deltek insight 2012: 30 workflow automations to save time and money

30 Workflow Automations to Save Time and Money

Adam Churchill, Senior Consultant, DeltekPS-81

2 ©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Workflow Overview

Workflow Types (Standard and Advanced)

30 Prepackage Workflows

Examples

Key Takeaways

Questions

Agenda


Enhanced ‘reporting-light’ information is made available in Vision Info Centers without the need to run a report.

Elimination of double entry and reduction of manual steps in routine business processes.

Vision can be used to notify key stake holders to changing events in Vision.

Installation and maintenance requires limited technical resources.

What are the Benefits of Workflow?


Workflows may be setup for any

standard Vision Info Centers (except

Units), User Defined Info Centers

(Vision 7.0), and Billing Terms.

Standard Workflows allow for basic

actions and conditions to be

completed within the corresponding

Info Center. User initiated Triggered by specific user

action Scheduled Triggered by process at pre-

defined intervals or via a workflow button

placed on a tab through tab designer

Sample action types Validation warning and errors Email and Dashboard alerts Column (field) change Activity creation

Actions vary based on conditions

Standard Workflows


Advanced Workflows are designed to expedite your processes and more effectively distribute information using more complex Actions and/or Conditions.

Advanced workflows can: Be scheduled Use SQL Expressions to populate an existing field in Vision. Use SQL Expressions to reach across Info Centers or data tables that

are related to an Info Center. Call stored procedures to process one or more SQL Expressions or

manipulate data in more complex ways.

Advanced Workflows


Deltek has developed a package of advanced ‘best practice’ Workflows designed to improve efficiency and communication.

Each workflow is ready for simple installation within the Vision application and SQL Server database.

Stored Procedure Workflows range in complexity, from deactivating an employee’s Vision user account when their Employee record is set to Inactive to more complex events such as synchronizing Fee amounts within Billing Terms based on changes to the Project’s Compensation within Project Info Center.

Workflows are organized by category: Improving Efficiency, Improving Information Management and Streamlining Communication

Vision Workflows

7

Vision Workflow: Improving Efficiency

©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Vision Workflows: Improving Efficiency

Workflow Number

Workflow Type Description

1 Billing TermsWorkflow synchronizes Project’s Compensation field with overall percent complete fee field on Fee tab in Billing Terms.

2 Billing TermsWorkflow synchronizes Project’s Compensation field at lower WBS levels with Fee billing phases in Billing Terms when posting by phase is enabled.

3 Employee SecurityWorkflow automates Vision Username creation upon Employee setup and disables associated username upon Employee inactivation. Workflow sends a dashboard alert to members of Default Security Role advising them to enable login and provide other necessary details for new user.

4 Employee Info CenterWorkflow adds Employee to all Billing Labor Rate Tables when a new employee is added under Employee Info Center. This is helpful if you predominantly bill by Labor Rate.

5 Resource Planning Workflow updates Probability in Resource Plan when linked Opportunity’s Probability changes.

6 Resource PlanningWorkflow synchronizes Compensation, Consult Fee and Reimbursable Allowance between Project and mapped plan when the fields are updated within Project Info Center

7 Opportunity Info Center

Workflow updates Status within Project Info Center to Inactive when Opportunity Stage is set to Lost and generates a Dashboard Alert for the change in Status to notify Project Manager, Supervisor and Principal assigned to Opportunity record.


Workflow updates Stage History grid (e.g., Revenue, Probability or Wt. Revenue, date changed, by whom) when stage is edited.

8

Vision Workflow: Improving Efficiency



Workflow Number



Add a new field to Project Info Center General tab to capture Project Owner. In addition, automatically copy Project Owner to Clients/Contacts tab, Clients grid with a role of Owner. The role for Primary Client copied to the Clients grid as a standard function of Vision will be changed to Client. With this configuration, projects will be linked to both the Client paying for services and the ultimate owner of the project. This is especially helpful when the Client and Owner are different.

