Deltek Costpoint

Powering Your Project Lifecycle With Deltek

Deltek delivers software and information solutions that enable superior levels of project intelligence, management, and collaboration. Their industry-focused expertise makes your projects successful and helps you achieve performance that maximizes productivity at every stage of the project lifecycle that fuels your business.

Win – Firms want to identify clients early and pinpoint projects worth bidding for and create effective proposals that position them to win new business. In this space, firms need business analytics and relevant marketing intelligence in order to find the perfect fit and win deals. Deltek GovWin IQ can help you win more business.

Manage – After winning a project, organizations need a good plan to optimize resources, manage costs and risks, and stay on time and budget. With a full team engaged on required work, project management goes beyond a simple checklist. Companies needs to have an optimal schedule across all of their projects, as well as understanding the granular requirements to drive maximum profitability. Learn more about how Costpoint Contract Management can help manage your contract needs.

Develop – A good plan helps to deliver a great project but developing your talent and having the right people in place, truly powers project success. Project based businesses need a modern, integrated, HR and talent management approach to truly track and predict labor costs, forecast recruiting needs as well as develop and monitor employee engagement as part of your comprehensive retention strategy.

Deliver – Project based companies strive to deliver efficiently on their contract obligations while running a smooth and profitable operation. To do this, firms need the capabilities to connect resources and materials back to projects, track cost breakdown, and manage project documentation and assets in a single location. This is where Deltek Costpoint can help you succeed.

Measure – Project based businesses seek to measure both specific project profitability and analyze company level performance in terms of cash flow, people utilization, compliance, and profitability. These KPIs help ensure overall company financial health and shape future pursuits. Companies can look at trends to a more efficient, productive, and profitable company. PCI’s Business Intelligence team can assist you in personalized reports for your business.

The stages of the project lifecycle represent the fundamental workflow of project-based businesses. Helping businesses gain a competitive advantage, automating processes across the project lifecycle.

If you are interested in learning more about how Deltek’s Project Lifecycle can help your business, contact us today.

Introduction to DCAA Compliance

As a Government Contractor it is extremely important to remain compliant with rules and regulations. This blog provides a quick snapshot of DCAA and what compliance should look like for your organization.

Introduction to DCAA

What DCAA Does

The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) provides audit and financial advisory services to the Department of Defense (DOD) and other federal entities responsible for acquisition and contract administration.
DCAA provides recommendations to government officials on contractor cost assertions regarding specific products and services.
DCAA auditors examine contractor accounts, records, and business systems to evaluate whether contractor business practices and procedures are in compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and other applicable government laws and regulations.
DCAA has the authority to establish final indirect rates.

What DCAA Does Not Do

DCAA audits only contractors; it has no internal audit responsibilities in DoD.
DCAA has no direct role in determining which companies are awarded defense contracts.
DCAA does not negotiate or settle costs directly with contractors.

DCAA has about 230 offices located throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

Headquarters
- Regional Offices/Field Detachment
- Corporate Audit Directorates (CAD)
- Branch Offices
- Resident Offices

In FY 2020, DCAA had a staff of approximately 3,843 auditors.

What is Compliance?

Being compliant means being compliant with ALL contract requirements and applicable regulations (FAR, DFARS, CAS, etc.).
DCAA doesn’t certify or issue a formal statement that an organization is DCAA compliant.
DCAA doesn’t approve specific software tools as compliant.

Government Contract Rules & Regulations

FAR – Federal Acquisition Regulations
CAS – Cost Accounting Standards
Federal Agency Supplements
- Example: DFARS – Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement
The Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Statute (formerly known as TINA – The Truth in Negotiations Act)

Pro Tip: The regulations in effect on the date of contract award generally will govern the contract regardless of its period of performance and despite the fact that a regulation might change during the course of the contract.

For more information on DCAA Compliance

Access our On Demand DCAA Compliance for Small to Mid-sized Contractor Webinar or

API Acronyms Uncovered

We live in a world filled with acronyms. For those who are not familiar, an acronym is an abbreviated formed word, formed by letters of other words and pronounced as a word.

The Application Program Interface (API) world is no different when it comes to abbreviations and acronyms. We have outlined some common API acronyms below.

