Microsoft Dynamics Customer Solution Case Study

Project - Software Supports $10 Million Revenue Increase for Growing IT Firm

Overview “We wouldn’t have been able to manage our rapid Country or Region: United States Industry: IT services growth if we didn’t have Microsoft Dynamics SL.”

Gary Struzik, Chief Financial Officer, InScope Solutions Customer Profile Located in Reston, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., InScope Solutions is an IT services firm that offers its clients expertise in computing optimization, business process analysis, IT outsourcing, A multitude of government contract work sparked growth for IT and helps customers maximize value from services firm, InScope Solutions. Identified as one of the 50 fastest- their business and investments in growing companies in the Washington, D.C., area, InScope needed Microsoft ® technologies. a project-accounting system that could streamline accounting Business Situation InScope needed a project-accounting processes and comply with the cost-accounting standards of the solution that could merge with existing Federal Acquisition Regulations. The company rapidly outgrew systems and provide the tools n ecessary to gain Defense Contract Audit Agency QuickBooks and required advanced project-accounting tools to compliance and expand in government design job-cost models. Knowing its cost structures, InScope could contract work. place highly competitive, accurate, and compliant bids to win more Solution government contracts. With that in mind, InScope aligned with InScope engaged Microsoft Gold Certified Partner SSi Consulting to deploy Microsoft Microsoft ® Gold Certified Partner SSi Consulting to deploy Microsoft Dynamics ® SL with Business Portal, and Dynamics ® SL. Since the deployment, InScope has gained U.S.$10 connect it with Microsoft Dynamics CRM million more in revenue, decreased auditing time by 50 percent, and Microsoft Office SharePoint ® Server 2007. and reduced book-closing time by one week.

Benefits  Satisfy customer expectations  Maximize investment in existing systems  Accelerate accounting processes  Foster company growth

“Staying with Microsoft Situation system.” InScope needed a simple way to InScope Solutions provides IT services to help calculate labor, fringe, overhead, and other technologies made it companies bridge the gap between business indirect costs necessary to determine real- easy to connect all our strategy and technology adoption. InScope time project profits, and denote timesheet employs 95 IT professionals and 130 sign-offs and approvals. systems. The contractors. Nearly half of the company’s consistency and business involves assisting customers in the The company was already using Microsoft deployment of Microsoft ® solutions. A surge Dynamics ® CRM for pursuit management and familiarity of the user of business opportunities from the Microsoft Office SharePoint ® Server 2007 to interface makes government sector catapulted InScope to one share company documentation. InScope of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the envisioned a new project-accounting solution applications easy to use greater Washington, D.C., area. that would integrate with existing systems to and enables us to use provide customers and management with Oversight of government contracts required detailed reports. the strengths of each InScope to comply with strict job-costing and system.” timesheet management regulations required Struzik began investigating superior project- by the Federal Acquisition Regulations, with accounting solutions that would: Gary Struzik, Chief Financial Officer, InScope supervision from the Defense Contract Audit  Manage timesheets to capture job costs. Solutions Agency (DCAA). Additionally, in order to obtain  Analyze costs and profits to determine job- government contracts, InScope needed a cost structures that assist in placing reliable system with information aggregating, competitive bids for government contracts. reporting, and project-accounting capability,  Comply with federal accounting which would enable the company generate regulations. responsive project bids in a fiercely  Provide powerful reporting functionality to competitive environment. create job summary and project reports.

InScope used QuickBooks accounting Solution software to manage timesheets and account InScope researched traditional project- for projects. The company spent two weeks at accounting solutions, such as Deltek, but the end of every month aggregating paper found the cost of implementation too high. timesheets, keying the data into The company discovered Microsoft Dynamics spreadsheets and feeding it into QuickBooks. SL at a seminar hosted by Microsoft Gold “As a services company, people are our Certified Partner SSi Consulting and elected business and our product. To manage this to implement the software as its new project- vital resource, we had to maintain accurate accounting solution. SSi Consulting and updated timesheets to examine our presented InScope with a detailed project costs and profits for each project,” says Gary plan to set up, implement, and train Struzik, Chief Financial Officer of InScope employees on the system. By following the Solutions. plan, the deployment took six weeks.

When the DCAA contacted InScope to inspect Timesheet Management its accounting system, “I had to convince SSi Consulting integrated the Business Portal auditors that we were running fine with module in Microsoft Dynamics SL with Office QuickBooks,” recalls Struzik. “But I knew that SharePoint Server 2007 to store project closing the books on spreadsheets had timesheets. Using the Internet functionality gotten so cumbersome that we were going to provided by Office SharePoint Server 2007, have to invest in a new project-accounting InScope employees and contractors log on to

