The 10 Best Performing PSA Solution Providers Sept 2017

The way of business solutions

DigiThoughts Companies Amid the Digital Transformation Storm Center of Attraction Business Process Automation: Reshaping Outlook of IT Industry

Recovering the Most Valuable Business

Attribute - Time

Editorial

Imagineaworldwherethereisnolongertheneedtowrestlewitha

pileofspreadsheets,whenyouwantaquickpeekatthe organizations’performance.Imagineaworldwhereinformationfor strategic-planningisjustaclick-away. Imagineaworldwheretimeis nolongeraconcernasitwasbefore.ThisistheworldthatProfessional ServiceAutomationbringstotheforefrontforPSorganizations.

Adecadeago,ifaProfessionalServiceExecutivewasaskedabouttheir usageoftoolstomanagebillable,projectsandProfessionalService resources,themostlikelyanswerwouldhavebeen–Spreadsheet.Back thenProfessionalServiceAutomationwasjustintroducedintothe servicelandscape.Buttheindustryhaschangedtremendouslysince then.ThoughittookafewyearsforProfessionalServiceOrganizations (PSOs)torealizethebenefitsofautomation,questionsaboutthe selectionofPSAplatformshavepresentlybecomeacommonenquiry.

Theneedforautomationofbusinessprocessesstemsfromavast numberofunrivaledadvantages;butaboveall,automationhelps businessesresurrectanirrecuperableloss–Time.Theprofessional servicesindustryisvividlyconcernedabouttheusageoftime.Business ownersandmanagershaveaninherentconcernregardingtheamountof timeemployeesspendonindividualtasksoronthesidelines.In additiontothese,theyalsotendtobeconcernedwiththetimetillthe nextsaleisprocessedandthetimespentinmeetingsandother corporate-activities.Timeisanindispensiblefactorforbusinesses,and PSAenablesthemtosavealotofitandincreasetheoverall productivityandefficiencyofthefirm.

Halfthebattletowardsunderstandinghowtoimproveabusiness involvesfiguringoutwhereyourbusinessstandsinthefirstplace. ImplementationofPSAenablesorganizationstoassesswherethey stand,ultimatelyhelpinginrecoveringthemostvaluablebusiness attribute–Time!

Sourav Mukherjee

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Ariana Lawrence

Senior Editor

Managing Editor

Co-Editors

David Smith

Abhijeet Parade Saurav Mukherjee

Stephanie Andrews Tomar

Shakti

Visualiser David King

Art & Design Director

Amol Kamble

Co-designer Alex Noel

Art Editor Picture Editor

Business Development Manager

Mark Harris Steve Smith

Business Development Executive Aparna Vanzul

Marketing Manager Alex Noel Vijaykumar Dudhbhate

Research Analyst Jennifer David, Joseph, John, Mary

Database Management Steve

Technology Consultant Swapnil Patil Circulation Manager Robert

Corporate Ofces: September, 2017

Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States

Phone - (614)-602-1754

Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: Visit www.insightssuccess.com

Email: info@insightssuccess.in For Subscription: Visit www.insightssuccess.in sales@insightssuccess.com

Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Ofce No. 513, 510 5th Floor, Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017

Phone - India: 020-69400110, 111, 112

,

ProvidingOpportunitytoAutomate CoreBusinessProcesses

Project-based,people-centricbusinessesaresurgingaheadofthepeckingorder,tobecomethegrowthengineof

worldeconomy Asthesebusinessesgrowinsize,statureandcomplexity,theneedforareliablesystemin place,onewhichgivesthemvisibilityandcontrol,becomesimperative.

Tocontinueitsriseuptheladderofsuccess,ProfessionalServicesOrganizations(PSOs)needautomationsolutions thatimproveefficiencyandcurbsdowncomplexity Thesesolutionsprovideorganizationswiththeopportunityto automatetheircorebusinessprocesses,suchasbilling,timecapturing,andresourcemanagement.

KeepinginmindthedistinctiveadvantagesandoffersthatPSAsolutionsbringstothetableandhowiteffectively impactstheservicesindustry,InsightsSuccessMagazinehasshortlisted“The10BestPerformingPSASolution Providers,2017,”whichareenablingorganizationstosuccessfullyruntheirbusiness.

FeaturinginourCoverStorysectionisTOPStepConsulting,whichusesCustomerFirstapproachtoenablesand empowersProfessionalServicesorganizationstobeprofitable,scalable,andefficientthroughchangemanagement, processenhancement,technologydeployment,andskillsettraining.

Wehavealsoshortlisted,WSGSystemsCorp,whichisasoftwarecompanythatstrivestohelpcompaniesand professionalsincreasetheirproductivity,profitability,andefficiencythroughtheuseofitsaward-winningsoftware platform–EmpireSUITE;AteraNetworks,whichisacloud-basedITautomationplatformthatcombinesRMM,PSA andremoteaccessintoonepowerfulsolution;JovacoSolutions,asoftwaredevelopmentfirmwhospecializesin developingandimplementingEnterpriseResourcePlanningsolutionsinaB2Benvironment;DATABASICS,which providescloud-based,next-generationExpenseReporting,Timesheet,LeaveManagement,andP-CardControl;Bric,a time-managementsoftwarebuiltwithanalyticsatourcore.Weprovidemanagerstheanalyticstheyneedtoruntheir businesses—tohelpcreativesthinkstrategically;AvazaSoftware,whichisanonlinesoftwaresuitewithmodulesfor ProjectManagement,Timesheets,ExpensesandInvoicing.

Inadditiontothese,don’tforgettoflipthroughthepagesofourEditorialArticles; Business Process Automation: Reshaping Outlook of IT Industry —CenterofAttraction; The Need for Professional Service Automation for Organizations —PSAinPerspective;and PSA: Robust, Efficient & Productive Software for Contemporary Business —PSAinVision.

Also,expandyourknowledgebaseandexpertisethroughourCXOStandpoints; Companies Amid Digital Transformation by Prof. Dr. Marco Mevius and Florian Kurz —DigiThoughts; The Most Cost-Effective Way to Build an IT Brand by Bob Gold —InBrief;and Managing Corporate Communications on Mobile Devices by Andrew Silver —Mentors’Insights.So,what’sthewaitfor?Digin!

Time is what we want most, but... what we use worst. Automationofbusiness processeshelpsenhanceacompany’s productiveoutput,andmost importantly,curbsdownanample amountoftime–themostirretrievable oflosses.ProfessionalService Automationsolutionbringsitself variousadvantages,withasignificant upsidebeingitsimplementationinall keybusinessareas,fromsalesandHR tomarketingandmanagement.One suchcompany,standingtallwithits PSAfocusedsolutionsisTOPStep Consulting.Itenablesandempowers ProfessionalServiceorganizationsto beprofitable,scalable,andefficient throughchangemanagement,process enhancement,technologydeployment, andskillsettrainingwitha Customer First approach.

UnparalleledPSA-FocusedSolutions TOPStepoffersahierarchyofservices underitsPSAcenteredsolutions,such asBusinessEfficiencyAssessments, Deployments,SystemExtensions,and VirtualAdministrationincluding integrationswithERP,CRM,HCM, andothercommonbusinessoperations systems.Let’sbreakeachoneofthem downforfurthercognizance:-

Ÿ Business Efficiency Assessments ensurestechnologyisalignedto yourbusinessmodelandtherefore, thetechnologyworksforyou insteadofchangingyourwayof doingbusiness.

Ÿ Deployments followsaproven methodologyofcustomer engagementandbusinessmodeling toensuredatacaptureandmetrics reporting,therebyhelping organizationsrealizetheinvestment benefitsofthePSAtool.

Ÿ System Extension enablesworkflow efficiencieswithinthePSAsolution byaddinglogictocomplementthe vendorplatformandintegrationsto streamlinedataflowamong

systemsforaccuracyandtimely data-processing.

Ÿ Virtual Administration providesa helpdesktoaidwithyourPSA systemadoptionandsupportsyour administrators,byaddressing questionsfromtheteam.

Inadditiontothese,TOPStepalso providesProjectManagementOffice consultancytobusinesses,tohelpthem deliverprojectssuccessfullyandto haveamorepredictableproject executionandmanagementoftheir projects.

STEPS–AStaircaseofSuccess

TOPStephasdevelopeditsveryown programcalledSTEPS,whichisafivephasedapproach;namely Strategize, Tools and Process Implementations, Educating and Training, Performance Tracking and Reporting, and Systems Management. Thishelpsorganizations toeffectivelyutilizeitsPSA-based softwaresolutions.

AnIndustryVeteranFocusedon ImprovingEfficiencyand Profitability

JodiCicci,PresidentandCEOof TOPStepConsulting,boastsover25 yearsofexperienceintheProfessional Servicecircuit,whereinshehelmed variousrolesrangingfromsoftware developertoprojectmanagerto operationaldirector Thisbreadthof experienceintechnologyserviceshas enabledhertounderstandthe uniquenessthateachcompanyoffers andhowtoolsandprocessescan

“We empower Professional Services organizations to be profitable, scalable, and efficient”

radicallyimprovetheefficiencyof businessoperations.

JodibeganTOPStepConsultingin 2007,focusedprimarilyonimproving theefficiencyandprofitabilityof professionalservicesorganizations throughprocessimprovementand technology.Sincethen,thecompany hasgrownunderherableleadership intoagloballyrenownedandrespected consultingorganization.Itshouldcome asnosurprisethatTOPStephas receivedseveralawardsandindustry recognition,therebyestablishingthe companyasleadersinproviding businessconsulting,PSA implementations,PSAadministration andconsultingskillstraining.Through allthese,TOPStepenablesan organizationtobemoreefficientand profitablethroughprocessand technology

TheMasterDegreeholderinComputer SciencefromtheMichigan TechnologicalUniversity,Jodi’s ultimatefocusistoprovideaplatform forthePScommunitytolearnand shareknowledge.

TacklingMarketChanges

Companiesarecontinuallyonthe lookoutforwaystobemoreefficient byextractingmoreproductivityoutof fewerresources.This,inturn,leadsto technologyneedsandrepeatable processesthatsupportpredictability

Technologyisadvancingatarapid pacewithcloudsolutionsevolvingand newsolutionsinmarketingcomingup quiteoften.TOPStepConsultingkeeps itselfpluggedintothePSAmarketby participatinginleadingservices associationsandbybeinginvolvedin thePSAcommunitythrough conferencesandcommunityevents.

“We pride ourselves on connecting with leading PSA vendors to gain

knowledge about their platform and make investments to learn key go-to-market focuses that provide differentiators among vendors. By making this investment and gaining insight, we have a solid base from which to provide information to customers and prospective customers alike about how various solutions will meet their unique business model requirements,” assertsJodi.

