Some 88 percent of companies use some type of ERP, an enterprise resource planning system that integrates a range of business information, from financial to customer to HR, and a lot more. But ERPs are not “one size fits all.” This is especially true among companies that execute projects for external customers.

Project-Based ERP for Dummies introduces the basic concepts of ERP systems that are intended to serve project-based businesses. Check out Article 9 "Eleven Ways Deltek Can Help Run Your Business with Confidence" of the new Project-Based ERP for Dummies article series and see how your business can benefit from a purpose-built ERP system. (And in case you missed it... Article 8: Project-Based ERP for Dummies - Six Ways Project ERP Can Make a Difference.)

Eleven Ways Deltek Can Help Run Your Business with Confidence

The earlier articles in this series spell out at length the differences between ERP built for everyone and ERP created specifically for project-based businesses. This article will explore the solutions that Deltek has created with Project ERP in mind. More than 16,000 companies look to Deltek to help them manage their projects. Deltek’s solutions can help you manage your business in four key areas, as shown in Figure 9-1.

Source: Deltek

Figure 9.1: Deltek Enterprise Management

• Win: This involves understanding the market, and identifying, tracking, and capturing opportunities from before RFP through contract award.
• Manage: High quality tools move you from contract award to execution through schedule, cost, resource, and risk management, to attain full integrated program management.
• Deliver: Execute and deliver on your projects and corporate objectives through a robust and compliant project-based ERP suite of solutions. Manage your key back office processes by the project, not just the account or organization.
• Measure: Examine your business in real time to make critical decisions about the present and the future through a unique set of analytic and ad-hoc reporting tools.

Deltek's solutions are built for project-based businesses, but you have your own specific needs based on the types of projects you do, the clients you serve, and the areas you want to manage as part of your projects — such as business development, resources, billing, or all of the above. What specific tools might you need for the kinds of projects you do? Figure 8-2 shows some specific uses for certain aspects of the Deltek solution to look at when deciding what specific tools you might need based on the types of projects you do.

Source: Deltek

Figure 9.2 Deltek project-based solutions.

Projects for the Government

If you perform work for the government, you know just how complex those projects can be. Article 6 discusses many of the rules and regulations with which you must comply. Deltek has solutions built specifically for businesses conducting projects that fall under federal regulations. Deltek has an extensive offering for government contracting companies.

Providing Professional Services

If you’re not doing business with the government, then some of the requirements and regulations won’t apply to you. Deltek offers solutions designed for those project-based businesses not subject to as tight a regime of regulations and tracking. These might include architects, engineers, consulting businesses, accounting firms, agencies, and legal businesses.

Develop Business Through CRM

What's the difference between standard customer relationship management and CRM geared specifically for project-based businesses? Article 3 provides the answer in full detail. But the short answer is that project-based CRM helps manage, track, and forecast opportunities in ways especially helpful for project-focused businesses. Deltek offers Project CRM for both professional service organizations and government subcontractors.

Handle the Financials

As Article 2 outlines, the financials include everything from accounting and billing to revenue tracking — everything you need to track the revenue and costs on your projects and bill your clients. Depending on the types of projects you do and for whom you do those projects, Deltek has a number of options. For example, if you are a small government contractor your needs might be quite different from those of a large accounting business. Deltek has options.

Track Time and Expense

Tip For most businesses, time and expense tracking would be part of the overall ERP solution, but some businesses just need project time and expense tracking that may be tied to another billing solution. The ability to capture time via mobile devices can be quite helpful as well..

Master Project Management

For businesses that need to plan out the project, the phases or tasks, and budget the project at any of those levels, Deltek offers project planning and budgeting tools that can help give your project managers visibility into the projects and help them stay on-task and on-budget all the way through.

Get a Handle on Resource Planning

Article 4 provides full details on creating the project plan and lining up the necessary resources. For those businesses that need to schedule and manage their resources and teams, Deltek offers planning tools to help get the right people on the right job at the right time.

Materials Management Made Simple

Manage the purchasing and tracking of materials throughout the procurement process. You can track customer orders completely from planning to approval, purchase, shipment, and receiving. Deltek’s solutions include the Purchasing, Receiving, and Procurement Planning applications.

Social Collaboration

Need to collaborate with a team around your project? Perhaps share status updates with your client? Perhaps you need to bring together the project team to come up with ideas for dealing with a tough situation while making sure the project is delivered on time. Just as other social tools are connecting people, Deltek’s Social Collaboration tools link people around the project to share conversations, tasks, events, and files.

Analysis and Portfolio Management

Remember If you manage many projects, you’ll need to be able to view and measure the entire portfolio. You can answer some incredibly important questions. Which clients are most profitable (and how can you get more business from them)? On what industries should you focus, and which should you avoid? Are all of your projects on track and profitable for the business?.

Project Manufacturing

If your company builds or manufactures deliverables, Deltek offers a full set of project-based manufacturing tools. The software links shop floor activities with financial management, accounting, and project management at the most detailed levels possible. It provides instructions for complex product assembly or maintenance, repair, and overhaul. It also collects important information, including start and stop times for each operation as well as quality inspection results. All of the project status and cost information is automatically fed from the shop floor into the ERP environment.

This combination provides a significant competitive advantage in the build-to-order, engineer-to-order, and MRO fields. Businesses that develop and maintain complex product offerings will benefit from improved compliance, efficiency, quality, and visibility.

Article 1: Project-Based ERP for Dummies - What in the World is ERP? Learn more » Article 8: Project-Based ERP for Dummies- Six Ways Project-Based ERP Can Make a Difference. Learn more »