a password-protected site in Business Portal where it is organized and separated by and record their hours remotely from their appropriate project accounts. Data from both customer location for the projects they systems are merged to assess how projects worked on. “The fully integrated timekeeping are progressing against milestones and system passes approved timesheets from . InScope presents this information in Business Portal directly to the project and customer reports generated from Microsoft general accounting system in Dynamics CRM to demonstrate consultant Microsoft Dynamics SL,” explains Struzik. productivity, project execution status, and a Microsoft Dynamics SL provides the business myriad of other flexible reporting capabilities. logic that determines what type of The integration between Microsoft Dynamics information gets collected, compiles it in a SL and Microsoft Dynamics CRM also assists timesheet format, and attaches it to the InScope in further refining job-rate structures proper project account. that help in placing bids on government and commercial projects. Project managers use Business Portal to Advanced Forecasting track the financial performance of projects. InScope plans to employ the Business Ready Business Portal provides a Web-based Licensing and Business Ready Enhancement window into financial data stored within Plan for Microsoft Dynamics, which will Microsoft Dynamics SL. From here, project extend Microsoft Dynamics SL beyond 150 managers can see the number of hours users. Advanced forecasting tools will enable worked by each contractor, how the project InScope to account for variances that could compares against budget, and whose transpire over the lifespan of a project. If a timesheets are missing. At a glance, a project major account is lost, InScope can assess manager can ascertain the financial condition cost-cutting measures and research other of any project and follow up with customers opportunities in the marketplace that can or employees to fill gaps in the data. InScope make up for the loss. “These forecasting tools aggregates this data to determine job-rate will enable us to look at potential wins and structures, while accountants manage losses with a deeper financial perspective,” finances by accessing explains Struzik. “Now that Microsoft information through Business Portal. “If a Dynamics SL aggregates all our data in one customer hasn’t paid for some reason, that central location, we can pull that kind of should prompt questions and action, which relational data to productively analyze helps keep the project’s momentum moving information and the resulting decision forward,” explains Struzik. matrix.”

Customer Progress Reports Benefits InScope developers connected Microsoft Microsoft Dynamics SL has scaled to support Dynamics SL with Microsoft Dynamics CRM to the company’s rapid growth. The system has build custom report generators that let enabled InScope to integrate the solution management easily access critical company with existing systems, create customer data. “It was natural to take financial data reports, and become compliant with from Microsoft Dynamics SL and project data government-mandated Cost Accounting from our existing Microsoft Dynamics CRM to Standards. Since the deployment, InScope generate reports,” states Struzik. Financial has gained U.S.$10 million in revenue and data from Microsoft Dynamics SL is pushed has nearly doubled its employee count. to the database in Microsoft Dynamics CRM,

“I gave the auditors Satisfy Customer Expectations The company recently completed its first With Microsoft Dynamics SL, InScope system audit using Microsoft Dynamics SL. “I access to the system, provides customers with timely and accurate gave the auditors access to the system, and and they were able to reports that contain pertinent information they were able to find the information in about project milestones and prices. The Microsoft Dynamics SL. I didn’t have to find the information in company keeps customers informed on gather additional documentation or answer Microsoft Dynamics SL. project progress to indicate exactly where any questions,” says Struzik. “There was their money is being spent. Customers can nothing in our processes, accounting policies, I didn’t have to gather trust InScope to deliver projects on time and or even all the internal controls that they additional within budget, which increases customer found problematic.” Since deploying satisfaction and, ultimately, funnels more Microsoft Dynamics SL, the company has documentation or business to the company. decreased auditing time by 50 percent. answer any questions.” Maximize Investment in Existing Foster Company Growth Gary Struzik, Chief Financial Officer, InScope Systems With Microsoft Dynamics SL, InScope is well Solutions InScope has extended the capabilities of equipped to support growth and efficiency. Microsoft Dynamics SL and the Business Before deploying the solution, InScope Portal module by connecting them with generated U.S.$20 million in annual revenue. Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Office The company now makes U.S.$30 million in SharePoint Server 2007. With plans to annual revenue. The employee count has employ the Business Ready Licensing and nearly doubled and InScope has only had the Business Ready Enhancement Plan for need to hire one additional member to the Microsoft Dynamics, InScope can maximize accounting team to accommodate the its investment and ensure the longevity of the business growth. solution. “Staying with Microsoft technologies made it easy to connect all our systems. The “We wouldn’t have been able to manage our consistency and familiarity of the user rapid growth if we didn’t have Microsoft interface makes applications easy to use and Dynamics SL,” raves Struzik. “The insight enables us to use the strengths of each Microsoft Dynamics SL provides us has system,” states Struzik. qualified us to win a substantial number of contracts. We now have the confidence to bid Accelerate Accounting Processes efficiently and profitably when conducting Business Portal for Microsoft Dynamics SL business with the federal government.” With has enabled InScope to automate timesheet Microsoft Dynamics SL, InScope can continue processes. Once contractors and employees to expand its business and develop a large, submit their timesheets, InScope can close diverse portfolio of projects that supports the books in three days, eliminating the need company advancement. to manage paper timesheets. Accountants analyze and report data quicker and with more accuracy through automated processes and real-time updates. “Project personnel are excited that they can review and analyze project costs in real time. They have immediate access to project profitability, funding utilization, and performance against budget, without waiting for finance to finish their reporting,” says Struzik.

For More Information Microsoft Dynamics For more information about Microsoft Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, products and services, call the Microsoft adaptable business management solutions Sales Information Center at (800) 426- that enables you and your people to make 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft business decisions with greater confidence. Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of- Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone which means less of a learning curve for your (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in people, so they can get up and running the United States or (905) 568-9641 in quickly and focus on what’s most important. Canada. Outside the 50 United States and And because it is from Microsoft, it easily Canada, please contact your local works with the systems that your company Microsoft subsidiary. To access information already has implemented. By automating and using the World Wide Web, go to: streamlining financial, customer relationship, www.microsoft.com and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes, For more information about InScope and technologies, increasing the productivity Solutions products and services, call (703) and effectiveness of your business, and 391-1990 or visit the Web site at: helping you drive business success. www.inscopesolutions.com For more information about Microsoft For more information about SSi Consulting Dynamics, go to: products and services, call (800) 886- www.microsoft.com/dynamics 3369 or visit the Web site at: www.ssiconsulting.com

Software and Services Partners  Microsoft Dynamics  SSi Consulting − Microsoft Dynamics SL 6.5 − Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0  Microsoft Office − Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007

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Document published July 2008