PSAToolSelection,forvariousfirms,isaprimary investment,whichwillsupportthescalabilityofthe organizationforthenextdecadeandbeyond.Thecompany positionsitselftoprovidefirmswiththatsupport.

StayingOne-StepAheadoftheIndustry

Unlikeitscontemporaries,TOPStepConsultingfocuses onlyonProfessionalServicesconsultingwithatechnology emphasisofPSAsolutionsupportordeployment.Thereis oftenthepushtohaveboutiquefirmsexpandintoaonestopsolutionproviderbybroadeningtheirofferingsinto HR,CRM,andERPsolutions,sincetheyalignsoclosely withPSA.Onthecontrary,TOPStephasmaintainedtheir focusonPSAandhaveinsteadchosethedirectionof findingqualitypartnersthatexcelinotherplatformsand services.Thisistoprovideabestofbreedteamapproachin additiontobestofbreedtechnology.Inthisway,the companykeepsitseyesontopoftheindustrytrendsandis abletocontributeasthoughtleadersinthemarketplace.

AnInsightfulLookattheCompany’sBackground

Backin2005,JodiwasheavilyinvolvedwiththePSA solutionNetSuiteOpenAirbothasacustomerandasan advocate.ShewasworkingasaProjectManagerat SoftwareAGandledindeployingthesolution.Shesoon recognizedanopportunitytostartTOPStepConsultingasa waytoassistcustomerstogetmoreoutoftheirinvestment withtheNetSuiteOpenAirplatform.

Duringthattime,onlytheproductvendorthemselveshad therequisiteexpertiseintheplatform.Theemerging companyquicklygainednotorietyinthecustomerbaseby partneringwiththeOpenAirvendorandworkeditswayup toestablishbothanonlineandin-personcustomer communitytoshareinformationandexperience.Bystarting asaboutiqueconsultingfirmfocusedonPSAand professionalservicesconsulting,TOPStepConsulting garneredareputationofpartnershipandknowledge enablement,andhascontinuedtogroweachyear.

In2010,integrationsbecameafocustoNetSuiteOpenAir byintroducingtheNetSuite/OpenAirintegrationoffering alongwithstandardizingintegrationstoSalesforceand othersystemsalike. Integrationsareakeypartofhaving anefficientsolutionofeffectivetimeproductivityandTOP StepConsultinghascontinuedtoexpandrelationshipto partneringwithintegrationvendorslikeDellBoomiand

Our consultants come from industries leverage PSA tools and have gained their experience through practical application, trial and error, and vendor interaction

Celigotopromotethebestfitsolutionstothecustomer base.

In2014,thecompanyexpandedtoincludethe FinancialForce PSA solution,keepingthefocusonthe team’sexpertiseinProfessionalServicebusinessprocesses andtechnology.Twoyearslater,TOPStepintroduceda focusedIntegrationandSystemExpansionteamwhich supportscodedevelopment,enhancingtherobustplatforms providedbythePSAvendorstheysupported.Thisyearsaw thecompanyintroduceyetanotherPSAplatformtothe TOPStepConsultingknowledgebase– Kimble Applications.

FightingofftheInitialStruggle

TheinitialphaseforTOPStepConsultingwasbothaboon andbane.Jodiwasthesolememberofthecompany,and withinayearsincethecompanyformation,theresponse fromitscustomerbasewasoverwhelming.Butbecauseof this,fartoomuchworkwascominginandJodicouldn’t handlethemalone.

“It was quickly apparent that a company structure with payroll, etc. would be needed sooner than expected,”Jodi mentions.

RonnBreaux,VicePresidentofClientServices,became theveryfirstemployeeatTOPStepConsulting,framingthe infrastructureforavirtualcompanyandcontinuestoshape andgrowthecompanyalongsideJodi.“When you are a single person in a company, the business plan is simple. When you need to start hiring, your business plan becomes more complicated and critical is understanding how cost grows with revenue growth so plan to put one in place sooner rather than later,” Jodipointsout.Amidstallthe struggles,thecompanyovercameallofitandsurgedahead toclimbtheladderofsuccess.

Ronnhasspenthiscareersolvingbusinessissuesand strivingforoperationalexcellence. Hehaswornmanyhats throughouthiscareerincludingVPofSales,VPof Delivery,COOandCFO,givinghiminsightintothemany challengesofserviceorientedbusinessesbothoperationally andculturally. Hebringsauniquesetofknowledgeand

skillstohiscustomersforunderstandingthebusinessneeds aswellasprocessandtoolsthatcanhelpsolveefficiency challenges.

AsastrategicbusinesspartnerforJodi,Ronnreceivesa greatdealofsatisfactionbyprovidingsolutionsthatresult inimprovedoperationsandultimatelyeasethestresswithin acompany;therebyallowingthemtoshifttheirfocuson theactivitiesandpeoplewhoaremakingadifferencein theircompanies.Histechnicalcapabilitiesestablishedand continuetogrowkeyareasoftheTOPStepfrom NetSuite/OpenAIrintegrationtolearningadditionalPSA solutionslikeNetSuiteSRP.

FutureRoadmap–ContinuingtoSpearheadthe Industry

TOPStep’sfocusinthenearfuturewillcontinuetobea leaderinPSAtechnologies.Ithopestodosobystayingon topofroadmapsandnewfeaturesorreleasesfromthe vendor,aswellaseducatingitsexistingcustomerbaseto continuetotakeadvantageofreleasestobeevenmore efficientandproductive.

Whilevendorscontinuetoexpandtheirownsolution,many oftheplatformssupportbuildingcustomsolutions includingcodingsuchasJavascriptorApexcode.TOPStep Consultingisinvestinginbuildingcustomsolutionsthat canplugintoexistingPSAplatformstoaddress functionalitygapsordeliveruniquerequirementstothe end-customer.Thisadditionalserviceishighlightedinits new Extension Marketplace,whichdemonstratesthetypical customsolutionsthatcanbepurchasedforinstallation. TOPSteplistenstoitscustomerbase;hence,alotofits directionisdrivenorganicallybytheindustry,vendor productsandcustomerrequests.Its Extension Marketplace isthenewestexampleofhowthecompanystrivesto deliverexcellencethatcanberepeatableandfacilitatesa winningsituationforitscustomers.

“In the upcoming years, we will continue to focus on offerings that educate our customers and provide quick assistance that drives PSA adoption, PSA accuracy, and PSA reliability as a critical platform for their own businesses.” Jodiconcludes.

CompanyName

AteraNetworks atera.com

AvazaSoftware avaza.com

Bric getbric.com

DATABASICS data-basics.com

FunctionPoint

ProductivitySoftware functionpoint.com

JOVACOSolutions jovaco.com

Mavenlink mavenlink.com

ProfessionalServices ofAmerica psainc.com

Management

GilPekelman CEO&Founder

TimKremer& BehramKhan Co-Founders

GrantStanley CEO

AlanTyson CEO&Founder, MarcelSyriani CTO

ChrisWilson President&CEO

Jean-ClaudeCoutu Founder&President

RayGrainger Co-Founder&President

JudyK.Sheppard CEO

TOPStepConsulting topstepconsulting.com

JodiCicci President&CEO

Brief

Ateraisacloud-basedITautomationplatformthatcombines RMM,PSAandremoteaccessintoonepowerfulsolution.

AvazaisanonlinesoftwaresuitewithmodulesforProject Management,Timesheets,Expenses&Invoicing.

Bricistime-managementsoftwarebuiltwithanalyticsatour core.Weprovidemanagerstheanalyticstheyneedtoruntheir businesses—tohelpcreativesthinkstrategically

DATABASICSprovidescloud-based,next-generationExpense Reporting,Timesheet,LeaveManagement,andP-CardControl. Specializinginmeetingthemostrigorousrequirements, DATABASICSoffersthehighestlevelofservicetoitscustomers aroundtheworld.

FunctionPointalleviatesthechaoticnatureofoperatingcreative agencies,internalmarketingteamsandprofessionalservice firms.

JOVACOSolutionsisasoftwaredevelopmentfirmwho specializesindevelopingandimplementingEnterprise ResourcePlanningsolutionsinaB2Benvironment.

Mavenlinkprovidesenterprise-classSoftwareasaService (SaaS)thattransformsthewayservicesorganizationswork.

PSA’scorebusinessisprovidingqualityhumanresource staffingtomeeteachclient’sneedsinthegovernment,medical, educational,industrialandcommercialsectors.

TOPStepConsultingenablesandempowersProfessionalServices organizationstobeprofitable,scalable,andefficientthroughchange management,processenhancement,technologydeployment,andskill settrainingwithaCustomerFirstapproach.

WSGSystemsCorp empiresuite.com

BillCornfield President

WSGSystemsCorpisasoftwarecompanythatstrivestohelp companiesandprofessionalsincreasetheirproductivity, profitability,andefficiencythroughtheuseofitsaward-winning softwareplatform–EmpireSUITE.

OneofthecriticaldecisionseveryManagedService Provider(MSP)hastotakeinvolveswhattodo withtheabundantinformationtheycollect,and howtotrackandbillforthetasksthattheirclientsmight need.Solelyrelyingonemailandcalendarentriesand jottingdownmobilenumbersandIPaddressesonvarious uncategorizedstickynotesscatteredaroundtheofficeisn’t viableforanefficientlyfunctioningMSP.Tobetterorganize andplan,MSPsneedsaplatformthatcancentrallymanage allthebusinessprocessesandworkflows.Professional ServicesAutomation(PSA)softwaredoesjustthatby streamliningoperationsforMSPs’businesses.

OnesuchcompanythatcanhelpwiththesameisAtera,a cloud-basedITautomationplatformthatcombinesRemote MonitoringandManagement(RMM),PSA,andremote accessintoonerobustsolution.TheyprovidePSAservices withtheMSPinmind.

PSAisdesignedtoautomateandmanagesomeofthemost commonbusinesstasks.Thegoalthroughsuchaserviceis toensuretheprojectsofthecustomersaredeliveredon time,withinthepre-determinedbudget,andinaccordance withtheclient’sneedsanddemands.Atera’sall-in-one innovativeplatformofferMSPsimprovedoperational efficiency,seamlessintegration,end-to-endmanagement, anddisruptivepricing.TheirPSAsolutionenablesoptimal supporttoMSPssotheycanrunandmanagetheir businessessuccessfully

TranslatingaVisionintoReality

Aterawasconceivedin2011inTel-Aviv,withasimple goalinmind—tohelpMSPsbuildbetterbusinessesby

makingthingseasierforthem.Theytranslatedthisvision intoarealitywiththelaunchoftheireasy-to-useall-in-one platform.