API – Application Program Interface
WIC – Web Integration Console
SOAP and REST– types of API calls that can be made
- SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol
- REST – Representational State Transfer
CRUD – Create, Read, Update, Delete
SFTP– Secure File Transfer Protocol
AWS – Amazon Web Services
SSS – Simple Storage Service
VPN – Virtual Private Network
SQL – Structured Query Language
CSV– Comma Separated Values
- Type of file that can be used if SFTP sites are used
JSON and XML– Formats data from API calls can be in
- JSON– JavaScript Object Notation
- XML– Extensible Markup Language
200, 400, 500 responses– responses that tell you if the API call was successful or not
- 200– indicates successful API call
- 400– indicates an error caused by the user
- 500– indicates an error caused by the server
DNS– Domain Name System
- Service that enables a link between domain names and the IP addresses with which they are associated
IP Address– Internet Protocol Address
- unique string of characters that identifies each computer communicating over a network
SSL– Secure Socket Layer
- Uses a public key to encrypt data transferred over the connection to communicate securely with the web server
TLS– Transport Layer Security
- Authentication and security protocol widely implemented in browsers and Web servers
HTTP– Hypertext Transfer Protocol
- protocol for information systems that allows users to communicate data on the World Wide Web.
HTTPS– Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
- Adds SSL/TLS to the HTTP for added security
DB/DBMS– Database/Database Management System
- Secure system where data is stored
SDK– Software Development Kit
- Collection of software development tools in one installable package
CLI– Command Line Interface
- Processes commands to a computer program in the form of lines of text
GUI– Graphical User Interface
- Type of user interface where users interact with electronic devices using visual representations

We hope you have learned a new acronym or two from this today!

PCI offers cutting-edge solution integrations to complement and enhance your Deltek product investments. Our consultants help to identify and bridge gaps between various business systems, offering several third-party integrations into Deltek Costpoint and Deltek WorkBook. Our API capabilities include data pulls and custom-built integrations.

To learn more about API integrations, visit our LINK API Integration page.

Why You Should Use GovWin IQ As A Federal Contractor

The federal government contracting market is vibrant and healthy with the top opportunities for FY 2022 alone valued at more than $250B. Within this favorable & lucrative environment, contractors can win more business by using GovWin IQ.

GovWin IQ serves contractors that are selling to the federal government by providing the earliest awareness of new opportunities, deep planning intelligence, potential teaming partnerships, and the strategic insight that businesses need to get ahead of the competition and win more federal government contracts.

HOW TO COMPETE

Understanding the federal market is key to being successful at federal government contracting, whether you are an experienced vendor or a new entrant. GovWin IQ provides key insights and opportunities to help you navigate this complex, cumbersome world.

BENEFITS

PLAN BEYOND THE PROPOSAL

Discover opportunities months, or even years, before they go to bid in the form of forecast pre-RFP intelligence.

FIND A QUALITY PARTNER

Identify quality teaming partners in a specific location, level of experience, or set-aside category in our exclusive GovWin Network™ of contacts.

CAPTURE MARKET INSIGHTS

Detect market potential based on data analysis conducted by our research support team along with easy-to-use data breakdown tools within GovWin IQ.

NEXT STEPS

Looking to grow your sales with federal agencies in 2022? Master the ins and outs of this complex but lucrative market with this free guidebook. Guide: Federal Contracting 101: The Basics

Learn more about how the leading market intelligence platform can help you win more federal government contracts by contacting us today.

The Basics of CMMC

The content in this blog has been repurposed from our partner, Deltek.

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance is a combination of various cybersecurity standards and best practices. The model’s creation was supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) and built upon existing regulations where compliance is based on trust and a verification component. The primary objective of CMMC is the protection of sensitive information. The origins of the compliance framework can be found in special publications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – NIST SP 800-171 and NIST SP 800-53 – and constructed with existing regulations, such as Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012.

CMMC addresses the protection of FCI and CUI data:

Federal Contract Information (FCI) – Information not intended for public release. It is provided by or generated for the government under a contract to develop or deliver a product or service to the government. FCI does not include information provided by the government to the public.
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) – Information the government creates or possesses, or that an entity creates or possesses for or on behalf of the government, that a law, regulation, or government-wide policy requires or permits an agency to handle using safeguarding or dissemination controls.

HOW WILL CMMC IMPACT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS?

Most organizations receiving funding from the DoD will need to be certified to qualify for future Department acquisitions, with the potential exception for commercial items. Prior to defining CMMC, the federal agencies and systems integrators required cloud service providers to meet Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) or Department of Defense (DoD) Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) requirements, including auditing of performance.