10 Clients Info CenterWorkflow prevents Users from Saving <Default> as an Address Description by giving an error or by automatically setting it to a combination of City, State from the client address.

11 Project Info CenterWorkflow copies Project’s Status (Active/Inactive/Dormant) in Project Info Center to lower levels of the Project when Status is changed at higher levels (WBS1 or WBS2).

12 Project Info CenterWorkflow copies 'Available to accounting users', 'Approved for use in Processing' and 'Available to CRM users' checkboxes in Project Info Center to lower levels of the Project when checkbox(s) are changed at higher levels (WBS1 & WBS2).

13 Project Info CenterWorkflow copies Project Manager, Project Principal, and Project Supervisor to lower levels of Project when the respective field has been changed. The workflow copies only field(s) that has been edited to lower levels of project.

14 Project Info Center Workflow links an Opportunity’s Activities to Project when creating a New Project from an Opportunity.

15 Projects Info Center Workflow updates user defined field in Project Info Center with URL address link to Google Maps

16 Contacts Info CenterWorkflow automatically adds a calendar mailing category to new contacts created in Vision. Category Code must be 'Calendar' for Category Description 'Calendar' in Opportunity Information Category – Contacts Code Table. This facilitates the process for identifying contacts for annual mailing campaigns.

9

Vision Workflow: Ad Hoc Workflow Examples



Workflow Number



When Opportunity Stage is set to ‘Awarded’ the workflow will update the Opportunity Close Date to the current date, create both a Dashboard and an Email Alert for the Principal, Project Manager, and Supervisor, as well as create a new project record from the Opportunity.

18 Project Info CenterWhen new project is created, the workflow populates project user defined payment terms field from user defined client specific payment terms, or default terms when payment terms are not populated in the Client Info Center. These values can then be included on AR and/or Project Reports

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Vision Workflow: Improving Information Management


Vision Workflows: Improving Information Management

Workflow Number


19 Client Info CenterWorkflow maintains custom grid 'Project Financial Status' on Projects tab of Client Info Center and updates grid with Project number (WBS1), Revenue, Billed, Received and Accounts Receivable sums for Projects assigned to Client.

20 Employee Info CenterWorkflow maintains custom grid on Accounting tab of Employee Info Center to track changes to Employee’s Job Cost Rate, Pay Rate and Title. Changes to these standard fields automatically add a time-stamped line into grid, including Job Cost Rate, Pay Rate and Title and an editable notes field.

21 Project Info CenterWhen Project is set to dormant, workflow populates End Date on Dates & Costs tab of Project Info Center with last transaction date of labor or expenses entered against Project if End Date is blank.

22 Project Info CenterWorkflow populates fields 'Milestone' and 'Milestone Date' when milestones of 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% are met on a project and an e-Mail Alert is sent to Project Manager. Milestones are calculated for either revenue or billed to date for Projects' overall compensation.

11

Vision Workflow: Improving Information Management


Vision Workflows: Improving Information Management

Workflow Number


23 Project Info CenterWorkflow maintains a 'Total Compensation' field on Budget and Revenue tab of Project Info Center with sum of amounts from Compensation, Consultant Fee and Reimbursable Allowance as changes occur.

24 Project Info Center

Workflow updates 'Total Unbilled', 'Unbilled Expenses', 'Unbilled Labor', 'Unbilled Consultants', 'Unbilled Units' to Budget and Revenue tab of Project Info Center and is scheduled to update those fields at all levels (WBS1, WBS2, WBS3) of respective projects with sums calculated to agree with Unbilled Summary report every night. This allows for inclusion of unbilled amount from the Billing module onto project reports.

25 Asset Info Center (User Defined)

When Asset is purchased and Purchase Date is entered Status will be changed to ‘Active’ and the user will be required, via Validation Errors, to enter the cost of the asset, enter location or employee using the asset, enter the Life (Months) for this asset, enter the Salvage Value for this asset, and Serial Number. Vision will then calculate and populate the Monthly Depreciation amount in the custom tab field.