AfterbeinglaunchedintheUSmarketin2016,the companywasfocusedongainingMSPs’trust.Injustone year,Aterahasalreadyestablishedthecompanyasatrusted nameforMSPs,enablingbothsmallandlargebusinessesto growandthrivewithitstechnology.Theirdisruptive pricingmodel—whichchargespertechnicianratherthan perserver—hasenabledMSPstoimprovebudgetplanning, businessefficiencies,customermanagement,andoverall operations.Atera’stechnologyisbothagileandbuiltforthe future,soitfunctionswellanddoesnotrequirelargeteams ofsalessupport.

TheEmpiresoftheFutureareEmpiresoftheMind GilPekelman,CEOandFounderofAtera,isthe visionaryandleaderwhobuiltasuccessfulbusiness.Under Gil’sguidance,Aterahasgrownintothemostinnovative andindustry-leadingplatformforMSPsbothlargeand small.

Mostrecently,hewasrecognizedforhisthoughtprovoking leadershipandaccomplishmentsbyChannelProMagazine asa2017ChannelVisionary.PriortofoundingAtera,Gil heldseniorpositionsat Indigo NV,whichisnowadivision of HP ($1BNASDAQIPO)and Exanet (Acquiredby DELL).Hiseducationalresumeincludesadegreeinboth EconomicsandManagementfromthe Tel-Aviv University ItisalsoworthmentioningthatGilisthesoleinventorof threepatents.

Best-In-ClassSolutionsandServices forMSPs

AteraoffersMSPsapowerfulall-inoneITmanagementplatformwith RMM,PSA,andremoteaccess. Throughthisunmatchedtechnology, Ateraensuresoperationalefficiency andcost-effectivenessforMSPswhen managingtheircustomers’IT ecosystems.Tofurtherenhancetheir services,Aterapartnerswithsomeof thebestbreedsofITvendorstooffer onlinebackup,security, documentation,workflowautomation, remotesupport,patches,warranties, andmore.

Throughtheirbest-in-classPSA, services,andsecurity,Aterafacilitates businessimprovement. Thecompany alsoprovidesadditionalbenefitsto MSPsbydeliveringaBusiness Intelligence(BI)toolcalledThe Benchmark.Thistechnologyprovides MSPswithindustrydatatobetter understandwheretheymatchup againsttheircompetition.

Additionally,AteraincorporatesThe Benchmarkstatisticsintoitsbilling dashboardsothatMSPscangainrealtimestatisticsaboutpricingandways toimprovetheirbusinesspractices.

worldwide.

BringingMSPBusinessTogether

Whetherit’sRMM,powerfulticketing, oragreatcustomer experience—Atera’sinnovative technologybringstheMSPbusiness together.Integratingtheirtechnology leadstolesshassleandoffersbetter strategyandmorecontrol.

Aterastandsoutamongitsindustry competitorswithfourkey differentiators:

Ÿ Easeofuseandabeautifulmodern userexperience

Ÿ TransparentSaaSpricing

Ÿ Real-timedataintelligenceand analytics

WithcontinuedadvancementsinIoT andcloudtechnology,Aterawill continuetoleverageBigDatatomeet theevolvingneedsofMSPs. Additionally,thecompanyaddsnew functionalityandfeaturestotheIT managementplatformevery30days, basedonregularfeedbackreceived fromMSPs.ThisallowsAteratooffer amoreagileanddisruptivepricing model.

DrivenbyanaimofprovidingMSPs ofallscaleandsizeswiththemost advancedsetoftoolsanddata,Atera hopestoimproveMSPs’businesses, andasaresult,thequalityofITfor smallandmedium-sizedbusinesses everywhere.

Thesleekuser-interfaceiseasy-to-use andoffersavividexperiencetoMSPs

Ÿ All-in-one(singlecodebase): RMM,PSA,andRemote Connection

Gil Pekelman CEO & Founder

Accordingtoa Wellingtone studyin2016,morethan 30%oforganizationsnevercompleteaprojecton timeorbudget.Thisisaresultoftakingontoo manyprojects,changeinscope,andpoorresource management.EntersAvazawithabeautifulonlinesoftware suite;makingiteasyforbusinessestohandlecomplex projects,reviewperformanceandstayonbudget.

Bornoutoftheneedtomanageconsultingteamsefficiently andgrowprofitableconsultingbusinesses,today,Avazais anall-in-oneprofessionalservicesautomationtoolthat seamlesslycombinesresourcescheduling,timetracking, expensereporting,quotingandinvoicingwithproject management.Foundedin2014,Avazagrewfromoneuser toservingroughly18,000+across150countries.Its revenuehasmassivelygrownby10-15%everymonthin thepasttwoyears.

BringingERPLevelProjectManagementFeaturesto SmallBusinesses

AimingtobringERPlevelprojectmanagementfeaturesto smallbusinessesatamuchmoreaffordablecost,Avazahas re-inventedthetechnologyforSMBswithadesignthat’s reallyeasytopickupanduse.Itstartswithutilization reports,billableandunbillabletime,profitabilityreports andwhetheracustomerprojectwasfinanciallyworthitor not.

Userscansignupforafreeplan,orchoosefromoneof theirpaidplans,startingat$9.95USDpermonth.Keeping clientsatisfactionattheforefront,Avaza’scustomersupport

isavailable24/7,includingweekendsandpublicholidays. Thisincludeschatandemailsupport,alongscreenshare callstotroubleshootmorecomplexproblems.

User-experienceatitsbest,Avazaisahighlycosteffective solutionandprovidesgreaterinsightintobusiness performance.Itgivesmanagerstheabilitytoautomate commonbusinessprocessesandgainvisibilityonteam billableutilizationandprojectprofitability.It’salsoagreat toolforsmallbusinessesandfreelancers,givingthemthe sameprofessionalinterfaceaffordedbylargecompanies.

UnderstandingtheOpportunityandBuildingaWorldclassSoftwareonit

TimKremerandBehramKhanarethefoundersofAvaza. Bothhaveabackgroundinsoftwareconsulting.While managinglargeteamsofover30consultants,they discoveredthattherewasasignificantamountof inefficiencyincollaboratingonprojectswithteamsand clients.Therewasnosinglerepositoryforprojecttasksand discussionswithclients,fortimetrackingorbilling.Asa result,therewasalotofduplicateddata,out-of-sync customerrecordsandpainfulmanualadministration. Joiningforcestogether,theysawtheopportunitytocreate asingleprojectmanagementproductthatwassimpletouse, couldrunabusinessmuchmoreefficientlyandprovidethe transparencytoclients,integratedreportingandbusiness insightstheycraved.Throughtheirvisionandhardwork, Avazawasinceptedandhasemergedtobeanefficienttool forsmallbusinesses.

GoingDeepintoSolvingBusiness’ ProblemsatCompetitiveRates

Growingthestartup–forTimand Behram–wasa “slow and steady” process,andtheywerefacedwiththe arduouschallengeofgoingupagainst theprojectmanagementgiantslike TrelloandAsana,orlargerERP software.However,theydifferentiated Avazafromthecrowdbygoingdeep intosolvingabusiness’sproblemsbut atcompetitiverates.

Asaresult,AvazanowhasProject Management,ResourceScheduling, TimeTracking,ExpenseManagement, Estimate,Invoices,andReporting. Userscanenablevariousworkflows, suchasconvertingestimatesto projects,recurring invoices/expenses/tasks,andapproval processesfortimesheetsandexpenses.

OfferingMultipleBusinessSolutions inOneApp

Operatingwithanintegratedapproach toprojectmanagement,Avazaoffers multiplebusinesssolutionsinoneapp, whichmeansusersareabletosave timeandmoneyastheydon’tneedto

paymultiplesubscriptionsorsyncdata betweenapps.Userscanmanage clients,projects,timesheets,expenses, estimatesandinvoicesinoneplace. Also,anintuitivedesignmakesAvaza easytouse,anditscustomizeddemos provideuserswithhelpfultipsonhow Avazacanbestworkfortheirbusiness.

Avazausersalsohaveaccessto featuresthataren’tavailableanywhere elsesuchas;1)Ganttchartsbasedon loggedinuser’sassignments,2) Hourlycostandbillingratesthatare customizableattheprojectlevel,3) Multi-currencysupport,and4) TimesheetandExpenseapprovalswith theoptiontolockapproveditemsfrom editing.

LeadingExpertswithanExtensive Experience

Timhasspentthelast10years consulting&managingenterprise consultingcompaniesinthe competitiveAustralianITindustry.His experienceincludesdevelopingmajor projectsforMining,Engineering, Medical,Media,Manufacturing& Financeindustries,bothinhands-on andleadershipcapacities.These includeleadingtheteamdeveloping thepublicwebsiteforthelargest EngineeringcompanyinAustraliaand developingtheIntranetforAustralia’s largestMediacompany

Behramwaspreviouslytheheadof softwareapplicationsatAustralia’s largestmediagroup(SevenMedia Group),wherehemanagedteamsof 40+developersinthelargestmedia managementsystemdevelopmentin thesouthernhemisphere.Hehas extensivequalifications&experience infinance,accounting&computer science.Hehaspreviouslyconsultedin OracleFinancials.

Tim Kremer Co-founder

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Intoday’sdata-driventechworld,itappearsthepriority isallaboutthespeedofinnovationandhowwemove datasafely,effectively,efficientlyandsecurely.Butif nooneknowsaboutyoursolution,howwilltheypurchase anduseit?

Forthoseofyouwhowishtogrowinthisbroad-basedIT market,andcanstrategicallyplan,thereissimplynomore cost-effectiveinvestmentthanPRtohelpestablishan organizationanditsinnovationsinaverynoisymarketplace inwhichweallcompete.

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Hownoisyisit,youmayask?

Bysomecounts,thenumberofmarketingtechnology solutionshasdoubledsince2015andwillsoonsurpass 4,000.

Today’sexecutivesareoverwhelmedbytheamountof technologychoicesandconfusedbyvendorclaimsthat theirplatformcandoitall.Beforeinvestinginmore technology,theywanttooptimizewhattheyalreadyown.

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Justconsider:

Security–Everybodyishackingeveryoneelse–ifitcan bemade,itcanbebroken.Howcanyoutellthemarket, withspecificity,thatyoursecuritysystemaddressesthis issue?

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Associates

world whereallcontentissupposedtobeavailable anytime,thiswillbebig!Howwillyoutakeadvantageof thisbuildingtrend?

ContentProtection–Thistakesustoaworldwhere everythingison-demandandconnected.Howwill “autonomous everything”work?Inaworldfacingmore confusionthancertainty,thereisan“opportunityahead” streetsigninyourpath toaddressthisoverwhelmingand oftenconfusingsituation.

