PARIKH Consultants, Inc., founded in 1993, is a geotechnical engineering firm specializing in public agency projects across California, including work for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), cities and local municipalities. The company provides geotechnical assessments for infrastructure projects like bridges and light and high-speed rail systems. The firm is headquartered in Milpitas, with offices in Irvine, Walnut Creek, Sacramento and Oakland.
Deltek ERP Software in the Cloud Reduces Complexity and Saves Costs
In 2018, the firm noticed a growing trend of companies moving to cloud-based ERP solutions, and despite initial concerns, decided it was in their best interest to follow suit. Being a small firm without an in-house IT staff, they sought to simplify their processes and reduce the complexity of managing software. Moving to the cloud eliminated the need for external IT consultants and simplified tasks like software updates, patches and backups, which led to significant cost savings for the firm.
"If you add up what you're spending and you pay attention to how much you need IT staff to be on call, often waiting hours for an IT fix, it was worth it for us to move to the cloud," said Kathy Krol-Ramirez, Sr. Principal, CFO.
Vantagepoint Provides Flexibility While Improving Visibility for Project Managers
In 2022, with help from Deltek Partner Full Sail Partners, the firm upgraded from Deltek Vision to Vantagepoint. Full Sail helped PARIKH Consultants prepare for their upgrade and since they were already in the cloud, the upgrade was completed overnight, allowing the firm to be fully operational on Vantagepoint the next day.
Project managers are finding Vantagepoint more user-friendly and it is a providing a smoother overall experience for the PARIKH team. In addition, Kathy’s staff does not need to use a VPN to access data. “My staff works from many locations and use their phones and apps, and the ease of getting information makes a big difference.” said Kathy.
The firm upgraded to Vantagepoint because of the solution’s enhanced flexibility and reporting capabilities. In addition, Vantagepoint is very user-friendly, with familiar features like drop-down menus that made it easy for project engineers to adapt quickly. Vantagepoint’s design and ease of navigation made it much simpler for users to get up and running, making it a highly effective and accessible solution for the team. According to Kathy, the firm only uses Vantagepoint and runs the entire business with the solution. “We don't use anything else, and I don't incorporate any outside programs except for Excel. We are using all the modules, including accounting, and all my project engineers are using it for project management," she confirmed.
What I like about Vantagepoint is the flexibility. The project manager can configure what they need to see and that can vary based on the manager, for example, by numeric order or location or a county.
Increased visibility from Vantagepoint has helped the firm improve budget management by preventing unexpected overages and ensuring the right staff are working on assigned projects. Managers can now monitor project assignments and budget details in real time, allowing them to communicate effectively with clients. For some projects, PARIKH must ensure that they are maintaining the same project team that was originally proposed on the job and Vantagepoint is helping them do just that. Kathy iterated, "It is important to keep track of who is assigned to each project because we often need to assign specific engineers to projects. The only way I can switch out a person is if that person leaves or is promoted to something different. So that's been our challenge this year as we have a limited staff.” With better visibility into project staffing, the firm can make more informed decisions on staff assignments and ensure that they are meeting client requirements and project demands.
Vantagepoint Provides Additional Benefits to Engineers and the Marketing Team
According to Kathy, the team working in Vantagepoint are very comfortable using it and can find information easily. For example, they can go into accounts payable and click to see the invoice attached for the project. The information they need is right there for them. She added, "They no longer need to call me, which saves time and allows them to be more efficient."
Advice for Firms Thinking of Moving to the Cloud
According to Kathy, one of the main concerns firms have when considering the cloud is the fear of losing access to data or dealing with downtime. However, she emphasizes that cloud solutions provide constant access to data without the downtime that often occurs with on-premises systems, due to necessary patches and updates. She believes that many firms would be more willing to move to the cloud if they understood how easy it is. She also points out that data accessibility and reliability is key noting that particularly in a small firm, retrieving data from the cloud is often quicker and more efficient than reaching an IT professional for on-premises solutions.
Kathy also highlights the importance of trusting your vendor and ensuring strong support is in place. She praises the customer support provided by Deltek and Full Sail Partners, noting the resources they offer, including education, training, webinars and user groups. ProjectCon, Deltek’s annual user conference, offers valuable classes, networking opportunities and insights into new ways to use the software. Kathy finds networking with other users particularly helpful, allowing her to gain new perspectives and discover tips that can benefit her firm. She encourages decision-makers to attend these conferences, as they provide essential education to help firms maximize their software's benefits.
Vantagepoint in the Cloud
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