26 Employee Info CenterWorkflow calculates Years worked for our firm. This scheduled workflow runs nightly and calculates years worked by taking hire date less current date then calculates worked years.

12

Vision Workflow: Streamlining Communication


Vision Workflows: Streamlining Communication

Workflow Number


27 Employee Info CenterWorkflow generates a Dashboard Alert or Email to Employee when system date is the 10th anniversary of employee’s hire date. An email can be sent to Employee’s Supervisor and/or HR manager.

28 Employee Info CenterWorkflow adds custom field 'Birthday' on Personal tab of Employee Info Center to hold the Employee’s birth date and generates a Dashboard alert or Email to Employee when system date matches date entered in custom field.

29 Employee Info CenterWorkflow generates a Dashboard Alert or Email to notify Employee when their Licenses are set to expire within 90 days. A separate alert is generated for each license on Experience tab of Employee Info Center where the Expire date is populated.

30 Project Info Center

Project Manager/Administrator creates the project in Vision and selects the ‘Approval Checkbox’ when ready for accounting to approve the project. Workflow Statement stamps the name of the person setting up the project and the date when requested. Workflow Statement to set field to Employee Name from User


When an new employee is hired, they are entered into corporate databases and access to software/systems is set up. For Vision, this would entail the following manual steps:

Go into Employees Info Center and adding the new employee record.

Go into Security, Users and Passwords and setting up the new employee’s access credentials.

To save a step, set up a workflow and that automatically creates a Vision username for that employee when the they are added to Vision.

Employee Security – New Employee Setup

14

Employee Security – New Employee Setup



When an employee leaves your company, there are many processes that are completed to finalize their exit. One of those is to disable user accounts in corporate systems.

In Vision, this would entail the following manual steps:

Go into Security, Users and Passwords and disable the employee’s Vision login.

Go into Employees Info Center and change the employee record status to Inactive or Terminated.

To save a step, set up a workflow and that automatically disables the user’s Vision login when the employee’s status is updated in Vision. This workflow ensures this step is not forgotten.

Employee Security – Disable Vision Access

16

Employee Security – Disable Vision Access



When plans are created from an opportunity, the Probability on the opportunity is initially copied into the Plan. From that point forward, the Plan Probability is updated separately from the Opportunity probability.

The Opportunity’s probability is changing as the opportunity is getting closer and closer to being awarded. In some cases, the Plan’s probability should also be changing to reflect updated revenue forecasting.

To ensure this step is done, a workflow is set up that automatically updates the linked plan whenever the opportunity probability value changes.

Resource Planning – Probability Update

18

Resource Planning – Probability Update



When an opportunity is lost, the linked Promotional Project is still Active. Employees should not be able to charge time and expenses to this Promotional Project since it is no longer being pursued. To prevent these charges, the Promotional Project must be inactivated.

In Vision, this would entail the manual steps: Go into the Opportunity and change its Stage to Lost and save the record.

Click on the Promotional Project link in the Opportunity and change the Status of the project to Inactive and save the record.

To save manual steps and ensure employee do not inadvertently charge to the wrong promotional project, a workflow can be set up that automatically changes the linked Project’s Status to Inactive.

Project Status Update from Opportunity

20

Project Status Update from Opportunity



The Status of a Project (WBS1), Phase (WBS2) or Task (WBS3) is managed manually in Vision. This allows for varying levels of accessibility to the phases and tasks in different areas of Vision (e.g., timesheets, transactions, etc.).

To change the status of the entire project structure, users manually open each level of the project (each phase and each task under each phase) and change the Status. This can be very time-consuming if a project has a long project structure.

A lot of firms would like to be able to change the status on the top or second level of a project and have that change made automatically on all lower levels of the same project or phase. A workflow can automate this process.