Sofollowingaresomekeydos,don’tsandcautions.Caveat emptor–readerbeware!Thereisnoone-size-fits-allfor everysituation,buttherearesomegeneralrulesofthumb thatwhenfollowedwillgeneratesuccess:

1)STARTWITHACLEARMESSAGE:PRisallabout yourcoremessage,positionedasastorywithabeginning, middleandend–that’sjustgoodconstruction.Good storytellingstartswithaclearmessage.

2)DOSAYWHATELSEMAKESYOURCOMPANY DIFFERENTCanyouanswerthesequestionsaboutyour companyandaboutyourproduct?

Whatarethethreecoremessagesaboutyourcompany?

1.Youmightthinkaboutyourfoundersand executiveleadership

2.Areyouthemostcomplete(Gulp!I’mgonnasay it)solution?Servingwhichmarketareas?

3.Whatproblemsdoyousolvefortoday?Areyou visionaryandfutureproof?

3)DOVALIDATEYOURSTORYWITHNUMBERS: Whatarethemostprofoundmessagesaboutyour product/service?

Canyoudescribeyourproductmoresuccinctlythan, “it’s non-disruptive to install?” Stateyourbigcustomerbenefits -forexampleisit50%betterthananythingelseonthe market?Doesitconsume50%lessbandwidth? Orthinkaboutdescribingyourproduct validated by numbers and in measurable scope.

ThisbringsusbacktoPR.Allconnectionsstartwith sharinggoodstories.Breakingthroughisn’tassimpleas sendinganemailtoareporter,callingafriendortellingone colleaguewhohas2,000followersonTwitter.Ittakes diligenceandtheabilitytofindnewwaystotellyourstory overandoveragain.

Thecaseforstorytellinghasneverbeenmorepowerful. Yourspacehasneverbeenmorecompetitiveandthenoise aboutothercompanies’techoptionsisdeafening.

PRisthesecretsaucethatre-interpretsthesciencein humanandbusinessbenefitsthatcandrivechange.Sure, one-on-onewordofmouthispowerful,butforbusinesses, nothingbeatsengaging,resonant,pervasive,quotable stories,aspresentedbyyourexperiencedPRprofessional. AndPRwillbeatanyotherinvestmentasthemostcost effectivetoolinyoursalesandmarketingarsenal.

Automationhasawidespreaduseacrosswidespread industries.Fromtheindustrialautomationto roboticsautomation,ithasbeenabletochangethe entireoutlookofthedifferentindustries.Similarlytheuse ofautomationinITbusinesseshasbeenakeyfactor, especiallyregardingITservicemanagement.Theseinvolve differentaspectsofITservicemanagementsuchas BusinessProcessAutomation,OperationsAutomation, ServiceProviderAutomation,MonitoringAutomationand ToolsAutomation.

Businessprocessautomation(BPA)isaprocessor workflowwhichdescribesautomationofbusiness,helps theminreducingthecosts.Thishelpsbusinessin integratingapplicationsalongwithcontaininglabor resourcesusingdifferentsoftwareapplications.Automation performsalargenumberofactionswitheverincreasing usage;itcomeswithdifferentvariationsinthetimeand timeagain.

BPAisrequiredinbusinessforimplementingautomated workflowsbywhichthereisabsolutelynoneedofhuman intervention.Asawell-knownfact,automationwillsave timeandwillcontaincosts.Theuseofautomationwill assistusersinthetransactionandreducehumanerrors.

Theimplementationofbusinessprocessautomationisvast butstill,it’sfarbettertodecidewhethertheautomationis

usefulornotinsomeprocesses,first.Asithasturnedoutin somescenarios,businessprocessarebestsuitedand handledbyhumansonly.Soit’salsoimportanttodecide whichprocessrequiresautomationandwhichdoesn’t.

DigginginDeepforBetterUnderstandingofBPA

Businessesareinthedireneedforimplementingstrategic andoperationalsoftware,andtheirdriversinorderto enhancetheprocesscapabilitiesintheirorganizations.For manyorganizationswhicharefindinghardtokeepuppace forputtinguptheirproductinthemarketatthesametime performingtherequiredmarketingforthegivenproduct, thereisadesperateneedtoeconomizetheiroperations.Itis majorlyconvenienttoimprovemarginswiththehelpof automationratherthanincreasingpricesofproducts.With globalmarketpressure,companiesneedtostartautomating theirbusinessprocessforsure.

Theprocesseswhichbecomemoretimeconsumingand resource-oriented,arepronetohumanerrors,withtheuse ofBPA,companiescanfast-tracktheseprocessesultimately improvingproductquality.Thisisfollowedbyadvantages suchasimprovementsinproducttomarket,revenue captureandreductioninoperatingcosts.

Businessprocessautomationfocusesonbusinessoutcomes ratherthanamplifyingtheuseoftechnology.Forbusiness processautomationtobesuccessful,itbecomesimportant

thateachautomatedfragmentofprocessesisintegratedfor end-to-endbusinessprocesses.Eachofthesefragmentsare firstdecidedandthenautomated.Sobusinessprocess automationisaboutrefiningbusinessprocessesratherthan justautomatingit.

Therearethreemajorwaysofimplementingbusiness processautomation,theseareasfollows:

BPASoftware

makingitpossibleforanon-technicalemployeetoperform thesetasks.

WiththelatestadvancementinthemarketsuchasProcess DrivenMessagingService,thathelps inoptimizingdata exchangelayerandultimatelyhelpingtheimplementation ofautomationinbusiness.

BPAExtensions

Businessprocessautomationrelatedsoftwarehelps businessinordertocontain’thecostintime’andcost requiredforimplementingusualfunctions.Forthis particularscenario,businesscansubstitutehuman interventionbysoftware.Withthehelpofthissoftware, companiescanmixdifferentsystemssothattheycan implementendtoendbusinessprocess.Businesswhich alreadypossessesautomatedprocessinsideofthemcan alsoincreasetheirfunctionality Thishelpsincustomizinga perfectenvironmentinthecompany.

BPATools

Businessprocessautomationtool-kitisprobablythelatest trendintheglobalmarket.A numberofindustriesare diggingintheirhandsintoBPAforprovidingnewlycreated customer-basewiththeshortestpathtoautomation.This canbeachievedbymanipulatingUIlayer Thesetool-kits willalsospeeduptheprocessofdeployment;evenfurther,

ItisfareasierandatthesametimeimportanttorelateBPA toBPM.Formakingitpossible,businessneedstowrite applicationcodeorusethetailoredBPAtools.ThisBPA extensioncomesalongwithadvantagesanddisadvantages whicharelinkedwitheachother.AsBPMimplementation givesawaythestructuredapproachforalltheprocesses whicharetobeplotted delayingtheautomationinthe procedure.Thiscauseslossofthefunctionalityforthe givenprocess.

ZonesofInterestforBPAtoharvestGREATRESULTS

RepeatableTasks

ThesoleaimofBPAistoreducethemanualworkin businessprocesses,thusvividlyreducingthechancesof humanerror.Focusingonthebusinessprocessesthatare repetitiveandpredictable,someofthecrucialroteand repetitivetasksincludeassemblyworkonthe manufacturingfloor,automatedprojectmanagementtask.

Also,inadditiontothis,servicessuch asstatussoftwareupdates,auto securitymonitoringandlockdownsof facilitiescanalsobeautomated. Customerrelatedservicesandtasks suchastimetracking,andautomated processflowsfororderfilling, inventorymanagement,shipping, purchasing,billingandmanymoreare considered.

MakingDecisionMakingProcess, MachineAddressable

Citinganexampleofdaytodaybank processesconsistingoftherequisites foravailingabankloanorprocuringa creditcard,informationflowand financialanalysisanddecisionmaking playsanimportantrole.So,withBPA andautomateddecisionmaking, humaninterferenceisminimized,thus thecompanysavesmoney,reducesthe riskofanemployeemakingwrong decisions,andfulfillsthecustomer requirementsrightaway

Sensor-BasedTrackingandAlerts

WiththepropulsionfromIoT technologyindustry,extensiveuseof sensorsandnetworkshasencouraged automation.Theultimateaimof companiesistoachieveend-to-end visibilityofvibrantbusinessprocesses

thatoccurbeyondtheenterprisewalls. Applicationofthistechnologyincludes trackingofcargocontainermovements withsealbreakalertfunction,and assessmentofhumidityand temperatureconditionsformedicines andperishablecommodities.

Self-ServiceEmployeePortals

Self-serviceemployeeportalsenable employeestomakeandtrackchanges

intheirinvestmentoptionsandalso takeonlinecareerenhancement coursestoboosttheircareer development.Thesystemisequipped withafacilitytoregisterthesechanges andtrackfutureprogresswithoutthe involvementofatraineroranHR persontofacilitatetheprocess.

Delivering Analytics to Help you get back to the Work you Love

Theinjectionofstatisticalinsightscombinedwith theevolutionaryrealizationthatinformationcanbe avaluableasset,hasandwillcontinuetohave seriousechoesinthebusinessworld.Fordecades,being smarthasequaledsuccess,andanalyticshasplayedan integralroleingeneratingcompetitiveadvantages.The importanceofanalyticsforprofessionalsistheimportance ofmakinggooddecisions.

Bornoutofaburningpassionforanalyticsandprofessional services,Bricstandsoutamongthecrowdwithitssoftware maximizingyourteam’stimeandtalentsthroughanalytics. BasedinOmaha,NE,Bricspreadsitstentaclestousersin 75differentcountries,andaimstoprovideanalyticsto 10,000companiesin2018.Inceptedin2014,Bricstartedas aninternalprojectbythreeprofessionalservicefirms:a designagency,asoftwaredevelopmentshop,andadata scienceconsultancy,eventuallypanningoutasitsown startup.

UnmatchedProductFeatures

Primarilyusedbyteamsofdesigners,writersand developers,itsproductcombinesprojectplanning,time tracking,andtaskmanagementtoautomaticallyanalyze youremployeeutilizationandfinancialperformance.Upon implementationofBric,dataiscollectedthatprovidesyou withanalyticsonemployeeutilization,capacity,scheduling conflicts,andfinancials.Thisway,Brichelpsinaccurately

planningyourteam’scalendar,therebyenablingyouto confidentlygetbacktodotheworkyoulove.

Additionally,Bricautomaticallyfindspatternsinyour team’stimesheets,whicharethenusedtorecommendmore accurateprojectplans.Bricprovidesthefollowing unrivaledfeaturesforamonthlysubscriptionpermanaged employee.

Ÿ Project Planning –Bricalertsyoutoscheduleconflicts, calculatescharges,andrecommendsmoreaccurate projectplans.

Ÿ Project Management –Irrespectiveofwhathappens, Bricprovidesyouwithtoolstoidentifychangesand respondaccordingly.

