Is cheaper always better? When choosing a software system like Unanet for implementation, many organizations are tempted to go with the lowest-cost option. However, while cost might seem like the most immediate concern, focusing solely on price often leads to long-term challenges that can affect your business's financial health and operational efficiency.
The cost of implementation may be a one-time expense, but its effects—positive or negative—can last for years. Implementing an enterprise system like Unanet is not just a technical upgrade; it’s a business transformation. The way the system is set up can shape how efficiently your team works, how reliable your financial and project data is, and how well you are prepared to scale. Choosing the cheapest option can end up costing you far more than anticipated, leading to delays, data errors, and staff dissatisfaction.
The Redstone GCI Way: Prioritizing Quality Over Shortcuts
At Redstone GCI, we take a different approach. We’re not interested in shortcuts or cutting corners when it comes to your Unanet implementation. Instead, we focus on ensuring that your system is tailored to your business needs and optimized for long-term success. Our philosophy revolves around three key pillars:
Database Configuration
- A milestone-based project plan, tailored specifically to the needs of your business.
- Customized database management to ensure data integrity, security, and scalability.
- Thoughtful decisions on choosing the right Database Management System (DBMS), setting up schemas, implementing security measures, and establishing backup protocols are essential in preventing unauthorized access or data corruption.
- Without a robust configuration, future growth or new data could overwhelm the system, causing errors or significant downtime.
Why this matters: Cutting costs here often results in under configured systems that cannot handle real-time data needs or integration with other business systems. This can lead to slow performance and lost data.
Historical Data Import
- Migrating historical data involves far more than just transferring records from one system to another. It’s about carefully extracting, transforming, and loading the data so it integrates smoothly with the new system.
- Every piece of data needs to be verified and reconciled to ensure accuracy. The smallest discrepancy can lead to major headaches down the road—incorrect billing, missing transaction records, or inaccurate financial reports.
- We understand that this process is both time-consuming and costly. We recommend importing only the most critical historical data, usually data directly related to billing or project management needs, to minimize costs.
Why this matters: Inexpensive implementations often minimize or skip this process, which can leave your new system incomplete or inaccurate. Poor data integrity leads to errors that could affect everything from project cost tracking to audit compliance.
Training and Post-Go-Live Support
- Even the best-configured system is only as effective as the people using it. User training and post-go-live support are crucial to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.
- We emphasize hands-on training and continuous support. We don’t just train users on the system’s basic features; we ensure that your team knows how to utilize Unanet to its full potential, integrating it into their daily workflow.
- We stay by your side long after the system goes live. We assist with the first check runs, billing cycles, and month-end closes to ensure the system functions properly in live business conditions.
Why this matters: The cheaper option often skimps on these critical elements, which leads to undertrained staff, frequent system issues, and a lack of trust in the new system. Full adoption of the software is rarely achieved, and businesses end up paying much more in troubleshooting and retraining costs.
What Did the Cheaper Implementation Really Cost Me?
When businesses opt for a low-cost implementation, they often find themselves dealing with expensive consequences down the road. Here are just a few of the issues we’ve seen:
- Re-work and Clean-Up: Incorrectly processed data requires costly rework, often necessitating extra consulting hours to resolve.
- Frustrated Staff: Improperly trained staff struggle to use the system effectively, leading to low adoption rates, errors, and inefficiencies.
- Errors and Security Risks: Skipping essential steps in data configuration and migration leads to system vulnerabilities and incorrect reporting. Poor data security measures can lead to breaches, which carry both legal and financial ramifications.
- Higher Long-Term Costs: While you may have saved upfront, the need for continual troubleshooting, additional training, and costly software fixes can lead to higher overall costs.
- Wasted Software Investment: Without proper training and setup, the software will be underutilized, wasting license fees and missing out on valuable business insights.
Choosing a reputable partner for your Unanet implementation means avoiding these costly pitfalls and ensuring your system is a valuable, long-term investment. At Redstone GCI, we don’t just install software—we set you up for lasting success.
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.