Project Status – Update All Lower Levels

22

Project Status – Update All Lower Levels


To make the entire project Active, Inactive, or Dormant, the Project Status would be manually changed on each level of the project structure.


The Available and Approved for Use checkboxes of a Project (WBS1), Phase

(WBS2) or Task (WBS3) are managed manually in Vision. This allows for

varying levels of accessibility to these records in different areas of Vision.

To change the values of these checkboxes for the entire project, users

manually open each level (phases and tasks) and change them. This can be

very time-consuming if a project has a long project structure.

A lot of firms would like to be able to check or uncheck these boxes on the top

or second level of a project and have that same change made automatically on

all lower levels of the project or phase. A workflow can automate this process.

Project Availability/Approve for Use – Update All Lower Levels

24

Project Availability/Approve for Use – Update All Lower Levels


To make the entire project Available or Approved, those checkboxes would be manually changed on each level of the project structure.

25

Project Principal, PM, and Supervisor – Update All Levels


The Project Manager, Project Principal, and Project Supervisor values of a Project

(WBS1), Phase (WBS2) or Task (WBS3) are managed manually in Vision.

If all levels of the project should have the same values for one or more of these

three team members and one changes, users manually open each level and

change them. This can be very time-consuming if a project has a long project

structure.

Instead, a workflow can automate this process so that a user could make the

change on one level and that change would automatically copy down to the lower

levels.

26

Project Principal, PM, and Supervisor – Update All Levels


To change one of the Key Team Members for all levels of the project, users would manually update each level.


Automatically updates the % Complete in Billing Terms when the % Complete is changed in the Project Info Center on the corresponding Project, Phase and Task (WBS1, WBS2 and WBS3) combination. Billing Terms will only be updated if the Fee method is defined as Overall Percent Complete or Percent Complete by Phase (either as Percent of Fee or Percent as Fixed Amount) and Post Fees by Billing Phase is enabled. When Fee Method is Percent Complete by Phase the update is based on matching the Phase (WBS2) and Task (WBS3) in the Billing Phases grid with the Phase and Task in the Project Info Center. The workflow only updates pre-existing billing term records.

% Complete – Update Billing Terms from Project/Phase/Task

28

% Complete – Update Billing Terms from Project/Phase/Task



Automatically adds Employee to all Labor Rate Tables when a new employee is added under Employee Info Center. The rate is included in the Labor Code tables if the Provisional Billing Rate (available if the Resource Planning module is licensed) is entered when the employee is added.

Billing Terms – Add Employees to Labor Rate Tables

30

Billing Terms – Add Employees to Labor Rate Tables


Employees automatically added to Labor Rates tables after hire

Saves time and accuracy for adding employees to rate tables


When working with customers and contacts Vision, Business Developers would like an easier way to add new contacts to the Calendar Mailing list.

It is often a data-entry step that is missed and then Team winds up trying to remember who should be added to the list in December.

To alleviate this problem and ensure a more accurate mailing list, use Vision’s workflow engine to automatically add the Calendar Mailing List category to the new contact’s Categories grid when they are added to Vision.

Note: The packaged workflow installation will add a Calendar value to the Information Categories – Contacts code table. The code will be “CO001CALEN” and the Description will be “Calendar”

Add New Contact to Calendar Mailing List

32

Add New Contact to Calendar Mailing List



Many daily processes in Vision require multiple routine steps. The more steps…the greater likelihood of mistakes.

Vision Workflows allow for automation of processes resulting in a timelier, more collaborative and accurate completion of specific tasks.

Vision Workflows allow you to define conditions within Info Center applications:

for which you want to be alerted, or after which you would like an automatic process to run

Key Takeaways

Questions?

Thank You!

deltek insight 2012: 30 workflow automations to save time and money

Technology

benefits of workflow

vision workflowsdeltek

billing2billing terms

vision username creation

efficiencyvision workflows

project info center

projects compensation

fee billing phases