M4D Business Journal 101 - Business Management Systems & The 'Cloud' (SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS)

In a SaaS environment applications are hosted by a service provider (cloud infrastructure) and made available to clients over a network, typically the Internet.

SaaS is becoming an increasingly prevalent delivery model as underlying technologies that support web services and service-oriented architecture (SOA) mature and new developmental approaches become popular.

Why

Regardless of the size of your practice, you want a connected organisation with visibility across and control throughout.

You could tie together narrow stand-alone systems across sales, client, projects, resources and finance, but such a patchwork of systems means inefficient processes, unreliable data, and costly, cumbersome administration.

Our comprehensive integrated Business Management System enables design and project related businesses to tie everything together and eliminate both heavy up-front investments in costly infrastructure, and the on-going expense of personnel to maintain it.

We allow our clients to have the same technology advantage as larger organisations without the same overhead.

Through cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) our Business Management System provides the visibility, control and insight your business needs, without the drain on resources, the hassles of on-site infrastructure, and the headaches of on-going maintenance.

The Cloud

Cloud-based solutions are deployed in a secure environment and accessed through the web. Solutions in the cloud are accessible from anywhere, highly secure, and always up-to-date. Users’ access is similar to software you’ve deployed inside your business. Best of all, the solution is managed for you, so you avoid the hassles of hardware, software updates, data back-ups, and security monitoring.

Easy, simple, secure

You don’t have to stay attached to out-dated tools or adapt to something that just doesn’t fit. Inefficient, manual and narrow independent tools lead to errors, stifle growth and disconnect both people and information.

Our Business Management System delivers the crucial tools you need in a solution that’s simple to implement and secure to access, no matter where you are.

Partnership

The essence of our business is that we form long-term partnerships with our clients and suppliers to enable our clients to control, build and sustain successful and innovative businesses.

We utilise the Deltek Vision ERP solution as our platform to integrate client management, project and resource management, financial management and control, business performance dashboards, analytics, electronic invoicing,advanced reporting and benchmarking.

Implementation

Acquiring large-scale software applications is disruptive for organisations of any size, bringing arduous capital budgeting, resource-intensive readiness of servers and infrastructure, as well as cash intensive implementations.

Our Business Management System eliminates the purchasing hassles typical of most comprehensive business solutions, is cash-flow friendly and avoids up-front capital investment.

Best Practice

The Deltek Vision ERP system is used by over 10,000 design businesses and Management for Design has developed specific modules to enable us to deliver the best practice model, with proven capabilities to connect your entire business with flexibility, and to easily add other modules as you need them.

Availability

Because there’s no infrastructure to purchase or prepare our Business Management System is immediately available, avoiding the long preparation phase found in most on-site deployments. It doesn’t divert the attention of scarce IT resources or dampen the enthusiasm of an eager organisation.

Simple to manage

Managing a comprehensive Business Management System typically means you need skilled experts to maintain the infrastructure; backing up data, ensuring security, installing patches, and managing upgrades. This effort sacrifices IT’s focus on more important work, and stretches the expertise of scarce and overworked resources.

Our Business Management System is in the cloud, so you eliminate your up-front costs and maintenance responsibilities, whilst receiving a higher quality of service than you can ask of your own IT team.

Our singular focus is on the maintenance and support of your crucial Business Management Solutions, making your ownership practically ‘hands free’. Alongside our partners we work to keep our systems current with the latest version updates, monitor security, create back-ups, andeven upgrade the underlying infrastructure.

Flexible licensing also means you’re not boxed in by rigid tools, and you can make changes whenever you need to.

Our Business Management System is the most flexible management system available to professional services firms - in the cloud.

If necessary, you can modify views, build custom reports, or adapt work-flow, before you ‘go live’, or at any time thereafter.

You’re also not pinned down by inflexible licensing that forces you to take on more seats than you need, or more capabilities than you want, just to hedge against future growth.

Flexible subscriptions let you choose, add and remove users as your business changes, and expand with additional modules when you’re ready.

Security

Entrusting your growing professional services operation to the cloud doesn’t mean putting your business data at risk.

Our unwavering commitment to support and security makes our Business Management System available any time to anyone in your firm who needs it, and keeps your information safe from anyone who shouldn’t have it.

Our cloud-based data-centre assures a level of accessibility and security that any on-site IT department would be hard pressed to match.

Accessibility

Secure access is direct through any basic internet connection. There is no need for your users to work with a cumbersome or occasionally blocked VPN. Redundant servers, automatic fail-over, and multiple forms of back-up power enable an ‘always on’ environment that is there when you need it.