Ÿ Task Management –Knowwhatisfinished,inprogress andwhatneedstobedone.Withtimeandtasksside-byside,youareenabledtodelivertasksontimeandon budget.

Ÿ Time Tracking –Bricallowsyourteamtotracktime, andcompareyourplannedandtrackedtimeside-byside.

Ÿ Reports –Bricisyourcompany’sinformation hub—alertingyoutopotentialissuesandopportunities.

ALeaderwhoFacilitatesChange

GrantStanleyisthevisionarywholedBricfromthefront eversincehetookholdoftheCEOschair.PriortoBric,

Grantspent8yearsastheCEOof ContemporaryAnalysis,which specializedinprovidingpredictive analyticstoFortune500companies andpoliticalcampaigns.

Hiseducationalresumeincludesa degreeinEconomicsfromthe UniversityofNebraska,wherehe receivedtheHorizonStudent EntrepreneuroftheYearAward.He hasevenstudiedMandarinatthe NationalPingtungUniversityof EducationinTaiwan.Formerly selectedasoneofthetop40under40 businessmenintheMidwest,Granthas beenaregularcontributortothe Midland’sBusinessJournal,Silicon PrairieNews,andtheUNOAlumni Magazine.Hehasalsobeenfeaturedin theOmahaWorldHerald,Inc. Magazine,andEntrepreneurMagazine, amongvariousothers.

StandingOutfromtheCrowd

“Too many BI systems provide metrics that are used to punish employees. Once this happens, employees resist or

worse stop filling out timesheets and updating project plans,” explains Stanley Brichasgivenworkforce analyticsanewpurpose—improving management.Thisnewpurpose combinedwithaneasy-to-useproduct hasmadepeopleexcitedtotracktime andupdateprojectplans.

Bricistruesoftwareasaservice company.Itreleasesnewcodeeach week,basedonitsusers’feedback. Continuousimprovementallowsthe companytocapturemoreofitsuser’s workflow,andprovidethemwithnew analyticstolookattheirbusiness.

PreparingfortheFuturePSA Trends

“The first trend will be professional services firms’pressure to minimize non-billable employees. Consultancies will look to PSA’s to automate account management and administration. This trend will be welcomed by clients that have grown accustomed to digitized support as consumers.

Secondly, the most profitable professional service firms allow partners and managers to specialize on either business development, service delivery, or recruiting/training. However, this requires technology Traditionally, each partner has been involved in each part of leading the firm, because there was a lack of analytics and reporting,” asserts Stanley

FutureofContinuedInnovation

Bricsadvantageisitsfamiliaritywith ’ datascienceanditsoptimalfocuson productdesign.Thecompanystrivesto designproductsthatitsvastcustomer baseloves.Today,mostofitsfocus centers-aroundimprovingitsuser experience.Bricwantsyouremployees tolovetrackingtimeandplanning projects.Inadditiontoallthese,the companyisconstantlydevelopingand testingnewwaysformanagersand partnerstoanalyzetheirbusinesses.

Grant Stanley CEO

Forover20years,DATABASICShashelpedleading organizationsthroughouttheworldmeettheirtimetrackingandexpensereportingchallenges. Focusingonthespecificneedsandgoalsofeachcustomer, DATABASICSprovidesSoftware-as-a-Servicesolutions thatareknownfortheirease-of-use,flexibility,integrations capabilities,andcost-effectiveness.

HeadquarteredinReston,Virginia,thecompanyreleasedits firstweb-basedtimeandexpenseproductsin1997.From thebeginning,DATABASICSspecializedinthe requirementsofproject-orientedorganizationsandthe adaptationsneededbyfederalgovernmentcontractors.

DATABASICShasgoneontoextenditsportfolioof solutionstoanincreasinglydiverserangeofcustomer types,includingnonprofits,manufacturers,multi-store retailers,pharmaceuticalcompanies,multi-national organizations,andmore.

OvercomingtheInitialStruggle

DATABASICSoriginallyinstalleditsproductsonsystems ownedandoperatedbythecustomer.Often,these environmentsintegratedmultiplevendorproductsin combinationsthat,toasignificantextent,wereunique. DATABASICShadtomaintainversionsofitsproducts specificallytailoredtothemostcommontypesof infrastructure,buteachinstallationtypicallyrequired

meticulousproblem-solving.Withitsadaptionofthe Software-as-a-ServicemodelinwhichDATABASICShosts itssoftwareonitsownservers,implementationandsupport were vastlysimplified.Asaresult,DATABASICSisnow abletoconcentrateexclusivelyonsolvingitscustomers’ businessproblemsasopposedtotroubleshootingits customers’ITissues.

ALeaderWhoFosteredaCultureofMeeting Obligations

AlanTysonfoundedDATABASICSandhasbeenitsleader sincethebeginning.PriortoDATABASICS,Alanworked attheCommerceDepartment’sBureauofEconomic AnalysisandControlDataCorporation.Hegraduated magnacumlaudefromtheUniversityofRochesterwitha degreeinPhilosophy

Beforethefirstproductrelease,Alanfocused DATABASICSoncustomsoftware,systemsintegration, andITmanagementconsulting.Theexperiencegained throughtheseactivitieslaidthegroundworkfor DATABASICS’pivotintosoftwareproductdevelopment andhosting.

Alanbelievesthathismajorcontributionhasbeentofoster acultureofmeetingobligationstocustomers,suppliers,and co-workers.

“Trust,”hesays,“isindispensableif peoplearegoingtoworktogetherat thehighestlevels.Trustisearnedby doingwhatyousayyouaregoingto do.Inotherwords,weneedtoliveup toyourobligations.”Hissupportfor thisprinciplehasbeencriticalto DATABASICS’success.

“It’sAlwaysAbouttheCustomer” Tysonmaintainsthat “thesearenot simplywordstous.Ourcommitment tocustomersuccesshasled DATABASICStodevelopproducts thatcanbeeasilyadaptedtomeet customerrequirementstoanextentthat isunmatched.Italsounderliesour insistenceonprovidingoutstanding customerserviceatatimewhenthe industryasawholeisfrankly strugglingtofreeitselffromthecost andeffortthatdeliveringworld-class customerservicerequires.”

StrikingtheRightBalanceForEach Customer

BeforeDATABASICSdevelopedits firsttimeandexpenseproducts,itwas

aprofessionalservicesorganization. TargetingthePSAindustryforits initialproductofferingmadesense sinceDATABASICSwasalready deeplyfamiliarwiththeindustry’s requirements.DATABASICS’first offeringswereweb-based–amongthe firstoftheirkind.TwoERPvendors, specializinginproject-oriented solutions,werequickto“whitelabel” thecompany’ssoftwareand DATABASICSwasoffandrunningas asoftwarecompany.

Today,DATABASICSprovidesa cloud-based,unifiedplatformfortime tracking,employeeexpensereporting, leavemanagement,andP-Cardcontrol. Allofitssolutionsare“globalized”to supportlargescaleenterprise deployments.Additionally,

DATABASICSprovidessmalltomidsizedorganizationswiththeexact functionalitytheyneedtomeetthe mostdemandingofrequirements.It designsitsproductsforusabilityandis deeplycommittedtostriketheright balanceforeverycustomer,intermsof bothcapabilityandeaseofuse.

AFutureofContinuedExcellence

Inthecomingyears,thePSAindustry willneedtoadapttochangesinhow professionalservicesaredelivered. Someofthemajortrendswillinclude migrationawayfrombillingfortimeas opposedtoworkproducts;aloosening ofthegripofthe“engineeringmodel” withtherecognitionoftheneedfora moredynamic,flexiblemethodology forexecutingprojects;andthe beginningofthetransitiontoArtificial Intelligencefromthedirectprovision tocustomersofhumanexperts. Amidstallthesechanges, “DATABASICSwill,”accordingto Tyson,“continuetoprovideits customerswithits‘best-fit’solutions andoutstandingservices.”

Alan Tyson CEO & Founder

The Need for Professional Service for Organizations

ManyProfessionalservicesandbusinessmodelsareattheriskofdisruptionduetorevolutionarychangesandevolving technology, enabling people to proposed new business models, thereby substituting conventional distribution channelsandreplacingthewaypeopleandbusinessesinteractwitheachother Thepaceofchangewillcontinueto increaseandduetoit,onlyathirdoftoday’smegastructurecompaniesandprofessionalservicesaregoingtosurviveinthenext twodecades.

To cope-up with today’s technological requirement of a professional service industry, there is an imperative requirement in technologicaladvancementtoimproveefficiencyandprofitability ‘Professionalserviceautomation’(PSA)isagroundbreaking solutionfortheprofessionalserviceindustryintoday’seraoftechnologicaldisruption.PSA,softwareisprimarilydevelopedto help professionals, such as Lawyers, Auditors, Contractors and IT consultants with, resource management and project managementforclienthelp.Typicalprofessionalserviceautomationsoftware’scontainfunctionssuchasprojectmanagement and related documentation, time management, labor utilization, reporting and billing. These attributes can be integrated with customer relationship management (CRM), accounting and payroll in order to improve their efficiency of operations and a healthyshareofprofitfromthetotalinvestmentbypreventinglossinrevenueandslowbillingcycles.

Asurveyreportstates-"organizationthatusesPSAsoftwaretendstohavethebetterrateofon-timeprojectdelivery,increasein productivity, precise project estimate, through more efficient communication, scheduling and project related document arrangement”.

Thesearethefivemostgroundbreakingreasons,whyorganizationsrequiredprofessionalserviceautomationsoftware’s:1. Assignment Planning and Implementation: PSA software's provide assignment oriented 360° view, through which, executives can look at what projects are in pipeline and can forecast their resource requirements.Assignment managers can implement detailed assignment plans, match the right resource within the organization for work-done and can have all the mission-relatedimportantdataattheirfingertips.

PSAsoftware can give the organizations, a closed loop communication channel between resources, managers and the entire projectteam.Resourcescancommunicatequicklywithassignmentmanagersregardingthestatusoftheirtask,andmanagerscan accesstheimpactonthewholeassignmentschedules,budgetandstaffingtoresolvetheissuesastheyariseduringtheassignment.

2.EstimatesandAssignmentCost:PSAsoftwarehastheabilitytotrackassignmentcostsatcomminutedlevel.Everyminuteon every assignment can be easily tracked, and any auxiliary expense on assignments, like travel or third-party expenses can be accountedtogiveaholisticrepresentationofinvestment.

PSAsoftwaretoolsevenbecomemorevaluable,whenmanagersareplanningandexecutingassignmentwithaverytightbudget. AlltheassignmentorientedinformationismanagedwithinthePSAsoftwaresystem,anassignmentcananalyzetheproductivity oftheirresourcesatanytimetoensureeachperson’scontributionismaximized.

