.net or call 703.391.0977. Lunch will be served at the seminar.
This is an exclusive seminar for business owners, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, program managers, accounting and operations professionals at the fastest growing VARs and product companies in the DC Metro Area.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV is an ERP, project accounting, and financial management solution in use by over 60,000 companies around the world. It meets the needs of fast growing VARs that have out-grown their lower-end, inadequate accounting systems such as QuickBooks or GCS Premier. It is fully DCAA compliant and is the only solution on the market that integrates product and service business lines.
When: Thursday, March 27, 2008
Where: The Tower Club, Tysons Corner, VA
Time: Registration begins at 11am. Seminar begins at 1130am.
To register, send an email to michelle.pycior@pvbs.net or call 703.391.0977.
March 18, 2008
Microsoft Dynamics NAV Lunch & Learn for High-Growth Government Contractors
PVBS is excited to host a Lunch & Learn event on Tuesday, March 18 for business owners, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, program managers, accounting and operations professionals at the fastest growing government contractors in the Washington, DC Metro Area. At the lunch and learn, we will be highlighting Microsoft Dynamics NAV for Government Contractors from PVBS. Microsoft Dynamics NAV is an ERP, project accounting, and financial management solution in use by tens of thousands of companies around the world. It is the Microsoft alternative for Government Contractor Project Accounting and Financial Management.
Dynamics NAV is fully compliant with Federal Government contracting guidelines (FAR, CAS) and meets the needs of contractors that have out-grown their lower-end, smaller company accounting systems such as QuickBooks or Deltek GCS Premier. It is fully DCAA compliant. You will be impressed by how the Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution can help you improve your organization's financial and program management. Lunch will be served at the seminar.
At the Lunch & Learn, we will address the following:
- Microsoft Executive Dashboard/Business Analytics
- Use the executive dashboard to take the pulse of your business, including tracking new bookings, backlog, and contract completion percentages
- Project Accounting
- A DCAA-compliant solution that handles the most unique reporting requirements
- Microsoft Office Integration
- Learn time savings tools and tips to print and e-mail government invoices and integrate with Microsoft Excel to perform custom analytics
When: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Where: Microsoft Technology Center, Reston, VA
Time: Registration begins at 11am. Seminar begins at 1130am.
To register, send an email to michelle.pycior@pvbs.net, call 703.391.0977, or click here (http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=125775) to register.
Bob Kipps, Managing Director of Kipps DeSanto a boutique M&A firm addressed an audience of CEOs of high growth government contractors at the Tower Club this past Thursday evening. He shared his insights from doing more than 40 M&A transactions in the defense and technology sector. It was a great opportunity for the many who attended to benefit from his experience and assess their own business against recommended success factors. Here's a quick snapshot of the Drivers of Value in the M&A Industry from Bob's experience and a link to Bob's presentation.
This event was hosted by Microsoft, Commerce Bank, and Pleasant Valley Business Solutions.
For those of you considering financial management, customer relationship management or other software solutions in the 2008 calendar year, there could be an additional incentive to do so. Taxpayers can deduct $128,000 of software and other personal property costs in the year of acquisition. That means anyone who buys software and the related consulting costs can deduct up to $128k from their taxes.
As always, do consult with your accountant and/or tax advisor before making any purchases. See attachment for more details.
RSM McGladrey and Unanet hosted a breakout session entitled "Project and Financial Management Solutions for Government Contractors" at the Microsoft Government Contractor Summit. This was a very popular session which drew much enthusiasm from attendees. It's hard to replicate the government contractor specific demo showcased but if you want to get a feel for what Dynamics SL looks see this Project Management and Accounting Demo. There is a full page of Short Demos if you want to explore more.
The highlight of this session were the robust reports that RSM McGladrey developed for government contractors. This report pack includes Job Summary Reports, Statement of Indirect Costs, DCAA Schedules, and Indirect Cost Analysis reporting to name a few. See Presentation for reporting samples. These are super critical to government contractors.
With approximately 15,000 customers on Dynamics SL, more and more customers are selecting Microsoft Dynamics over Deltek. It's an exciting time for choice in the marketplace. Dynamics SL is helping many government contractors meet their DCAA compliancy needs and equally importantly provides a financial management foundation that can scale to high growth. If you are interested in more information, contact Tom Burtner at RSM McGladrey at tom.burtner@rsmi.com or see the RSM McGladrey Web Site.