Constant monitoring is perpetually on the lookout for potential issues, and our personnel are available to quickly resolve any problems.

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Costs

Management for Design’s SaaS solution does not involve large up-front investments in purchasing licenses and our clients are freed from the burden of IT administration and maintenance costs. There are no up-front capital expenses, no servers to buy or hardware to manage.

Services are available on an annual subscription basis, which also includes costs for maintaining and updating the system.

System Design

Our Business Management System has been specifically developed for design and project related businesses. We utilise the Deltek Vision ERP solution as our platform to integrate Client Management, Project and Resource Management, Financial Management and Control, Business Performance Dashboards, Analytics, Electronic invoicing, Advanced Reporting and Benchmarking.

Accessibility

Access to the system is subscription based and can be accessed anywhere, anytime and onmultiple devices via Citrix over the Internet or Web based browser depending on accessibilityrequirements

Permissions and Password Protection

The Management for Design SaaS solution includes a robust password protection and permissions system that is easy to administer. The system allows for delegation of administrative responsibility and captures event logs of who logged in when, what information they accessed and what changes they made. Different levels of permissions are assignable – read/write/delete.

Data access and control

Data access is shared between the client and Management for Design and we agree and establish access protocols regarding data and access prior to commencement.

IT Administration

The responsibilities of maintaining, managing and updating the software rest with Management for Design Information Technology.

Customisability

Customisations can be carried out by the client or by Management for Design as appropriate depending on client requirements and capabilities. This allows clients to mould the solution according to their specific business requirements.

Management for Design offer simple and smart customisation options to users e.g. Project setup and Information Centres.

Flexibility

Management for Design’s SaaS solution is appropriate for any sized business and is flexible to adjust to the needs of the user rather than fixed as per the on-premises model of the past. Deltek Vision ERP is used by businesses from 5 to 2,500 people across multi-locations. We provide the flexibility to scale the solution up and down in tune with business growth and downsizing depending on resource usage.

Adoption

Users adapt to the Management for Design SaaS solution more easily than their legacy versions. We will tailor the training requirements specific to the client; however, the ready-touse solutions should not require extensive training programs for users.

Back up

The servers on which your data resides have built- in fault tolerance, this makes sure that, in case your primary server crashes for some reason, your data is still secure and backed up - ensuring that you aren’t left high and dry in case of an emergency, and can continue to work with minimum disruption.

Upgrades

Management for Design is responsible for upgrading the application. We regularly upgrade the product and the upgrades are indifferent to user compliance and the cost is included in annual subscription charges. Hence, users can access updated versions without incurring additional expenses.

Our clients have an on-going access to innovation and new features, as opposed to the sporadic method of “new versions” for on premise software.

Data security and Hosting

Cloud computing and the facilities they are housed-in are now mature. Client data security and its integrity are paramount to Management for Design.

Our hosting service has documented security infrastructure and protocols available that includes encryption requirements, surveillance and disaster management systems and security records.

Service Level Agreement

The Management for Design Software as a Service Agreement sets out the commitments and obligations of both Management for Design and the client in addition to the right to use the SaaS software. These will include:

• hosting of the SaaS software and customer data on server;

• customer support services; and

• software maintenance services

Confidentiality

Management for Design comply with a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) / Confidentiality Agreement prior to the client disclosing its business secrets and confidential information. Confidential information will not be passed on to third parties for any purpose other than performing our duties under the Service Agreement.

Customer Support and Service

Management for Design provide live customer support between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday. Emergency contact after hours is also provided where necessary and backed up by 24/7 help through our US support partner. There is also extensive help documentation and an automated self-help engine that helps you easily resolve your queries.

Security

The Management for Design Host Data Centre Facility is built to and maintained in accordance with ACSI33 and AS2834-1955 standards. All aspects of the facilities are fully redundant and concurrently maintainable to a level on par with tier 3. All aspects of power, cooling and network services are designed to be N+1.

Exit Strategy

If the agreement is terminated, or expires, all confidential information will be returned ordestroyed. Confirmation of destruction of data will be in writing.

Our SaaS Agreement sets out the steps required to ensure an effective and seamless exit forboth parties including notice period, licensing arrangements, transfer of information, upskillingof client personnel etc.

Pricing

Our price model is based on number of system users, module requirements and number of consecutive users. We agree and fix our pricing on an annual basis and restrict increases to 10% or less subject to the number of client licences and the Deltek and Citrix pricing adjustments.