Achieving Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorization was the first major shift where the government began to mandate its contractors use cloud technologies for efficiency and cost savings. In addition, it became a requirement to select a cloud provider that is trusted and has been vetted by the government to help keep data secure. Not only was this mandate a major change, but for the first time government contractors now had to prove they were meeting these controls and requirements on a regular basis.

The pairing of the Cloud First Mandate and FedRAMP controls as the building blocks for CMMC compliance provided a real opportunity for government agencies to trust commercial entities to host civilian and even DoD workloads. Government contractors committed to designing, operating and reporting their results on a monthly basis will have the opportunity to achieve authorization. Those who fail to maintain their security and compliance posture could have their authorizations suspended.

UNDERSTANDING CMMC REQUIREMENTS

The CMMC includes 17 capability domains, 43 capabilities, 5 processes across five levels to measure process maturity and 171 practices across five levels to measure technical capability.

Level 1 – Basic cyber hygiene, includes 17 practices, no processes.
Level 2 – Intermediate cyber hygiene, includes an additional 55 practices and introduces two processes.
Level 3 – Good cyber hygiene, includes an additional 58 practices and additional process.
Level 4 – Proactive, includes an additional 26 practices and additional process.
Level 5 – Advanced/Progressive, includes an additional 15 practices and additional process.

In 2020, the DoD began implementing requirements for CMMC. All Companies that do business with the DoD will have to fully certify their CMMC compliance by October 1, 2025, passing an audit performed by a DoD accredited auditor.

Level 1 is where the DoD expects most firms to be currently, with select practices being documented where required.
Level 2 is meant to be a stepping stone to Level 3, where firms get into the practice of documenting each practice involving CUI.
Level 3 is a managed state where a policy has been put into place and maintained to cover all activities, with all CUI practices documented.
Level 4 is a higher level of cybersecurity for limited incidences of highly sensitive information, where activities are reviewed and measured for effectiveness.
Level 5 is the optimized zone, with a tested and standardized, documented approach seen across all applicable organizational units.

IMPORTANT CMMC TERMS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Assessors: Individuals who have successfully completed the background, training and examination requirements as outlined by the CMMC Accreditation Body (AB), and to whom a license has been issued. Assessors are not employed by the CMMC AB and may or may not be employed by the Certified Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO).

Certified Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO): An entity with which at least two assessors are associated and to which a license has been issued to engage with organizations seeking certification (OSC) to complete their associated CMMC assessment.

CMMC Accreditation Body (AB): The accreditation body that establishes and oversees a qualified, trained and high-fidelity community of assessors that can deliver consistent and informative assessments to participating organizations against a defined set of controls/best practices within the CMMC program.

Organizations Seeking Certification (OSC): The organization that is going through the CMMC assessment process to receive a level of certification for a given environment.

HOW TO GET CMMC CERTIFICATION

Government contractors should take into account the following steps for CMMC compliance readiness.

Step 1 – Understand the maturity level your firm needs and identify the gaps that could prevent achieving certification
Step 2 – Build internal support and buy-in while building a plan to close the certification gaps
Step 3 – Formalize processes and controls for documenting compliance
Step 4 – Confirm compliance through certification then maintain and monitor compliance and lend audit support

Leveraging cloud service providers can be a solid strategy for addressing many aspects of CMMC; for instance, the controls implemented in the Deltek Cloud support DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171 controls which were adapted to form the basis of the CMMC framework. However, simply moving into the cloud does not automatically make a firm compliant. But it does reduce the compliance lift and can assist with getting to certification quicker and with less cost.

SELECTING A CLOUD SOLUTION FOR CMMC

Here are 4 key considerations for government contractors when looking at a vendor for a cloud solution:

Does the cloud vendor have a strong government contractor client base?
Can the cloud vendor demonstrate that those practices that they will perform on your behalf meet the requirements of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-171?
What are the vendor plans are for CMMC, and what level do they strive to be? It’s important to remember that Level 3 is required to store CUI with that vendor’s solution.
Does your vendor have plans to achieve Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification or have they already secured it?

