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January 2013 The Viewpoint User Conference registration is opening soon! Keep your eyes peeled for an email with all of the details. We have been working hard to deliver an awesome program for 2012 and we can't wait to see all of you! In This Issue Looking Back on 2012 and Forward with Our 2013 Initiatives Welcome new VIP! 5 Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line with a Mobile Workforce Management Solution Vantage Point - Upcoming Routine Maintenance Window Upcoming New Product Features Educational webinars – Don’t miss out! Get all of Your CCIFP Certification Questions Answered in the “Am I Certifiable?” Webinar on Feb. 15 Customer Quality Corner: Viewpoint Case Tracking - Improvements Coming Q1 2013! Support/Learning Services Update New Resources & Restructuring – lead towards improved Construction Imaging customer experiences Targeted Construction Imaging online training when and where you want it Affordable Care Act and Employee Wellness Programs – Action Needed! Viewpoint Construction Software Acquires ACS Connect New Hires Viewpoint Business Forms Looking Back on 2012 and Forward with Our 2013 Initiatives By Jim Paulson, COO It’s a new year and each January brings equal parts excitement and anticipation of what the next 300+ days will bring. With that, I’d like to provide an update to my 2013 Customer Initiatives article from December and share some accomplishments from 2012 and objectives for the coming year. Our growth, your advantage Viewpoint enjoyed another record year of growth as more and more contractors continued deploying Viewpoint V6 Software and Construction Imaging products throughout their businesses. I’m pleased to say that Viewpoint’s revenues grew at a nearly 50% rate again as they have the past three years. This is good news for you as we utilize our increased operating profits to reinvest in our products, people and processes. In fact, since the beginning of 2012, we have added over 100 new employees to our team. Adding value through acquisition In 2012, Viewpoint completed two significant acquisitions that greatly enhance our product portfolio and add exceptional value to our customers. Viewpoint acquired Construction Imaging, located in Rocky Mountain, NC in April last year, allowing us to offer an industry-leading Content Management solution, complementing our comprehensive ERP software product. As 2012 drew to a close, Viewpoint also acquired Florida’s ACS Connect

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Page 1: January 2013cdn.viewpointcs.com/marketing/viewpointnewsletter/... · A MWM solution combines rugged in-vehicle devices with office software designed specifically for the nuances of

January 2013

The Viewpoint User Conference registration isopening soon! Keep your eyes peeled for an emailwith all of the details. We have been working hard todeliver an awesome program for 2012 and we can'twait to see all of you!

In This Issue

Looking Back on 2012 and Forward with Our 2013 InitiativesWelcome new VIP!5 Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line with a Mobile Workforce ManagementSolutionVantage Point - Upcoming Routine Maintenance WindowUpcoming New Product FeaturesEducational webinars – Don’t miss out!Get all of Your CCIFP Certification Questions Answered in the “Am ICertifiable?” Webinar on Feb. 15Customer Quality Corner: Viewpoint Case Tracking - Improvements Coming Q12013!Support/Learning Services UpdateNew Resources & Restructuring – lead towards improved Construction Imagingcustomer experiencesTargeted Construction Imaging online training when and where you want itAffordable Care Act and Employee Wellness Programs – Action Needed!Viewpoint Construction Software Acquires ACS ConnectNew HiresViewpoint Business Forms

Looking Back on 2012 and Forward with Our 2013 InitiativesBy Jim Paulson, COO

It’s a new year and each January brings equal parts excitement and anticipation of what thenext 300+ days will bring. With that, I’d like to provide an update to my 2013 CustomerInitiatives article from December and share some accomplishments from 2012and objectives for the coming year.

Our growth, your advantageViewpoint enjoyed another record year of growth as more and more contractors continued deploying ViewpointV6 Software and Construction Imaging products throughout their businesses. I’m pleased to say thatViewpoint’s revenues grew at a nearly 50% rate again as they have the past three years. This is good news foryou as we utilize our increased operating profits to reinvest in our products, people and processes. In fact,since the beginning of 2012, we have added over 100 new employees to our team.

Adding value through acquisitionIn 2012, Viewpoint completed two significant acquisitions that greatly enhance our product portfolio and addexceptional value to our customers. Viewpoint acquired Construction Imaging, located in Rocky Mountain, NC inApril last year, allowing us to offer an industry-leading Content Management solution, complementing ourcomprehensive ERP software product. As 2012 drew to a close, Viewpoint also acquired Florida’s ACS Connect

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enabling us to expand the reach and capabilities of our Mobile Field Manager product and continue growing ourmobile technology platform. As a result of both of these acquisitions, we are obtaining products and people thatcan support the ever-expanding needs of our customers as well as our rapid expansion.

