deltek insight 2012: reducing excel dependence

Reducing Excel Dependence

Melissa Case, CPA, Controller, R.A. Smith National, Inc.PS-68

2 ©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Introduction

Background

Ideas: Identify spreadsheet tasks that could be handled thru Vision

Business Needs: Explore how some Excel based processes have been improved with Vision

Quantify the time saved by utilizing Vision

Questions/ Discussion

Agenda


Introduction

Controller at R.A. Smith National, Inc located in Brookfield, WI Offices also in Appleton, WI; Irvine,CA; and Pittsburgh, PA

Civil engineering & surveying firm

12 years with firm

140 employees

Implemented Vision Accounting in Fall 2007

Work smarter, not harder Number of hours worked value

Background


Excel as a Crutch

Pros Comfortable Easy to manipulate Everyone has access to the program

Cons Doesn’t update automatically Keeps information to itself Only works when you are working


Something Better than Excel?

Is there a program that: Stores data in an organized system Customizable to my firm’s needs Updates data itself Reminds me when I need to do something Accessible to people that need certain data

VISION!!


Where to Start?

Look for spreadsheets where fields from the Info Centers are duplicated

Employees Projects Clients Contacts Vendors


Ideas

Employee Pay history Annual reviews Bonuses Worker’s compensation codes General liability insurance codes Dependents Driver’s license numbers Office location (for floor plan) Health insurance election

Annual enrollment process

State professional licenses PDH requirements Cell phones & other company equipment Professional organization memberships


Ideas

Projects Contract & change order tracking Subconsultant contract & insurance Archived documents – records management

Vendors Insurance


Business Need: Provide Data for Worker’s Compensation Audit

Excel Pulled information from 3 different payroll reports and keyed into Excel Difficulties balancing with that much manual entry


Business Need: Provide Data for Worker’s Compensation Audit

Vision Created field to assign code to employee

Business Needs


Provide Data for Worker’s Compensation Audit

Vision Created report to match audit dates Calculated fields to remove overtime premium

15 ©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved04/18/2023

Track & Report on Employee Bonuses

Excel Payroll Manager entered information after each payroll Sent email to Controller to notify there was a bonus paid Controller entered Labor Adjustment in Vision to balance payroll in GL If payroll didn’t balance because email wasn’t sent, hopefully the

spreadsheet was updated


Track & Report on Employee Bonuses

Vision Created custom grid in Employee Info Center

Payroll Manager enters bonus in grid

Workflow emails Controller and Executive when bonus is entered

Email provides the information needed to enter a Labor Adjustment and balance payroll


Keep Professional Licensing Current

Excel (Access) File is reviewed weekly to see what renewals are needed



Vision:

Workflows used to notify employee and Admin when items are going to expire or have expired.

Employee License Expiring in 60 & 30 days: Once to employee Expiring in current month: Weekly to employee, supervisor & Admin Expired last month: Weekly to employee, supervisor & Admin until the

license is inactive Corporate license

Expiring in 60 & 30 days: Once to Admin & Accounting Expiring in current month: Weekly to Admin & Accounting Expired last month: Weekly to Admin & Accounting until the license is

inactive



Vision Prior database was replicated and linked to the employee or “Corporate”

Employee



Vision

Employee example


Ensure PDH Requirements are Met for Engineers

Excel

Admin completed Excel file per employee per year


Ensure PDH Requirements are Met for Engineers

Vision

Employee or Admin fills in information in the Employee Info Center grid

Information is centralized, linked to certificate, and employee has easy access

23

Track Cell Phone Equipment and Service Plan

Excel (Access)

Difficult to keep current

Supervisors or HR did not have access which led to problems when there was turnover



Vision

•Workflow notifies Admin when equipment contract is expiring

•Easily accessible if the employee is using company equipment



Using Vision Data

Reporting Services utilized to update SharePoint site nightly with a current report


Ensure Subconsultants Comply with Insurance Requirements

Excel

Quite frankly, we didn’t manage to get it into Excel

We never had it in an automated fashion



Vision Grid in Vendor file tracks insurance type, limit, and expiration



Vision Report scheduled monthly to notify when Insurance is not current.



Vision

Subconsultant grid added to the Project Info Center

Stored procedure runs nightly to add new subconsultants to grid

Subconsultant added based on AP transaction posted to the project



Vision Scheduled report runs weekly to notify when a sub has been added to a project

and their insurance and/or contract has not been verified


Record Management

Excel (Access) Huge file, many fields, one to several rows per completed project

Difficult to keep current

Did not have a record of the retrievals requested to match the storage company’s invoice


Record Management

Vision Condensed fields

Centralized information, with other key project data


Record Management

Vision User initiated workflow to email Accounts Payable when a file is retrieved

A/P able to match the retrieval to the invoice and bill the correct department


Ensure Memberships are Reviewed/ Renewed

Excel (Access) Admin entered data, rarely notified if something was not renewed

Many duplicate fields

Employee also filled out a paper membership request form



Vision (And SharePoint) Partially automated the membership form for the employee

Populates from computer loginPopulates from Vision



Vision (and SharePoint) Grid populates nightly from forms which have been approved by Accounting Workflows notify employee when membership will expire in 60 & 30 days

Quantifying the Time Saved

38 ©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved04/18/2023

Quantification of Changes

Most of the savings came from Vision doing the follow-up Vision doesn’t call in sick Vision doesn’t forget when follow-up is needed Vision is as assertive as you decide it should be Vision works 24 hrs/day 365 days per year without overtime pay!

39

Time Savings

©2012 Deltek, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Feature Duplicate Fields Records

# Entries(fields*records

)

Minutes Saved

Follow-up Min/

Record

Follow-Up Savings

Total Annual Savings

Worker’s Comp

7 200 1,400 90 0 0 90

Bonuses 5 35 175 6 10 350 356

Corporate Licenses

1 82 82 3 15 1,230 1,233

Employee Licenses

1 180 180 6 15 2,700 2,706

PDH’s 1 143 143 5 10 1,430 1,435

SubconsultantInsurance

1 195 195 7 15 2,925 2,932

Record’s Management

5 1,100 5,500 183 10 11,000 11,183

Memberships 12 84 1,008 34 10 840 874

TOTAL 33 2,019 8,683 334 20,475341 hours

20,809347 hours

347 hours per year saved from just these 8 changes!

Questions/Discussion


There is more to life than Excel

Vision can be the place for all your data

Ideas where you can reduce duplicate entry & improve efficiency

Workflows can be used to automate, follow-up, and work when you are not

Takeaways


QUESTIONS?

Contact Information:Melissa Case, CPAR.A. Smith National, IncBrookfield, [email protected]

Other ideas for eliminating spreadsheets?

mailto:[email protected]


PS-81: 30 Workflow Automations to Save Time and Money

PS-237: Best Practices for Creating Real Time Financial or Project Reports in Excel

PS-50: Streamline Your Business with Vision Workflows

Call to Action

Thank You!

deltek insight 2012: reducing excel dependence

Technology