HOW DELTEK SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS WITH CMMC

The Department of Defense (DoD) has mandated that all government contractors who complete contracts for DoD must be CMMC certified by October 1, 2025. That said, many government contractors are planning ahead, making it a top priority to find a cloud service provider (CSP) that offers a solution that can support their CMMC compliance requirements, as well as NIST mandates, FedRAMP Moderate requirements and ITAR controls.

Deltek is dedicated to protecting user data by ensuring our capabilities meet the constantly changing security landscape. We are continuously making improvements to our suite of products to better support your cyber posture by increasing investments in security, compliance and supporting technologies.

Deltek’s cloud solutions provide benefits beyond what a traditional on premise or hosting solution can provide. Businesses of all sizes can easily prepare for the ever-changing regulations of CMMC, while confidently and securely accessing data within a secure cloud environment that is continuously adjusted to meet the most up-to-date governmental and agency standards.

For more information and support around CMMC, contact us today.

PCI Launches Astrata Platform for Deltek Costpoint Integrations

PCI is proud to launch Astrata, a solution to enhance our customers software integration capabilities and user interface.

Astrata is a new solution providing simple integrations with banks, credit card providers, travel management systems and payroll providers; allowing all data to be stored in Deltek Costpoint.

PCI’s Astrata platform takes third party software integrations with Costpoint to a whole new level. Astrata excels where most middleware falls short, providing an interactive, customized integration for every customer.

With partnerships across many industries, the Astrata platform provides repeatable and reliable integrations for Costpoint users. Far too many companies in the Government Contracting space claim integrations to different platforms, but in reality, they have never connected the platforms to an ERP. With Astrata, every integration is established and simply applied to your system with the customization you need to meet your business requirements. With unique capabilities like Costpoint payroll tax services, credit card reconciliations and payroll reconciliations, Astrata offers integrations that will have a positive impact to your organization’s productivity.

“I could not be prouder of the effort put forth by the team at PCI to develop a tool that will change how people work!” said Martin McGann, Founder and Owner at PCI.

Learn more on PCI’s Astrata solution here.

How to Win Business as a Small to Mid-Sized Government Contractor

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING?

Getting started in government contracting can be complex, from finding a good-fit contracting opportunity for your business and submitting a winning bid or proposal, to staying in compliance throughout the length of the contract and getting paid for your efforts. One way to get ahead is to arm yourself with information and analysis related to the government contracting lifecycle as you begin exploring new opportunities to do business with the government.

HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING LIFECYCLE?

To succeed in government contracting you need to understand the stages of a government opportunity, from start to finish, and what your business needs to do at each stage. Below are the stages a typical contract goes through.

Pre-RFP: Government plans to spend on a project

Solicitation: Opportunity goes out to bid or RFP

Proposal Preparation: Contractors create a proposal to win the business

Contract Award: Government awards the winning vendor(s)

Contract Fulfillment: Business begins to provide products or services

Performance Monitoring: Business manages and monitors the delivery of the product or service

Audits/Compliance: Business passes audits by remaining compliant

Contract Completion: Contract period ends and cycle begins again

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO FIND GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS?

Federal Government Contracts:

Federal government agencies use several methods of advertising their intent to spend money, including socioeconomic set-aside programs and government websites such as SAM.gov. Sometimes agencies also offer a preview of coming solicitations by hosting industry days. In order to find federal government contracts that best match your company’s core competencies, you’ll want to determine which agencies have the most best-fit opportunities.

However, relying exclusively on government websites to find federal government contracts can be a time-consuming and lengthy process. Though most federal contracting opportunities appear on SAM.gov or other government websites, private companies like Deltek have tools such as GovWin IQ that track likely opportunities up to five years before a bid or a request for proposal (RFP) is actually issued. The best way to find federal government contracts is to leverage these tools to identify federal spending areas well in advance, then prepare your company’s go-to-market strategy for when those opportunities are released.

State & Local Government Contracts:

State and local (SLED) government agencies spend more than a trillion dollars every year, so devoting time and energy to building a SLED market business plan is well worth the effort. If you are wondering how to find state and local government contracts that align to your business, your first step should be to determine which levels of government you want to sell to, and which regions are best fits. Then find those agencies and register to business with them by signing up for their procurement portals, which differ by state. You can save time by signing up for a government business development tool like GovWin IQ that can track opportunities from each of those agencies you are targeting.