Quality and Product Development news As promised last year, we separated our year-end tax release updates so customers did not have to installmajor enhancements from the prior release to their software. This has resulted in a dramatic improvement inrelease quality and far fewer support calls – a win for everyone. Completing this did not keep us fromcontinuing to develop and enhance the V6 and CI product lines however, as customers found substantiveenhancements in the September release and will see further evidence in this year’s March release.

2013 expectationsWith the presidential election behind us and a slowly improving economy – providing that Congress can find away to work together and resolve the debt and spending initiatives – we are cautiously optimistic about therecovery of the construction market in 2013. That’s why we intend to continue making significant investmentsin the people, products and processes that deliver the value you need to stay ahead of the competition. Asalways, we thank you for your patronage and continued trust.

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Welcome new VIP!

We’re pleased to introduce a new Viewpoint Industry Professional (VIP) into ourprogram.

What is our VIP program? The VIP program focuses on developing meaningful, strategicrelationships with CPAs, sureties, insurance brokers, consultants and other industryprofessionals that are highly influential in the construction marketplace. Providing access tothe Viewpoint Construction Software community, this program allows members to betterserve their clients (you!) with the latest product information, industry trends andcollaborative knowledge sharing.

Please join us in welcoming our new VIP:

Scott InsuranceRobert M. Coon, Vice President - SuretyGreensboro, NC 27408

Click here for brief bios of all our partners.

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5 Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line with a Mobile WorkforceManagement Solution

By Mike Koebel, Mentor Engineering

The construction industry is a challenging business. Without the righttechnology tools, tracking equipment and workers is time consuming andsometimes impossible. Communicating job details with field workers, as well ascollecting timesheets and job codes is labor intensive and fraught with inaccuracies. This is where a MobileWorkforce Management (MWM) solution can help.

A MWM solution combines rugged in-vehicle devices with office software designed specifically for the nuancesof the construction industry. A MWM solution can also include vehicle tracking, unmanned equipment tracking,and job site hazard assessment. With MWM, work order management is streamlined, payroll accuracy isimproved, and efficient, optimal use of equipment is realized.

While a MWM solution requires an upfront investment, the return on that investment is quickly realized becauseof the significant increase in operational efficiency provided. For example, Keystone Excavating Ltd.,implemented a MWM solution and expected to see ROI in 3 years. In fact, they realized ROI in just one yearbecause of the savings from minimized staffing requirements, reduction in overtime pay, accurate job costingand billing, lower fuel consumption and the amount of time saved per piece of equipment each day.

Mentor Engineering has over 25 years of experience helping hundreds of fleet-based organizations increaseefficiency, reduce operating costs, complete additional jobs each day, and improve customer service. Mentorprovides a wide range of MWM solutions to meet every fleet’s needs and budget, from sophisticated softwareand in-vehicle computers, to low cost vehicle tracking.

Mentor Fleet can be integrated with Viewpoint Construction Software to provide a powerful end-to-end solutionthat addresses the unique needs of construction professionals.

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Click here to learn more about Mentor Engineering’s MWM Solution for construction companies or contact:[email protected].

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Vantage Point - Upcoming Routine Maintenance Window

By Greg Griffin, Web Developer

Our web administration team will be taking Vantage Point offline during the weekend ofFebruary 2nd and 3rd for routine maintenance. Users attempting to access the site duringthis period may experience interruptions of service. The site will be operational again by6am (Pacific) on the morning of the February 4th.

We thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

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Upcoming New Product Features

By Rob Humphreys, Vice President of Product Management

As we begin the New Year, I know for many it can mean many exciting changes. You may befocused on strengthening your backlog of work, branching into new markets or lines of work ordriving even more automation into your business. We also have many plans to enhanceViewpoint V6 Software, Mobile Field Manager and Construction Imaging to help you and yourbusiness become even more successful.

I thought I’d take a moment to share with you a few highlights of what’s coming in our next major releasescheduled for this spring as follows:

With the Payroll Deductions in Arrears feature,you’ll reduce time and effort tracking the cost andstatus of benefits extended to temporarily laid-offemployees.

