Purposeful Innovation with Deltek Ajera: A Recap from Deltek ProjectCon 2024

The Deltek ProjectCon 2024 conference was a resounding success where more than 3,700 users gathered to connect and learn. The week’s theme was how Deltek’s innovative technologies are Powering Transformation for project-based businesses.

Senior Product Director Ellen Keeley and the rest of the Deltek Ajera team took attendees through a remarkable journey of innovations and advancements shaping the future of financial and project management in the A&E industry. The team emphasized Deltek's commitment to purposeful innovation to make it easier to manage the project lifecycle. For Ajera, three important principles guide our approach: automation, user experience and user feedback.

Leveraging Automation to Streamline Processes

Deltek has been at the forefront of integrating automation into our products, with Ajera being no exception. During the Ajera kick-off session, Ellen highlighted how automation is being used to streamline key business processes to enhance efficiency and ensure that data is accurate and accessible anywhere.

Complete Timesheets Faster with Timesheet Assist

In 2024, Deltek Ajera introduced Timesheet Assist to help users create new timesheets quicker than ever before. Users can easily start a new timesheet pre-populated with recently used projects or projects already scheduled for the upcoming week. This handy shortcut reduces clicks and errors. 

Create timesheets faster with Timesheet Assist.

Automate Vendor Invoice Approvals

The latest Deltek Ajera release introduced automation of vendor invoice approval processes to accelerate the billing cycle. Route invoices to project managers and financial leaders, eliminating manual processes. Financial teams can set up invoice approval routing rules based on the invoice amount, project or vendor type. Additionally, teams can track the status of invoices to ensure there is no delay in cash flow. This improvement ensures efficiency and accuracy, minimizing delays and errors in the invoicing process.

Streamline the vendor invoice approvals process through automation

Providing a World-Class User Experience

The user experience (UX) is a user's overall feeling while interacting with a product. It goes beyond the visual design (user interface or UI) and considers the user's journey from the first click to the last. The Deltek UX mission is to deliver solutions that work the way users do, not the other way around. This is achieved by making product decisions based on user data, market intelligence, and design best practices.

During last year’s conference, attendees were able to visit the UX lab to explore hands-on the upcoming enhancements and new features coming to Ajera in 2024. They were then able to provide direct feedback which helped shape the end result of several experiences, including the following.

New User Interface

In 2024, Deltek Ajera unveiled a new UI to make the solution more modern, consistent, accessible and user-friendly. Additionally, we continued to make more of the Project Command Center functionality available across any browser. We want Ajera to have a more modern and aesthetically pleasing UI that doesn’t impact the core functionality and features you love.

Deltek Ajera gets a new look and feel to provide a more modern experience

These changes will make it easier for users to take advantage of Ajera’s capabilities and increase user adoption across your business.

Improved Mobile Expense Experience

The Deltek Expense for Ajera mobile app lets you quickly enter and submit expenses from your mobile device. Earlier this year, we introduced a new design and improved functionality to make it even easier to capture expenses. Users can also enter expenses in fewer taps, helping them complete their expense reports faster.

New mobile app design makes it easier to capture expenses

Innovating through User Feedback

At Deltek ProjectCon, the team underscored how user feedback directly shapes the roadmap. User feedback helps Deltek better understand needs, challenges and preferences. That's why your Ajera feedback is critical through the Deltek Idea Portal. This platform allows you to submit ideas for new features or enhancements within Ajera, vote for and comment on other user ideas and watch how those ideas become a part of the solution.

Since its availability in October 2022, the Ajera team has received more than 1,800 ideas, several of which were released in 2024 including the ability to: 

• Email vendor remittance advice
• Manage more project data in any browser
• Freeze widget headers
• Drag and drop attachments
• Upload attachments for projects

Stay tuned to the Deltek Ajera blogs to learn what will be released in 2025. We are grateful for your participation and contribution to the Deltek Idea Portal. Keep the ideas coming!

Key Takeaways

The Ajera kick-off session at Deltek ProjectCon was a testament to Deltek's dedication to innovation and user satisfaction. With a clear roadmap and a focus on integrating leading technologies, Deltek Ajera is poised to continue transforming the way project-based businesses manage their projects.

Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to leverage the resources provided to stay engaged and informed.

Looking Forward to 2025

In addition to the exciting updates provided during the Ajera kick-off session, Ajera users learned tips and tricks from our Deltek product experts, discovered best practices from other Ajera users, networked with members of the Ajera Users Association (AUA), met 1-on-1 with Deltek experts and explored complementary Deltek products to power project success.

Join us next year in Denver, Colorado for another incredible opportunity to experience three days of content, connections and customer appreciation.