Once you have defined your target governments, you need to understand how and when they spend. Unlike the federal government, SLED agencies set their own fiscal year schedules and their spending patterns often align with their state’s fiscal year start and end dates. It’s important to understand your target agencies’ fiscal year and spending patterns to pinpoint when you will find the most best-fit government contracts from those agencies.

WHATS THE BEST WAY TO FIND SMALL BUSINESS GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

If you meet the definition of a small business you may have access to a wealth of small business government contracts. Governments offer a number of small business set-aside contracts through a variety of programs:

8(a) Business Development
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Programs
Minority-Owned Small Business (MOSB) Programs
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOSB) Programs
All Small Mentor-Protégé Program

Small businesses often break into new fields or gain contracting experience through subcontracting, and serving on a prime contractor’s team (teaming). It is a way of getting experience that often allows you to avoid some of the complicated compliance requirements and challenges competing against more established vendors, yet gaining some experience and past performance. Searching for opportunities from one of the above programs, or seeking out teaming and subcontracting opportunities, can help you find small business government contracts that best match up with your company’s strengths.

HOW DO YOU BID ON GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS?

Once you have identified the types of government contracting methods and vehicles that exist in the market, you should follow these steps and take action.

Select the methods and bid opportunities that best suit your business. Determine whether you are best suited to pursue a large contract, an opportunity as part of a bigger vehicle or subcontracting or teaming opportunity, and develop a list of target agencies.
Determine which socioeconomic categories, if any, fit your business. These might include designations like women-owned (WOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) or minority-owned (MOSB). These categories can give you a big advantage.
Identify your target opportunities – and pursue them. You can often find those opportunities through tools like GovWin IQ, the industry’s leading platform to help you find government contract bids and gain awareness of upcoming opportunities up to five years before the solicitation is even released.
Submit a strong proposal. Make sure to highlight your company’s core competencies and outline why your business stands out. You can also leverage market intelligence to differentiate your offering from those of the competition.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SEARCH FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS?

While government websites can be sources to search information on the basic elements of government contracting, like bids and RFPs, companies succeeding at selling to the government are taking proactive steps to go beyond the basics to find all of the information they need.

The best way to search for government contracts is to identify keywords and phrases that align to your business. Leveraging a market intelligence platform like GovWin IQ can help you quickly identify upcoming opportunities that truly match your team’s capabilities, so that you’re not wasting your time scouring hundreds of opportunities to find the ones that are perfect for your team.

HOW DO YOU WIN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS?

After identifying and pursuing opportunities that fit your business, there are specific tactics you can take to connect with the right decision makers and put your best foot forward in order to beat out the competition and win a government contract. By being proactive, getting ahead of the bid or RFP, and putting your business in a position to win, you can ensure a steady stream of revenue from your government business.

For more information, contact us today.

The Risks of using QuickBooks as a Government Contractor

If you’re using QuickBooks or other generic accounting software, your business is at significant risk. There’s a reason why those products are shrink-wrapped. It’s the only thing that’s holding them together.

A few questions to ask yourself:

How long could your business operate without receiving contract payments?
What if you couldn’t generate an invoice because your timekeeping solution is noncompliant?
Could you make payroll if a payment suspension froze your line of credit?

When you’re using QuickBooks, these are more than hypothetical questions—they are real risks that government contractors face today.

The Challenges of Accounting in Government Contracting

The federal government has unique requirements for compliance, as well as accounting for project

costs. Most generic systems, like QuickBooks, can’t meet those federal regulations. QuickBooks

doesn’t provide the level of control required or the level of reporting needed to adequately document and cost your projects.

A project-based system is absolutely essential for any sort of project- or service-based business.

If the project itself is the core of your business, you need a system that is built just for projects.

But a generic system, even one that’s project based, isn’t enough in a federal contracting environment. You need a system that’s purpose built for the government contracting environment. Accounting in government contracting is unique and frequently difficult. Unlike commercial firms, cost is your primary accounting concern. It’s essential to manage how costs are classified, segregated and reported.

Other critical elements of contractor accounting include:

Classifying costs as either direct or indirect
Classifying costs as allowable or unallowable
Accounting for costs by project AND at the
lowest work breakdown structure (WBS) level
Managing and pooling indirect costs
Supporting government-mandated billing
formats (e.g., DD250, 1034, 1035)

Learn more about why you should consider switching to Deltek Costpoint for your project based ERP solution, contact us today.

Click here for more information on Deltek Costpoint.