You’ll also find a new submittal process that iseasier to use, providing reports and alerts on whendue dates are arriving or are overdue, ensuringprojects stay on track. With Create/Senddocument enhancements and more actions, moreitems, alerts and notifications in Work Centers,you’ll easily manage the distribution of documentsand keep track all of your projects in a singlelocation.

We have a new Formatted Notes feature, whereyou’ll be able to format your notifications just likean email. Formatted notes can be added to anyform as a User Defined Field or Tab and UserDefined tables can be built with formatted notes.

Construction Imaging now offers Photo Management capabilities providing a way to quickly capture,organize, and resize images to fit your business needs.

And with additional Mobile capabilities, you’ll have immediate visibility into your field labor and the metricsnecessary to guide the performance and health of your business.

We remain dedicated to improving and updating our software based on your feedback and industry changes,assisting in the enhancement of business processes that drive continued success. As the year unfolds, I’ll besharing with you even more specifics in each of these areas. We look forward to working with you every step of

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the way and helping you achieve continuedsuccess.

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Educational webinars – Don’tmiss out!Join us for these complimentary webinars toincrease your knowledge of V6, Cloud Computingand Construction Imaging!

Smooth out the wrinkles of your invoicingworkflow with AP Vendor Invoicing.

Webinar: Benefits of Viewpoint V6 Software AP InvoicingWhen: Wednesday, February 13th, 10:30-11:30 AM Pacific, 1:30 – 2:30 PM Eastern

Staying on top of vendor invoices is an unfortunate burden every accounting department faces. The good newsis that there’s an easier way to stay organized. In this informative webinar you’ll discover the many benefits ofAP Invoicing including:

Clear organization for eliminating lost invoicesHow to remove paper from the invoicing systemEstablishing better accountability on the invoice approval processTracking where an invoice is in the approval processKnowing your true outstanding payables

If you have any questions, please contact your Customer Sales Rep at 971.255.4800.

Hosting V6 and your other important business applications in the Cloud

Webinar: Viewpoint Cloud ComputingWhen: Wednesday, February 20th, 10:30-11:30 AM Pacific, 1:30 – 2:30 PM Eastern

If you’re looking for remote access, freedom from maintaining servers and IT infrastructure and more time tofocus on your business, Viewpoint Cloud Computing could be a good fit for your organizational and strategicobjectives. Listen in and learn about the value and ease of Cloud Computing:

How the Viewpoint Cloud can host V6 and the software tools you use daily such as MS Exchange,Office, Project and estimating softwareThe Virtual Desktop running in a true Windows 7 Desktop environment provides users with the sameintuitive desktop they are familiar withSee how easy it is to add users and applications with the intuitive Control PanelDisaster Recovery with a network of 3 autonomous data centers

Here’s what Joe Thielen, Director Information Technology at Real Goods | Solar has to say:

About 50% of our company is mobile. Viewpoint Cloud Computing gives our remote employees accessanywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions, please contact Abram Holmlund at 971.255.5312.

The power of integration between V6 and Construction Imaging® Enterprise Content Management(ECM)

Webinar: Integration with V6 and Construction Imaging When: Wednesday, February 27th, 10:30-11:30 AM Pacific, 1:30 – 2:30 PM Eastern

Construction Imaging fully integrates with Viewpoint V6 Software providing a “best in class” pairing.Construction Imaging technologies augment the business process, providing electronic workflows to streamlinethe data collection into the Viewpoint ERP system. In this informative webinar you’ll learn about:

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Data Lookups providing an easy way to ensure user input is validCommitment Pull providing real-time access to V6 PO/SL line item data from the Invoice RouterAdvanced validation needs with Stored ProceduresVarious automated data export methodologiesAutomated record creation and data entry with Electronic FormsDirect access to documents in Construction Imaging from V6

If you have any questions, please call 800.333.3197.

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Get all of Your CCIFP Certification Questions Answered in the “AmI Certifiable?” Webinar on Feb. 15

Webinar: Am I Certifiable?When: February 15, 2013 at 9:00 AM or 12:00 PM Pacific, 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM Eastern

This session will address the benefits of certification, provide some background on the program, and answerattendees' questions or concerns. Attendees will learn about the application and examination processes andrecertification requirements, and will also gain some insight on the best ways to prepare for the exam. Uponcompletion of the session, attendees will be able to:

Articulate the value of CCIFP certificationUnderstand the eligibility requirements and application processIdentify the knowledge domains, skills, and core competencies needed to be a CCIFPIdentify the best ways, based on individual learning style, to prepare for the exam

February 15, 2013 - 9:00 AM Pacific, 12:00 PM Eastern

February 15, 2013 - 12:00 PM Pacific, 3:00 PM Eastern

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Customer Quality Corner

By Pam Snodgrass, Manager of Customer Quality

Viewpoint Case Tracking - Improvements Coming Q1 2013!