3.StreamlinetheAssignmentLifecycle:PSAsoftwareisabletohandletheassignmentthroughouteverystepoftheassignment lifecycle, and doing so, gives services organizations the ability to focus on the important aspects and delivering appreciable services to their clients-instead of wasting considerable time on prosaic administrative tasks. This kind of importance on efficiency can quickly translate into sufficient time to spend on productivity and can have a direct effect on the cost of the assignment.

To pipeline this process, most professional service automation software’s can easily integrate with the Customer Relationship Management(CRM)systemandaccountingrelatedpackagestoeliminate,theneedforanymanualassignmentconfiguration. Thesekindsofsolutionswillhelpanorganizationtorunlikeadeepwell-oiledmachine,andlayfocusingonthejobthat;drives advancementorgrowth.

4.ImprovementinResourceProductivity:Many,professionalserviceautomationssoftware’ssolutionsalsocontainresources schedulingtools;thathelporganizationstobalancethedemandandsupplyoftheirresources.Managerswhoeffectivelyleverage resourcesschedulingtoolsalsogetaclearpictureofpeoplewhoareengagedinworkandwhoarenot.Itisalsoawell-knowntruth withinorganizations,thateffectiveutilizationofemployeesandresourcescanyielddramaticresultsontheorganizationbottom line.UsingPSAsoftwaresolutionswillenablewhenresourcesandpeoplewithkeyskillsetsareavailable,whichwillallowfor real-timeoptimizationofresourceproductivity

Inordertohavemoreefficiencyinprojects,resourceschedulingwillgiveorganizations,thetoolsrequiredtoensuredistribution ofproperworkloadsacrossalltheiremployees.EvenwiththeUSunemploymentratehoveringaround4.3%,industriesarestill findingitmoredifficulttohirekeyspecializedworkers.

5.Real-timeDecision-makingPower:Havingaconsolidatedviewofbusinessiscriticalwhenmakingmanagerialdecisions.As alltheassignmentorientedinformationthatorganizationsneed,residesdirectlyinsidetheirPSAsoftwareandmanagementcan easily get the insight that required for the development of organizations. Information on project, resources and organizational productivityisasimpleclickaway,andmanagerscanlook,whatthecurrentstatusoftheprojectis,withproperandup-to-date information.

PSAsoftware’shavereplacedworn-outspreadsheetsandalsohasgiventhecompetitiveadvantagethathaslaidthefoundationfor higherclientsatisfactionrates,higherprofitableshareandsustainablelong-termdevelopment. FuturescopeofPSA

PSAsoftware’shavereducedtimeconsumptionusedinearliertediousworkssuchasdocumentationprocessing,filetransferand generating the invoice. PSAsoftware still possesses much scope for improvement such asArtificial Intelligence, which will automaticallyarrangefilesanddocumentinanarraymanner.AIwillhelpintheretrievalofthedocumentinasingleclickbyselfcalculationandcanhelpinincreasingefficiencybysavingtimeandresources.

Managing Corporate Communications on Mobile Devices

By Andrew Silver, CTO Tango Networks

Thereisastrangeinconsistencyinhowenterprises managemobilecommunicationscomparedtoother typesofbusinesscommunications.

Withtraditionalvoicecommunicationsanddata communications,wedirectlycontrolhowcommunications aredeployedandusedbyouremployees.Butformobile devices,wegiveupthiscontroltoexternalmobileservice providers,creatingexpensivemanagementandregulatory headaches.

Itdoesn’thavetobethisway,whichiswhyIfounded TangoNetworksadecadeagotorevolutionizebusiness mobilecommunications.

TheCompanyisTheServiceProvider Considerhowotherformsofcommunicationsaremanaged foremployees.

Fortypicaldesktopphoneservice,thecompanypurchases phonesfromavendoralongwithacentralsystemto providevoicecalling,conferencing,in-officedialing,and otherfeatures.Thecompanyoritscontractorwillrun cablingandpowerforthephones.Thenthecompany contractswithaserviceproviderforvoiceservices.The enterpriseisincontrolofthecommunicationssystem,and setsthepoliciesforeachuser

It’sthesamefordatacommunications.Thecompanywill contractwithaserviceproviderforInternetservice.But thenthecompanywillinstallrouters,firewalls,SBCsand Ethernetcabling,orWi-Fiaccesspointsandsimilar infrastructuretogetitsemployeesonline.Thecompany similarlyisindirectcontrolofitslocalandwide-area networks,andsetsthepoliciesforeachuser.

Inbothcases,thecompanyisactingasaserviceprovider

foritsemployees-deliveringandsupportingessential communicationsservices.

Butthismodelhasremainedbrokenwhenitcomesto mobilecommunications.

TheBrokenMobileModel

Inmoretraditionalsituations,thecompanywillcontract withamobilecommunicationsserviceproviderandbuyor leasemobilephonesandserviceforemployees.The companypaystheprovidertohandlesupport,configuration andmanagementofthephonesinadditiontotheprimary voiceanddataservicecosts.Whilethecompanyis incurringtheseexpenses,thecompanydoesnothavedirect controloverthedevicestoensurethatcorporatepoliciesare followed.Companiesthatmustmonitoremployeevoice callsanddatasessions,orarchivethemforregulatory purposes,faceaddedexpenses.

Insomecompanies,thismodelhasevolvedintoBringYour OwnDevice(BYOD)programs,oftenwhenITdepartments havesimplygivenuptryingtogaincontrolovercorporate mobilecommunicationsthewaytheyhavealwaysbeen abletomanagetheirotherservices.

Insteadofcontractingforphoneswithaserviceprovider, theemployeesarepermittedtousetheirowndevices.Then thecompanyreimbursesorotherwisesubsidizesservices. Whilethiscanbelessexpensivethanacompany-owned phoneapproach,itmakesenforcementofpoliciesvery difficult,especiallyforregulatedindustriesrequiring communicationsrecording.

Inbothcases,themobiledevicesandservicesubscriptions remainseparatefromthemainformofcorporate communications. IfIcallyoufromtheoffice,youseemy corporatenumberasthecallerID.IfIcallyoufrommy

About theAuthor

Acompanyco-founder,AndrewSilvernowserves asTangoNetworks’ChiefTechnologyOfficer.Silver isanentrepreneurandbusinesstechnologistwhohas heldseniormanagementanddirectorrolesinlarge andsmallwirelesscompaniesincludingEricsson, NortelNetworks,ComverseandSpatialWireless.He isanaccomplishedspeakeratwirelessindustry forumsandhasbeengrantedmorethan50patentsin wirelesscommunicationssystems.Silverholdsan electricalengineeringdegreeandanMBAfrom McGillUniversity

mobile,youseemypersonalmobile number,oranothernumberyoudon’t recognize.Ifyoucallmeonmymobile butIneedtotakethecallfrommy deskphoneforrecordingcompliance,I needtocallyouback,orelsestartupa specialapponmyphonetorecordthe call.

Inshort,theuserexperienceismessy, unwieldy,andlessprofessionalin appearance.

TheBetterWay

Imagineinsteadthatyourmobile phonecouldbeanextensionofyour maincorporatecommunications systems.

Youcouldmakeandreceivecalls usingyourcorporatenumber You couldtransfer,conference,callwithinofficedialing.Youcouldsendtext messagesfromyourcorporatenumber andreceiveincomingtextstoyour corporatenumber-somethingyour desktopphoneprobablycannotdo. Yourcallsandtextscouldbearchived forcompliance.YourITstaffwould havedirectcontroloverwhenand whereyoucouldmaketollcalls,or evenroutethemthroughthecorporate networkstoreducecosts.

Supposeallthiswerepossibleeven withyourownpersonaldevice.Your businesscommunicationswould operateasanextensionofyour corporatephonesystemwhileyour personalcommunicationsremained totallyprivate.

That’sexactlywhatTangoNetworks’ solutionsdo.OurKinetic CommunicationsPlatformenablesa companytocontrolmobile communicationsinanentirelynew way.

SharedControl

Thebreakthroughisaninnovationin howcommunicationssignalingand routingaremanaged.OurKinetic platformcreatesacommunications controlsystemthatissharedbetween yourcompanyandyourmobileservice provider,enablingtheenterprisetobe theserviceproviderfortheir employees.

ThismeansyourITstaffsetspolicies, determinescallroutingrules,turnson features,andexecutessimilarcontrol steps.Theseenterprise-managed policiesandconfigurationsettings interfacedirectlywiththeservice providerwheretheyareenforcedon themobilecommunicationsinthe

serviceprovider’snetwork.

Thisprovidesgreatadvantagesfor bothcompaniesandtheirservice providers.Forserviceproviders,it meansthatcompaniesaretakingon muchoftheirownsupportand managementtasks.Forthecompanies, itmeanstheITstaffismoredirectlyin controlofthiscriticalformof corporatecommunications.Oursystem issupportedbymanyTier1mobile serviceprovidersaroundtheworldand isservinghundredsofthousandsof userswithenhancedmobile communicationstoday. Onnetworks whereoursolutionsarenotyet supported,wealsooffermanyofthe samecontrolcapabilitiesfor employeesthatuseAndroid, BlackBerryandIOS(Apple)devices.

Forthefirsttime,mobile communicationscanbemanagedby yourcompanypreciselytheway traditionalfixedvoiceanddata communications.Intheend,this meanseasierregulatorycompliance, lowermobilecommunicationscosts, andabetteruserexperiencethat maximizestheproductivityofyour employeesonthego.

PSA:

Robust, Efcient & Productive Software

for Contemporary Businesses

Today,manyprofessionalserviceenterprisesaredealingwithdiversechallenges.Pricewar,highlycompetitive market,lowprofitmargins,shortageofskilledandexperiencedprofessionals,spin-offsfrommergersand acquisitionsetc.aresomeofthecrucialchallengeswhichareaffectingtheoveralloperationalefficiency, productivityandprofitabilityofanenterprise.Atthesametime,thinktankandtopmanagementsareincreasinglyawareof thebenefitsofPSA(Professionalserviceautomation)solutionsanditsroleinmakingcompanies morecompetitiveandprofitable.

ExpectedGrowthofPSAsoftwareIndustry

Accordingtooneleadingresearchfirmnamed,GrandViewResearch,theprofessional serviceautomation(PSA)softwaremarketisestimatedtoreachUSD14.39billionby 2024.PSAsoftwareisusedtoregulatebusinessprocessesandprovidereports, insights,andcontrolforresourcesandprojects.Theimportanceofsuchsystemsis toempowercriticalinformationtobeanalyzedandsharedacrossestablishments formoreinsightfulandtimelydecision-making.Increasingadvancementsin functionalitiesofthesolutionareestimatedtoboostindustrygrowthoverthenext sevenyears.

