Allies and Morrison and Zebra select Deltek's projects-based solution

Two professional services firms based in the UK, Allies and Morrison and Zebra, have selected Deltek as their preferred partner for projects-related solutions. 

With offices in London, Cambridge and Dublin, Allies and Morrison is one of the UK’s larger architecture and urban planning firms. Since its founding in 1984, the firm has won more than 40 awards and recognitions for its architecture, interior design, planning, consultation and research work. 

In a bid to improve the productivity of its client-facing employees, as well as bolster internal efficiency, company finance director Stuart Williams last year launched a selection process for a new project management tool. “When it became apparent our teams were spending too much time manually manipulating data, we knew it was time for a change from our current systems,” he reflected. 

Several vendors serving the projects-based industry were invited to pitch their tools and offerings, with Deltek’s Vantagepoint coming out on top as the most suitable solution. Williams: “Deltek has expert knowledge in our field with software that is designed specifically for architecture and engineering firms. We are looking forward to using Deltek’s products to provide us with the tools we need to manage our projects.” 

Following go-live of the system, which will be tailored to meet Allies and Morrison’s needs, Deltek Vantagepoint will support the firm’s resource and project management processes. The solution will down the line enable financial processes, including revenue recognition, reporting and month-end closing, providing leaders and project managers with planning insights and more robust control on progress.

The move comes at a time when professional services firms face a growing need to gain more grip on their projects, against a backdrop of growing business complexity and rising client demands. Similarly to clients of management consulting firms, buyers of Allies and Morrison’s services are becoming pickier, requiring more transparency on timelines, budget and costs, and accountability in benefits delivered. Meanwhile, with margins in the industry under pressure from heightening competition, professional services firm also need their systems to help them run their internal operations more effectively and efficiently. 

According to Fergus Gilmore, Managing Director of Deltek’s UK & Central Europe division, Deltek Vantagepoint provides for just that. “The solution provides a complete view of company information in a single place, allowing for more efficiency, productivity and profitably. Vantagepoint empowers companies to deliver successful projects, proactively manage performance, nurture client relationships and make better, more informed decisions to drive the business forward.” 

Allies and Morrison’s announcement follows hot on the heels of fellow professional services industry player Zebra, an interior design firm with offices in Dubai (headquarters), London and Phoenix. The company selected Deltek’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage its complete end-to-end workflow of its business. Core functionalities which will be installed include business development, project and resource planning, reporting and dashboards, and financial management. 

Commenting on why he believes Deltek surfaced as the winning tool, Gilmore explained, “Zebra selected Deltek as it was looking for an out-of-the-box ERP solution that is project focused and modular, to allow the firm to easily manage internal change, add functional capabilities and scale as the business grows….. Our ERP system will ensure they optimise internal processes. With full visibility of all project information and milestones, Zebra will be able to plan and manage their talent and resources to their full potential.” 

“By consolidating our business systems to one global ERP we will have real-time control of all projects, from inception to delivery, and ensure every team member is enabled to deliver design projects on time and on budget,” commented Zachary Shirk, a team member of Zebra who was involved with the vendor selection process. “Ensuring we continue to deliver both quality and intricacy of detail on every project as our portfolio expands is critical to our long term success.” 

Related: How ERP in the cloud can benefit management consulting firms.