The Next Big ERP Innovator: Microsoft

Good article in today’s CIO magazine talking about how some of the industry analysts were continuing to place Microsoft ERP solutions (Dynamics product line) ahead of Oracle and SAP.

“…Warren Wilson, a research director at Ovum, noted that…Microsoft was “committing more and more resources to its Dynamics solutions, and its ability to integrate Dynamics with its ubiquitous Windows applications—especially Office—makes Microsoft a threat that neither SAP nor Oracle can afford to take lightly.”

Now Microsoft has found another analyst “believer” in Albert Pang, IDC’s director of enterprise applications research. In a recent report on Microsoft’s Convergence conference (subscription required), Pang writes that Microsoft revealed many new products, including several still in prototype stage, that will be instrumental in restoring growth to the enterprise applications market. Pang gushed even more:

“It was hard not to marvel at the vision outlined by Microsoft executives, who were showing off next-generation touch-screen computing technologies at the main event and how average users ranging from order clerks to warehouse workers would be able to use the so-called Microsoft Surface device to access reams of inventory data by simply manipulating images on a screen, for example to rearrange popular inventory to areas within reach to improve the pick-and-pack process.”

NAV 2009 Launch Attracts Top Government Contractors to Reston

The Dynamics NAV 2009 for Government Contractors and Product Resellers Launch Event attracted over 100 business owners and  finance executives to the Reston Technology Center on March 19.  Here are some photos from the event.

GovCon Exec Panel Discussion

PVBS CEO Bernard Mustafa Kicks Off Event

Bernard Mustafa Welcomes Nearly a Hundred GovCon Execs to the Event

PVBS Covered by Tech Bisnow

Our friends over at Tech Bisnow snapped a shot of Paul Skurpski, VP of Sales, and Mark Lahart, Senior Account Sales Rep outside of the Grant & Thornton government contractor breakfast, where we were a top sponsor.

Recent Gartner Note on VAR Challenges and How Dynamics NAV Helps

Gartner released a note at the end of 2008 discussing the treacherous future that faces many companies that sell tech products. PVBS has helped many companies that sell products to the Federal Government such as Force3 and Four Points Technology. The Dynamics NAV solution for government contractors and resellers from PVBS is ideal for companies that provide services AND sell products to the government.

The Gartner report is titled: 122908-predicts-2009-vars-face-difficult-future and can be requested by clicking here.

NAV 2009 Launch Videos

Although the big launch of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 for government contractors will be on March 19 at the Microsoft Technology Innovation Center in Reston, Microsoft launched Dynamics NAV 2009 in North America on February 5 in New York City. Below are three keynote presentations that we found interesting at the launch. The NAV 2009 overview from NAV GM Dan Brown was particularly interesting and should shed some additional light on the inherent power in the new version of NAV. Enjoy.

 

Welcome and Keynote: David Willis, Vice President Microsoft Dynamics US: Learn about the priorities of business today, as the economic climate continues to change

 

NAV 2009 Overview – An Innovative, Integrated Solution: Dan Brown, General Manager R&D Microsoft Dynamics NAV: Learn how Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers an integrated business management solution and is designed for growing companies that want the freedom to focus on their business

 

Analyst Keynote: Supporting Profitable and Agile Growth with ERP: Simon Jacobson, Senior Research Analyst – AMR Research, Inc.: Hear analyst insights on how to support profitable, agile growth with investments in ERP today

Good Questions for Fast Growing GovCons to Ask

We saw this on the DeAnder Associates web site. Good questions for fast growing government contractors to be asking.

DCAA is actively auditing vendors on the NAVSEA Seaport IDIQ contract to ensure their accounting systems are compliant and can handle CPFF jobs. ARE YOU READY?  CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. Does your accounting system properly segregate direct (project/job specific) costs from indirect costs?
2. Can your accounting system separately track costs by job or contract?
3. Are you sure that your accounting system can provide reconciliation between the job cost ledger and the general ledger?
4. Through your accounting system timecard or timesheet processing, are your employees able to track time spent on each work activity can time be charged to the appropriate direct and indirect labor accounts?
5. Can your accounting system produce reports that show the results of charges to contracts on at least a monthly basis?
6. Does your accounting system identify and segregate costs deemed unallowable per FAR Part 31?
7. Can your accounting system identify and track costs by contract line item and units if required by the contract?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you are not ready. Time is running out. If you have not heard from DCAA you will.

Holland & Knight Legal Tips Now on PVBS Web Site

William J. (Bill) Mutryn, a partner in Holland & Knight’s Northern Virginia office, and co-Leader of the firm’s national Corporate and M&A Practice Group frequent answers legal questions concerning mergers and acquisitions for our newsletter. He practices principally in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, corporate governance and finance. Over the last few years, he has served as lead counsel in over 50 M&A transactions and is the President of ACG’s National Capital Chapter. He was also on the keynote panel at the Microsoft Government Contractor Summit in December. Bill’s monthly submissions can be found here.