Author’s Note: These thoughts are my own and not representative of Deltek or Axium.
So you’ve heard the news that Deltek has acquired Axium. We have received a lot of questions from existing as well as prospective Deltek Vision customers and there seems to be quite a bit of misinformation being spread from various sources. There are some legitimate concerns to be had and some people are even angry about this acquisition. Chances are if you’re reading this you find yourself in one of these three positions:
- You are an existing Deltek Vision user wondering what this means for you.
- You were already evaluating new accounting or project management tools for your business and Axium Ajera was on your list.
- You are an Ajera user wondering if you need to start shopping for new accounting software.
This post was written to address some of the questions and concerns of Axium Ajera and Deltek Vision users alike. Please keep in mind that these views are NOT representative of Deltek or Axium and are based merely on my experience as a Deltek Partner who has significant experience with both companies.
What Does This Mean for Existing Deltek Vision Users?
You’re in luck because nothing is changing at the moment. The exciting changes are what are likely on the horizon for Vision. Axium Ajera has some really neat tools as well as some incredibly talented programmers. We will most likely see some of that technology and expertise incorporated into Deltek Vision over time. In the short term you will start receiving fewer calls (if any at all) from Axium’s sales team. Misinformation will probably still be rampant, but hopefully this post will serve as a bastion for accurate information.
Is Deltek Going to Abandon Axium?
It’s really hard to say what the future of Axium will be now that Deltek has acquired it. Truth be told, I don’t even think Deltek knows for sure either. However history tells us that Deltek mothballed several other legacy products including Advantage, Sema4 and FMS shortly after they were acquired. On the bright side, this does not mean that you need to start shopping for a new accounting system just yet. Hundreds of companies still use abandoned Deltek Legacy products today without issue. Deltek simply redirected the resources, technology and focus into improving Vision rather than a bunch of separate products. Companies are still able to use these products even though Deltek no longer officially supports them largely because of firms like BCS Prosoft who have the experience and expertise to support Legacy systems.
Can Deltek Even Meet the Needs of Smaller Firms?
This one is important so don’t just skim through the next few paragraphs. There are a lot of people who say that Deltek simply can’t wrap their products’ mindset around the needs of smaller firms. While those people WERE right to a certain extent, this is no longer the case. It’s not that Vision wasn’t equipped to handle manage smaller firms and it certainly wasn’t that Deltek just didn’t give a crap about them. Deltek simply didn’t have the resources available to meet the unique needs and challenges of smaller firms. This may come as a shocker, but small firms require a lot of special attention and training during a system implementation that Fortune 500 companies do not. The little guys with less than 10 employees and even many mid-sized organizations often do not have the IT infrastructure, resources, or in-house expertise that many mega corporations do to modernize their entire business. Smaller firms often only have one or two champions who lead the charge on implementing a new system and a great deal of the work rests on their shoulders. They quickly become burdened and find that they’re in over their heads, or worse, that they selected the wrong system. Of course Deltek Vision can meet the needs of smaller project-based firms. That’s where partner companies like BCS Prosoft come in. We specialize in helping smaller firms get up an running on their new system while making sure their staff knows what to expect and are fully trained before they go live. We are advocates for the little guys who can personalize the experience and leverage the software to manage the business on their terms. When you work with us, you have access to a dedicated Deltek Vision Account Manager, implementation Project Manager, and a team of consultants ready to help you every step of the way.
Deltek is Not the Same Company it Was 5 Years Ago
A LOT has changed at Deltek since you probably last looked at Vision. For starters, Deltek is no longer a publicly traded company anymore. Delisting it has allowed the new management team to make some pretty significant technology investments under the radar and focus on research and development rather than straight profit. Since it was delisted from the market place we have a HUGE emphasis put on attracting and retaining smaller firms. New project management and social collaboration tools like Kona have been released as well as Deltek First Vision Essentials, a special cloud edition of Deltek Vision designed specifically for smaller project-based firms. With these new offerings we’ve been able to go back to some of our existing customers and reduce their annual expenses by more than 50%! If it’s been a while since you checked out Vision, it’s definitely worth having another look.
Who’s the Real Villain Here?
A lot of people are quick to accuse Deltek of malintent, but I don’t see it that way. The important thing to consider is the quality of former Axium’s investment partner. Keep in mind that Axium was originally bought out by a fancy-pants investment group several years ago that had a “pump’em and dump’em” strategy. This firm spent a lot of money marketing the heck out of the product and making it look pretty knowing well in advanced that they would sell to the highest bidder when the right opportunity came along. While we still can’t say for sure whether Deltek will abandon Axium or not, one this is already certain: Axium has already abandoned Axium along with their 2,200+ customers. With the backing of a strong partner like Deltek, this acquisition may be the best thing that has happened to Axium.
Conclusion
There’s no need to panic if you’re an existing Ajera customer. However, if you’re still talking to an Axium sales rep who says Ajera is here to stay alarm bells should immediately go off in your head because we simply do not know what will happen with Axium just yet. Despite what you might have heard, Deltek Vision is still is the best financial and project management solution for smaller firms especially if they have the right technology partner. If you have a question or something you’d like to add, leave a comment below or tweet to us and we’ll update this article accordingly.