Themarketforprofessionalserviceautomationisprojectedtogainamajorshare inrevenuesfromdevelopedregionssuchasNorthAmericaandEuropeoverthe next7years. DemandforPSAsolutionsinAsiaPacificregionisalsoexpected toriseatastablepaceoverthenext7yearsowingtotherisingadoptionofPSA bySMB(SmallandMedium)enterprisesintheregion.

Fromallacrosstheglobe,manytechnologygiantshaveinvestedheavilyon PSA.SomeofthemajorfirmsoperatingintheglobalPSAmarketare MicrosoftCorporation,NetSuiteOpenAir,Oracle,AutotaskCorporation, FinancialForcePSA,Appirio,Inc.,Deltek,HarmanyPSA,Autotask CorporationandProjectorPSA.Productsandservicesofthesegiantsare innovativeandfuellinggreatercompetitionamongitspeerswitheachpassing year.

TechnologiesFuellingPSA

CloudComputing: Cloudcomputingisbecomingpopularamongcost-sensitive consumersandsmall&mediumenterprises.Increasingabundantcomputingowingto smartphonepenetrationandbetterinternetinfrastructureisexpectedtodrivethePSA mobileapplicationoverthenextsevenyears.Cloud-basedsoftwareofferbenefitssuchas economiesofscale,disasterrecovery,effectivemonitoringofprojects,andreduced

technologyinfrastructurecosttoitsclients.

ArtificialIntelligence:Accordingtooneleadingfirm,IDC,AImarketwillgrowfrom$8billionin2016tomorethan$47 billionin2020.ThemarketofAIisflourishingandnumerousstartupsandinternetgiantswanttoreapthebenefitsofAIinto theirbusinessprocesses.TherearenumerousAItechnologies,onwhichdifferententerprisesareworkingandresearching. OneofsucheminentAItechnologyisRPAi.e.RoboticsProcessAutomation.

RPAisgainingpopularityfordevelopingProfessionalserviceautomationsoftware.Allthosetasksofrepetitivenature&low skilledaresupposedtogetautomatedusingpowerfulscripts.Thosetaskswhichareexpensiveandinefficientforhumansto executewilldirectlygetintothefoldofRPA.

EminentReasonspromptingincreaseusageofPSAsoftware

•Betterprojectplanning,execution,management&supervision.

•Totrackprojectcostatverygranularlevelduringallstagesofprojectdevelopment.

•PSAsoftwarehasthecapabilitytointegrateotherimportantsoftwarewhichfurtherstreamlinesbusinessprocess.

•Improvedresourceproductivity;PSAsolutionisusedtounderstandwhenresourceswithkeyskillsetsareavailableandwill allowforreal-timeoptimizationofresourceproductivity

•Helpfulintakingabigdecisioninrealtimeduetotheavailabilityofconsolidatedviewofabusinessprocess.

BenefitsofPSAsoftware

inProfessionalarena

VariousPSAsoftwareareusedtobringtransparencytotheprocessesofaproject,includingtimetracking,expense management,billing,invoicing,andresourceandlaborallocation.PSAsoftwarehelpsprofessionalsinprojectandresource management.Itcanbeintegratedwithaccounting,CRM,andpayroll,billing,talentmanagement systemsetc.forbetterworkefficiency

PSAsoftware’s/ThesePSAsoftwareprovideeminentassistancetovariedprofessionals. Lawyers,auditors,ITConsultants,HRmanagersandotherprofessionalsarereapingthe benefitsofproductivity,efficiencyandprofitabilitybystreamliningtheirbusiness processwithPSAsoftware.ManypeoplecomparePSAwithtraditionalERP solution,butinreality,PSAsoftware(thereisnopluralformofsoftware,hence thewordneedstobetreateddifferently)aredifferentthanERPandaretailored fortheprofessionalserviceindustry.

KeyDeploymenttrendsinPSA

TherearetwotypesofPSAdeploymentsolutionavailableintoday’smarket fortheenterprises.Oneiscloudbaseddeploymentandotherison-premise deployment.Cloudbaseddeploymentsaregainingpopularityamongsmall andmediumenterprisesduetotheenormousbenefitsitgivestoitsclients. Flexibility,disasterrecovery,increasedcollaborationandreduced infrastructuredevelopmentpricearesomeofthemainfactorsbehindthe growingpopularityofthecloudhostingmodule.

Sectors

attractedtowardsPSA

Insurance,media&entertainment,retail,telecom,IT,Bankingandfinance, healthcare,financialmarkets,businessconsultants,highereducational authority,differentgovernmentagencyareutilizingPSAsolutionsforbetter efficiency,productivity&profitability.

AccordingtoaresearchfirmnamedSPIResearch,organizationsthatused PSAsoftwaretendtohaveahigherrateofon-timeprojectdelivery,more accurateprojectestimatesandincreasedpersonnelproductivitythroughmore efficientschedulingandcommunication. Allthesebenefitsandadvantageswill furthermotivatesmallandmediumenterprisestowardsPSAsoftwareandPSA softwareindustrywillboomfurther.

Itisnosurprisethatfirmsofalltypesincreasinglyrely oncloudandcloud-basedsolutionsforthestorageand accessoftheirdataandprocesses.Today,clientsare moreawareoftheirexpectations,henceputtingpressureon thecompaniestodelivermorereliableandinnovative solutions.Keepingcustomerexpectationsattheforefront, JOVACOSolutionswasformedin1983.Sinceits inception,JOVACOhasemergedasaleaderwithinthefield ofintegratedmanagementsolutionsandhasdevelopedan unparalleledexpertiseintheimplementation,integration anddevelopmentofbothERPandCRMsolutions.Itisalso thefirstcompanyintheprovinceofQuebectooffera projectaccountingsolutionfullyintegratedtofinancialsand specificallydesignedfortheprofessionalservicesindustry

Tomeetandexceeddiversecustomers’needs,JOVACOhas implementedandcustomizedavarietyof ERP and CRM solutions,mostnotably Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics 365,andofferspersonalizedconsulting servicesaswell.Thefirmhasalsodevelopedvarious modulesandvertical-specificsolutionssuchasan integrated project management tool,a web-based time and expense capture module,a manufacturing optimization system,an investment accounting module aswellasa business intelligence solution.

ALeaderwithRichExperience

AsaCPA,FounderandPresidentJean-ClaudeCoutu hasavastexperiencewithaccountingprocessesand

professionalservices.Offeringbusinessmanagement solutionsspecificallydesignedtomeettheneedsand realitiesofthesefirmswasoneofhislong-standinggoals, whichsubsequentlyledtotheformationofJOVACO.Inits earlydays,oneoftheinitialchallengesithadtofacewas theneedtoeducatefirms,asveryfewhadstartedto integratecomputertechnologies.Thischallengegoesonto thisday,asmanyorganizationsstillrelyonpaper documentsornon-integratedsystemstomanagetheir operations,eveninthiseraofdigitaltransformation.

However,Coutu’sinsightsintotheirspecificneedsand challengesallowedJOVACOtodevelopsolutionsthat incorporatetheirprocessesandthebestpracticesofthe industry.Overtheyears,JOVACOhasgainedaunique expertiseinmeetingtheirneeds,anditcountsseveral certifiedaccountantsamongitsteamofconsultants.Today, morethanhalfofJOVACO’sclientsarepartofthe professionalservicessector,astheyknowtheycanturntoit forlong-termsupportandguidance.JOVACOalsoprides itselfonbeingapioneerofintegratedbusinessmanagement solutions,andtakesitsroleseriouslyinhelpingfirmskeep upwithnewtechnologiesinanincreasinglydigitalized economy.

Today,Coutuhasover40yearsofexperienceinthe accountingandITsectors,duringwhichhehasforgeda doubleexpertiseinidentifyingandunderstandingthe accountingandfinancialprocessesofitscustomersaswell

asthesystemsandproductsthatbest supportthem.Sincetheformationof JOVACO,Coutuhasbeenworking morespecificallyonthedevelopment andimplementationofintegrated systems.

ServicesthatmakethemStand Apart

JOVACOisa Microsoft partner in Quebecthatspecializesinthe implementationandintegrationof MicrosoftDynamicsGPandDynamics 365(CRM).Asafull-serviceValueAddedReseller,JOVACOoffers implementation,integration,consulting aswellastechnicaltrainingand supporttoensurethateverycustomer isgettingthemostoutoftheirsystem. JOVACOalsoprovidescustom developmentssuchasdashboardsand businessintelligencesolutionstomeet allitsclients’needs.

JOVACOisalsoan Independent Software Vendor for JOVACO Suite (formerly known as JOVACO Project Suite),aprojectaccountingsolution fullyintegratedtoMicrosoftDynamics

GPandMicrosoftDynamics365. Specificallydesignedforprofessional servicesfirms,thisvertical-specific solutionisoptimizedtomanage projectsfromproposaltoprofitswith projectcostcapabilities,web-based time&billing,resourceplanning functionalitiesaswellasvariousoutof-the-boxproject-specificreportsto ensurebettervisibilityandtracking.

Committed,AvailableandDedicated

JOVACOoffersafull-rangeofservices toitscustomers:implementation, integration,developmentsand customization,reportingandbusiness intelligence,customersupportand training,aswellasawiderangeof consultingservices.Thisway,its customerscanmeetalltheirneedsand overcometheirchallengeswithonly onepartnerwhocanhelpthem throughouttheentireprocess,fromthe initialanalysistopost-implementation supportandtraining.JOVACOprides

itselfinthelong-termrelationshipit hasformedwitheachandevery customeralongtheway.Moreover,its knowledgeoftheprofessionalservices industryensuresthatthecompanyis familiarwiththeclients’processesand canidentifytheirneedsandsuggestthe bestsolutionsandproductstomeet them.

FutureProspect

“Regulations and client expectations are also constantly on the rise, and JOVACO will keep making the utmost effort to exceed them. To this end, we seek to increase our offerings to include more cloud-based options and vertical-specific solutions to meet the needs of our customers, as well as leverage the capabilities of cloudbased and CRM solutions to allow our clients in the PSA industry to make the most out of their contact base,” Coutu concludesonthefutureprospectof JOVACO.