We began transitioning to a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in 2012,and are pleased to report that we expect to have all our teams completely moved over by theend of Q1-2013. Much of this effort is taking place behind the scenes and will be transparentto customers, but we want to make you aware of changes you may notice as well as share some exciting newbenefits related to support and services request tracking:

Requests will now be referred to as “Cases” rather than “Calls”. You will notice this change interminology when speaking with our staff as well as on Vantage Point and other correspondence.The current “Request Support” and “Call & Issue Tracking” pages on Vantage Point will be renamed andmade more readily available throughout the site for ease of submitting all types of requests (Support,Professional Services, Learning Services, Sales, etc.). Our Vantage Point case and issue tracking system will be enhanced to include Construction Imagingand Mobile Field Manager products (currently only available for Viewpoint V6 Software products). As we transition each of our teams to the new CRM, you may notice that the “Viewpoint Call/CaseCreated” emails you receive look somewhat different depending on whether it was logged in our prioror new CRM. All will be consistent once we complete this transition.

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Case tracking will be enhanced to allow you to submit additional information related to a particularcase, will provide correspondence history, and will allow you to close cases online.

We look forward to completing this transition and providing enhanced case and issue tracking. Please staytuned for additional updates via this newsletter and the Vantage Point home page.

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Support/Learning Services Update

By Bill Berendes, Director of Support and Learning Services

2013 Holiday Schedule

Viewpoint support will be observing the following holidays during 2013:

Monday, May 27th – Memorial Day (US only)Thursday, July 4th – Independence Day (US only)Monday, September 2nd – Labor Day (US only)Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th – Thanksgiving (US only)Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th - Christmas (All)

Support Tip/TrickDon’t forget to update your FICA rate/limit for 2013

As you begin your new year in payroll, please remember that the Tax Updates we provide include changes tovarious tax routines (typically Federal and State/Provincial taxes), but any rate changes to non-routine typedeductions/liabilities, such as the FICA SS deduction/liability need to be maintained manually. The rate/limitchange for the FICA SS Deduction can be set in the PR Deductions/Liabilities form. The 2013 rate is .062 andthe new subject amount limit is 113,700.

The good news is that even if you have processed your first payroll of 2013 with the wrong rate, when the UseYTD accumulations to correct rounding errors box is checked (as it typically should be for the FICA ded/liab),the system will automatically catch up the amount for the year on the next pay period.

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New Resources & Restructuring – lead towards improvedConstruction Imaging customer experiences

Since joining Viewpoint Construction Software, we have been aggressively adding andtraining new resources. In addition to the obvious benefits of having more resourcesavailable to you, this effort will allow us to restructure to separate Support fromProfessional Services. This aligns with the structure already in place for other Viewpoint products, and willgreatly enhance each team’s ability to focus, execute and scale for growth. Although our internal training andplanning is still a work-in-progress, we expect to have the new structure in place by the end of Q1-2013 - andmore importantly we expect you will benefit from improved customer experiences even sooner!

We are pleased to introduce the following recent additions to our team:

Kristen Bixler – Implementation Project ManagerDwaine Horton – Database SpecialistDerek Ambroziatis – Database SpecialistClay Bergstrom – Support SpecialistRuss Ramowski – Database SpecialistRick Gannon – Support Specialist

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Targeted Construction Imaging online training when and whereyou want it

Have you checked out the Construction Imaging self-paced training on Vantage Point? You’ll find a growinglibrary of substantial learning tools to help you maximize efficiencies and take full advantage of the depth andfunctionality of Construction Imaging 4.1. The self-paced training is categorized by role and software

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functionality, enabling users to step through all training as it pertains to their role or view tools around specificsoftware functionality.

Recent self-paced training resources added to Vantage Point include:

Standard Configuration System Design GuideCI Web: Using Full-text SearchUser Guide: Construction Document Manager

Construction Imaging self-paced training – available now on Vantage Point. Visit this area frequently! Also besure to provide your feedback and suggestions related to self-paced training by taking our survey (here or onthe site).

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Affordable Care Act and Employee Wellness Programs – ActionNeeded!

