Jordan & Skala Engineers is a firm specializing in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sustainability and low-voltage consulting. With 240 employees across seven U.S. offices, including its headquarters in Atlanta, GA, the firm offers comprehensive design services that enhance building comfort, security and sustainability across various markets and geographical regions.
Transitioning to Deltek Vantagepoint
The firm had been using Deltek Vision for several years and completed its upgrade to Deltek Vantagepoint in October 2023. One of the primary goals of the transition was to expand system access beyond marketing and accounting to more users across the organization. “Before Vantagepoint, project managers used Vision primarily for time entry, leaving pursuit and project tracking entirely to marketing and accounting. This limited their visibility into pursuit efforts, active project lifecycles and client development activities,” said Brittany Schultz, Director of Marketing. She added. “Now that project teams are trained to use the solution; they are directly involved in the process which makes project tracking more accurate.”
The firm is leveraging Vantagepoint dashboards to streamline financial and project management processes, significantly improving efficiency and decision-making. Leadership and project teams can now easily access real-time data on estimated revenue for forecasting, market performance, success rate and other key financial metrics. This enables team leaders to focus on the most critical aspects of each project.
Real-Time Data Access for Project Success
A significant benefit from Vantagepoint is enhanced visibility, allowing all users real-time access to data rather than just accounting and marketing teams. "With more people involved in the database, additional teams could see project data and not have to rely on someone else to get that information,” remarked Brittany. She added, “With our entire team working within Vantagepoint, everyone is on the same system, which significantly streamlines our workflow. The data is captured directly in the dashboards, eliminating the need to consult multiple teams for essential project information.”
Projects begin their lifecycle in Vantagepoint, with team leaders and administrators inputting notes throughout the process. If a project is unsuccessful, data is sent to marketing for analysis. If the project is awarded, the record transitions to the accounting team for billing setup based on client preferences.
While teams capture as much information as possible, many project details emerge later in the lifecycle. A workflow is in place to remind the project team to update these details as the project progresses, including factors like cost savings from utility incentive programs. This process is a collaborative effort, with marketing handling the initial data and the project team refining it throughout the project's development.
Dashboards track pursuits by client and market, allowing for better decision-making and performance assessment. The shift to real-time dashboards has streamlined tracking client relationships, pursuits and account management across multiple offices. “This transition has significantly reduced manual reporting efforts; what once took hours in Vision is now automated and accessible instantly in Vantagepoint,” remarked Brittany.
Vantagepoint CRM Provides Actionable Insights
The firm is using Vantagepoint CRM to centralize and streamline their project pursuit tracking. Previously, with Vision, opportunities were separated from projects making it difficult to see all details in one place. Now, all data related to a project pursuit is consolidated, allowing for a clearer, more comprehensive view of each opportunity.
Additionally, the firm leverages CRM to track the effectiveness of event and campaign performance, such as assessing the ROI of sponsorships and booths.
User-defined fields in Vantagepoint hubs enable the team to monitor relationship statuses, track ownership of client interactions and analyze why and where pursuits were lost. The marketing team also utilizes dashboards to assess open pursuits by client and market, providing valuable insights into market performance before moving into project execution. This data-driven approach enhances strategic planning and improves overall business efficiency.
The firm also leverages Vantagepoint CRM’s activity reminders for business development and email notifications to streamline project close-out updates.
Looking to the Future
The firm is exploring Vantagepoint's resource planning module to replace its current spreadsheet-based system. As the firm grows, leadership is committed to integrating this functionality to streamline operations.
Jordan & Skala Engineers’ transition to Deltek Vantagepoint has significantly improved efficiency, visibility and decision-making across the firm. The firm is optimizing its operations for long-term success by leveraging real-time dashboards, automating processes and planning future integrations. With ongoing advancements in resource planning and data integration, the firm is well-positioned to continue innovating and streamlining its workflows.
Deltek Vantagepoint
Put projects and people at the center of your A&E business.
