January 1st is a popular Go Live date for any software implementation, and we certainly see that with our Unanet clients. The benefits of starting a new accounting system at the beginning of the year include several things such as:
- Less detail data conversion
- Less cost of implementation
- YTD General Ledger reconciliation to the Job Reports
- 1099 processing in Go Live year
Although the benefits are obvious, there are also some complications with a January 1 Go Live date:
- Holidays and PTO impact implementation staff availability
- Other year-end processes are also happening (W2s, 1099s, year-end close, etc.)
- Often in tandem with a payroll implementation, staff benefit changes, etc.
It is imperative to the success of the implementation to stay on schedule with routine transaction entry to ensure processes do not bottleneck and cause issues with cash flow or missed external reporting deadlines.
So, what is a healthy timeline for implementation items completion for the January 1 Go Live date? Where are those companies in the status of their implementation at this point in the year? At Redstone GCI, we play a huge role in the Go Live process for training purposes as well as quality assurance for the Unanet system design and process. We ensure that our new clients are immediately able to utilize the different functions of the Unanet system so daily transactions are accounted for as we wait to load the final data for prior year. It is our goal to have a timely January 2024 close to ensure that the system can meet the needs of the company and the staff can administer the system independently.
If you’ve implemented Unanet on January 1st and you’re struggling to use the system in real time, we can assist you. Additional training, system design review, and subledger reconciliations are all important aspects of post Go Live support that we focus on at Redstone GCI.
Katie is the Unanet Practice Lead at Redstone Government Consulting, Inc. based in our Huntsville, Alabama office. Her areas of expertise include supporting government contract businesses with a special focus in DCAA-compliant Unanet Time and Expense Tracking, Project Portfolio and Financials. QuickBooks, and Deltek GCS. Katie is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Certified Unanet Systems Implementer and has completed the Unanet Advanced Project Management training. Katie was one of the first Unanet Certified Implementers and was part of the initial pilot offering to non-Unanet consultants. As part of her certification process, Katie invested over 300-hours of instruction, out of class database development time and testing to obtain her certification. Since certification, Katie has assisted numerous Redstone GCI clients with implementation and post-implementation support services. Katie is frequently called upon by Unanet to join their implementation teams as an external resource and is considered a subject matter expert in the implementation of all Unanet software offerings. In her role with Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., Katie not only provides software systems expertise, but also frequently assists clients with preparation and support of DCAA audit activities including SF1408 pre-award accounting system audits, provisional billing rate submission, development of forward pricing rates for proposals, incurred cost submission preparation and development and design of policies and procedures necessary to support an adequate (DCAA-approved) accounting system. Katie serves as the primary point of contact for many small business clients in government cost accounting/compliance and assists monthly with the close of those contractor’s accounting systems and reporting to program management and executives. Her industry experience, software systems expertise and compliance knowledge provides a rare combination of knowledge to clients looking for a consultant to become an integral part of their team. Professional Experience Prior to joining Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., Katie worked in public accounting as well as small to mid-sized government contractors. She has prior operational experience with the many types of software such as Unanet, Deltek GCS, QuickBooks, SpringAhead, Deltek T&E, ADP, Paychex, and QB Payroll. Education Katie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2010, where she was President of Beta Alpha Psi (an honor organization for finance and accounting students and professionals). She received her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The University of North Alabama in 2014, graduating Cum Laude. Decades of Consulting, Training and Helping Government Contractors Succeed Redstone GCI offers a variety of services for large and small government contractors including evaluation, education and training, monitoring and DCAA audit preparation. Through our consulting and training programs, government contractors develop and learn to maintain compliance processes that help them succeed by mitigating risk and maximizing profitability. Our consulting team is comprised of senior leaders from government agencies and industry executives creating balance and an informed approach to our client services. Our services span the entire government contract lifecycle from proposal assistance, accounting, audit readiness, purchasing, project controls, contract administration, system implementation through to contract closeout. We specialize in preparing contractors for growth through our deep knowledge of common pitfalls companies face as they progress from small business in CAS, DFARS Business Systems and other common gates to contractor growth. In addition to almost 30 full-time consultants we also maintain a trusted network of independent contractors and other service providers who work with our team on specialized areas like ITAR, facility security, EVMS and other areas.