By Andy Thrower, CPA

Among the responsibilities assigned to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under theAffordable Care Act is vigilance in seeking out and squashing any perceived inequality in a company’s employeehealth care plan. When it comes to wellness programs, companies have held back in incentivizing employeeswho participate for fear of being labeled discriminatory against unhealthy employees. So, for example,providing reductions in insurance premiums to employees who meet certain health standards (e.g., lowcholesterol, low blood pressure, low body fat, etc) and participate in a wellness program could be considereddiscriminatory against those employees who do not meet such standards. In fact, HHS has just issued newrules requiring companies to implement by the end of this year, plans that ensure that such wellness programsare not a "subterfuge for discrimination” against the less healthy and don’t “shift costs to higher-riskindividuals.”

However, apart from the threatening language, a modicum of wisdom has emerged from HHS in these newlyissued rules. The HHS says that a company that provides an incentive-based wellness program for its healthyemployees will not be discriminatory and can offer incentives up to 30% of the total premium cost of aparticipating employee provided the company “makes available to all individuals who do not meet the standard. . . a different, reasonable means of qualifying for the reward.”

These “different, reasonable means” can be satisfied by offering a personal health coach to those employeeswho do not meet the health standards. These employees can be incentivized by the offering of lower premiumsas long as they are working with the health coach and are trying to improve their health even if they do notachieve the health standard.

While a wellness plan with a health coach may appear to be more costly, a study has shown that for everydollar spent on such a wellness program there is more than a three dollar reduction in medical costs and a twoand half dollar reduction in absenteeism costs.

If your company has, or is considering, an employee wellness program, now is the time to build in incentiveswhile instituting the new HHS rules.

Andy Thrower, a Viewpoint Industry Professional, offers the technical expertise of a seasoned CPA combined

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with the practical problem-solving capability of an experienced, hands-on CFO. His clients are the owners andexecutives of private companies and those bankers and investors that provide the capital. He can be reachedat:

Andy Thrower, CPASolutions Beyond Numbers│Visions Beyond Expectations103 North Main Street│P.O. Box 3115 │Greenville, SC 29602864.630.0106 │[email protected]: http://www.ThrowerCFO.com/

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Viewpoint Construction Software Acquires ACS Connect

Viewpoint to Develop and Integrate Mobile TechnologyThroughout Product Portfolio

Viewpoint Construction Software® has acquired mobile solutions provider, ACS Connect,which furthers their commitment to bring value-enhancing products to their customersand the construction industry. The acquisition allows Viewpoint to accelerate theexpansion of their mobile product offering for users of Viewpoint V6 Software® as wellas customers of other ERP or accounting packages.

Read the rest of the press release on the ViewpointCS.com website.

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New Hires

Welcome new hires!

Benjamin Robbins – Mobile Product ManagerBarry Frangipane – Mobile Development ManagerCasey Crookston – Software DeveloperHeidi McKnight – QA AnalystRussell Steed – Sr. Software DeveloperTuong Vu – Sr. Software DeveloperDona Covington – Application Support RepresentativeMichael Gonzalez – Mobile ConsultantJeffery Hix – Sales EngineerKurt Peterson – Sr. Sales RepresentativeDoreen Weinberger – AccountantJennifer Yruegas – General CounselKristin Baehr – AccountantQuy Bui – Software DeveloperPhilip Zak – Pre-Implementation ManagerJennifer Gatling – Project ManagerChristopher Hughey – Project ManagerStephen Chellis – Project ManagerDavid Rouse – Reports Support SpecialistColby Loftesness – Systems Support SpecialistClay Bergstrom – Technical Systems SupportRobert Whissen – Software ConsultantKristina McEllrath – QA EngineerTeresa Stone – Software Consultant-CISwati Raje – Channel Manager, Professional Services

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Viewpoint Business FormsOur exclusive forms partner, Viewpoint Business Forms, serves our customerswith the highest level of customer satisfaction, competitive pricing and excellentquality.

Viewpoint Business Forms offer a complete line of forms and continuous or laser checks printed at one of their

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If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter - please unselect "News & Events" via the MY VANTAGE POINT |USER PROFILES | COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES section of Vantage Point, the Viewpoint Customer web site.

5 manufacturing locations around the U.S. for reduced freight available to NorthAmerican customers. Each format has been carefully designed and is exclusivelyguaranteed to perfectly align with Viewpoint V6 Software.

Click here for more information or call customer service toll free at800.825.8649.

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