Jean-Claude Coutu Founder & President

Over30yearsago,WSGSystemsCorpbeganasa customsoftwaredevelopmentshop.Backthen, WSGspecificallytargetedtheprofessional servicesindustry,withitsextensivesubjectknowledgeand theneedforimprovementsonboththeoperationaland financialfronts.Theproductsofferedbythecompanywere anaturalextensionofthisknowledgeandmarketneeds whichalloweditscustomerstogrowtheirbusinessesand improveprofitability.Fastforwardtothepresent,asthe NYC-basedsoftwarecompanystrivestohelpcompanies andprofessionalsincreasetheirproductivity,profitability, andefficiencythroughtheuseofitsaward-winning softwareplatform– Empire SUITE

HammeringtheNailsofSuccesstoBuildanEmpire

TheEmpireSUITE,WSG’sflagshipproduct,isdesigned andengineeredtogiveprojectandfinancialmanagersthe requiredtoolstomanagetheirprojects,andtheinformation todeliverasuccessfulandprofitableoutcome.Itisa modularcloud-basedprojectandresourcemanagement solutiondesignedtohelpprojectmanagersandconsultants. EmpireSUITEmaximizestheprofitabilityandsuccessrate throughemployeemanagement,expensemanagement,and resourcescheduling.Itistheonlycloud-basedprojectand resourcemanagementsolutionwithafinancialperspective thatpossessesthedistinctabilitytotracktime,budgetand resourcesinreal-time.EmpireSUITE’sdepthof informationandeaseofimplementation,aswellasitsuserfriendlyinterfaceandmobileaccessfeatureforon-the-go datainput,allowsittoreplaceorcomplementsomeofthe world’smostpopularsoftwarepackages.

WhenThere’saCrack;LightisBoundtoPassThrough

AftersomeinitialengagementswithvariousPSA organizationsbackintheday,WSGidentifiedmany loopholesintheexistingofferingsoftheproviders.Among them,thebiggestgapidentifiedinthePSAspacewasthe lackoffinancialperspectiveavailablewithinthesystems. Suddenly,theabilitytohavepredictivecapabilityrather thanjustbackward-lookingmetricsbecameasimportantas theabilitytohandlethecomplexaccountingrequisites.

WSG’scustomerssoonrealizedtheycouldpotentiallysee wheretheproblemsweregoingtotranspirefrom,insteadof simplyrecognizingfromwheretheyhadoccurred.Since then,whetheritisresourceschedulingorrevenuesharing oreventimetracking,WSG’sdistinctivemethodologyhas proveninvaluableforitsclientsandcontinuestohelpthem drasticallyimprovetheirproject-relatedbusinesspractices whilegrowingtheirbusinesses.

FocusingontheOutcome,NottheObstacle

Likeanyotherorganization,WSGfacedsomeoftheusual businesschallengeslikecashflow,namerecognition, growingpains,etc.intheearlyyears.Itenteredintoa marketspacethathadsomeverylargeandwell-established competitors;includingsomeofthelargestsoftware companiesintheworld.

WhetheritisWSG’sshiftfromacustomerdevelopment shoptoapackagedsoftwareprovideroritsmostrecent movementtothecloud,thecompanyfacedvarious

challengesalongthewaybutovercame themandsucceededwithan impressiveclientrostershowingtheir trustedspaceinthisindustry.The companypridesitselfonitsjobof makingpeopleawareofthedifferent alternativesandmoreefficientwaysof runningtheirbusinesses.

ATrustedLeaderwithaStrong VisionbutFlexibleMethodology

BillCornfield,PresidentofWSG,has beenthedrivingforceofthebusiness fromastrategicperspectivesinceday one.Beinga Certified Public Accountant,Billhadspentmostofhis careerintheprofessionalservices industryandbanking.Heworkedin softwaredevelopmentforalargebank andbegantothinkhowhissoftware knowledgecouldbenefitotherareas. Anditthenheinitiallyenvisionedthe opportunitytofocusondelivering abettersolutionforprofessional serviceorganizations.

AtWSG,Billshouldersthe responsibilityfordrivingproduct directionandthecontinuing evolutionoftheplatform.He formulatesstrongrelationships

withvariousprospects,clientsandthe industriesWSGservesandhas establishedhimselfasatrustedadvisor withclientsandpartners.

StandingOutfromtheCrowd InsteadofStandingAmongthe Crowd

WSGunderstandsthePSAspaceand differentiatesitselffromothersinthe marketwithitsbroadrangeofproduct offerings.Ithasarobustyeteasy-tousesystemwithatechnicallysound platform.Withitsdedicatedfocuson itsclientsandfinancialperspective,the companyservesitscustomersunlike anyofitsindustrycontemporaries. WSGalsooffersjustoneversionof EmpireSUITEforallitscustomers worldwide,therebyeliminatingany confusionaboutlicensingmodelsand optionsandsimplifyingupgrades.With

almost1,000configurationoptions, EmpireSUITEusersfinditaloteasier tostaycurrent,addnewfunctionality, deployandupgradefromacommon coreplatformratherthancustomizinga newsoftwarebuild;savingbothtime andmoneyintheprocess.

EmbracingtheIndustryChanges

WSGembracesandsupportsallthe evolvingchangesanddemands ongoingorarisingintheindustry.Its supportforAIisimminent,asWSG movestoanautomatedworkflowand resourceschedulingoptimization.By usingpredictiveanalytics,the companyisalreadyhelpingitsclients reaptheadvantagesofBigData, enablingthemtomakebetterbusiness decisionsasaresult.WSGisalso ensuringthatitsmobilesolutions continuetoevolve,therebymeetingthe needsoftheworkforceonthego.The companytakesituponthemselvesto helpminimizefrictionforthesimplest yetthemostimportanttasks,liketimereportingandresourcescheduling.

Bill Cornfield President

ComputerscientistFlorianKurz andProf.Dr.MarcoMevius leadthebameroAGinclose cooperation.Althoughboth personalitiessweepeveryonearound themwiththeirenergyandliveon agileandprocess-centricapproaches, theyalsocomplementeachotherwith theirqualities.Togethertheyarewell versedabouttheirfieldofknowledge andcanchannelthiscompetenceina result-orientedwaywiththebamero AG.Duetotheirsteadycharacter, passionandopen-mindedwayof thinking,thisduocanlookbackonthe biggestachievementsofthebamero AG.However,theyaredeterminedto anchorinnovativebusinessmodelson themarketusingaprocess-centric perspective.FlorianKurzandProf.Dr MarcoMeviusareenthusiasticabout pursuingthisobjectivewithmuch strengthwithinthebameroAG,but theyarewillingtolearnnewthingson theirwayandtalktoanycontact personofacustomertodetermine wherethepainwithinrunningbusiness processesoriginates.Thecentralidea behindthisistosupportevery customerfromastrategicviewofthe businesstothepointoftheoperative transformationbymanagingthe underlyingbusinessprocesses.

“Establishedcompaniesand institutionstraditionallyfightforthe biggestpieceofthecakeonthe

market,thoughtheycouldreinvent themselvestobecomethe confectioner.”–FlorianKurz,CEO andpartner

Especiallymedium-sizedcompanies areinthecharmingsituationtorealign theirbusinessmodelusingnew technologiestopositionthemselveson themarketstrategically.Theirgrowing economicstrengthcombinedwiththeir yetflexiblestructuresallowsthemto managetheirbusinessprocesses, includinganewexperiencefortheir employeesregardingprocessesand technology.Thebasicchallengesofthe digitaltransformationherebyareto answerwhichproductsandservices aretobeofferedandhowtoaddress the“processexperience”.Formerly productsweresold,todayitisservices anditisgoingtobeexperienceinthe future,thatiswhyweneedtobeagile! Digitizationmeansindividualization. Customersbecomeco-customersand generateself-services.

“WithinonlyshorttimethebameroAG becameoneofourmostimportant strategicpartners.Duetotheirmethods usedandtheirextremelyquick perception,Mr.Kurzandhisteamare atremendousgainforourbusiness development.Initialsuccesseswere alreadyevidentafteronlyashorttime andmostnotablymeasurable.Weare lookingforwardtocontinuingour

cooperationwithbamero.”–Björn Scharnhorst,CEOExportverpackung SehndeGmbH

Thebameroportfolioexclusively coversservicesinabusinessprocess managementcontext,although addressingitindifferentgranularities. Foremostbamerosupportscompanies inthedynamicalignmentoftheir businessmodels.Tosupportthisclaim bameroofferstoconcertedlyorganize thebusinessprocessesincluding systems,rolesandimplicit requirements.Ontheonehandto completethescopeofservicesandon theotherhandanattractiveservice itselfthebameroalsoautomates businessprocesses.

Usinganiterativeandanincremental approach(M.E.M.O.®)theimpacton short-andlong-termsuccessescanbe measuredthroughouttheprojects.

M.E.M.O.®isaninnovativewayto extendthetraditionalbusinessprocess managementbyagileconceptsto operationalizethewishfordigital innovation.Theefficiencyand effectivityofbusinessprocess managementprojectscanbeimproved significantlybyadaptingthefoursteps processanalysis(map),processdesign (enrich),implementation(monitor)and execution(optimize)toagilesoftware developmentapproachesandassigning definedroles.Contrarytotraditional,

Prof. Dr. Marco Mevius Chairman of the Board & Founder bamero AG

model-centricapproachesthepurposebehindM.E.M.O.® istoexplorethepracticedprocessinsteadofprocess models–“moreprocess,lessmodel!”

ThehighlyspecializedteamofthebameroAGlivesand mergesdigitalityandbusinessprocessmanagementintheir DNA.Thisisthefundamenttocollaborativelyandperfectly executedcreatetailor-madeandhighlyinnovativebusiness models.Theprocessengineersthatcurrentlyworkfor bamerolearnedhowtoevaluateanddevelopthe digitizationofprocessesattheHTWGConstance. Therefore,theseprocessengineersarecapableofconsulting customersusingtheirveryknowledgeinsteadofwornout referenceguidelines.

“Bybeinginpermanentsparwiththescientificcommunity wearecapableofsubstantiallymeetingthenewandrapidly changingdemandsofthemarket.”–FlorianKurz,CEOand partner

Florian Kurz CEO & partner bamero AG

Especiallythenew,digitalbusinessmodelsrequirewelldirectedprocessinnovation.Withbamero’stoolsand methodsthechallengesofpartlydigitizingprocessesare addresseddirectlyandinauniqueway.Withthedigital transformationofbusinessprocessesandmodelsall participantsexpecthighercustomertie,moreefficient processesandhighersalesduetothepossibilitiesto efficientlyandcostefficientlyoffercustomer-specificand personalizedproductsandservices.

“Westandattheedgeofadigitalgoldrush.bameroenables companiestoimmediatelyfindfirstdigitalnuggetsandto definetherelativeclaimsinthelongterm.”–Prof.Dr MarcoMevius,ChairmanoftheBoardandFounder

Thecrucialcompetitiveadvantagesaregeneratedbythe processexperienceoftheprocessparticipants.Therefore, anadequateandbestpossibleintegrationofhumansinto thedigitalprocessesandnewservicesiscentralforthe transformationofestablishedcompanies.