Customer Case Study
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Deltek Performance Management Helps Oceanographic Researchers Track Project Performance and Make Better Business Decisions

The Challenge

As a world center for advanced research and education in ocean science and technology, the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) develops some of the most cutting-edge equipment available for both educational and oceanographic use. As the institute grew, it reached the limitations of its current accounting infrastructure. The antiquated systems caused extensive data entry (and re-entry) and had reporting limitations that made it challenging to respond to mandatory audits. It became clear that MBARI needed a more modern accounting and reporting system.

MBARI initially implemented Deltek Costpoint, and as they grew, they turned to Cognos Impromtu for managed reporting. "We used Impromptu on a daily basis, and it really helped us nail down problem areas and clean things up, but project managers and senior management wanted something more robust," said Karen Lash, MBARI Accounting Operations Manager. "They were looking for better graphics, dashboards, and on-the-fly report customization."

In addition, MBARI wanted to cut down on redundant data entry. "We wanted a way for the employees and project managers to provide us with data quickly and accurately, without the accounting department having to re-key everything into a spreadsheet," Lash continued.

The Solution

Based on their positive 10+ years experience with Deltek Costpoint, MBARI's choice of Deltek Performance Management to deliver cutting-edge reporting was an easy one. Designed specifically for project-driven enterprises and powered by industry-leading business intelligence technology from Cognos®, Performance Management provides customers with access to the exact information they need, when they need it, enabling comprehensive and effective business decisions.

"Even back when we first started working with Deltek, they were ahead of the curve in terms of features and benefits," Lash added. "That holds true today, too. The Performance Management demo wasn't even over and we were ready to implement it. It was everything we needed."

An integrated, web-based software solution, Deltek Performance Management gives customers self-service, intelligent, out-of-the-box analytics on the state of their organization. Combined with an intuitive, user-friendly interface, it provides a streamlined, reliable approach to reporting at every level without the need for extensive IT involvement.

The Benefit

The most immediate impact of Deltek Performance Management was felt in MBARI's accounting department. "It gives everyone on my team more time to do their jobs and learn new skills instead of constantly entering data," Lash noted. "We can focus now on creating better reports from the data, which helps senior management make better decisions. And it's great to track projects to budgets in one place, making sure no one goes over."

In a little over a year, Deltek Performance Management has given MBARI the reporting efficiency and sophistication that they needed. The easy-to-use interface and web access makes real-time project data available to anyone from anywhere. Waiting days for a customized report or timesheet processing is a thing of the past. Creating unique versions of the same report for different audiences is as easy as clicking a few radio buttons. And, by implementing Deltek solutions, MBARI was able to reduce accounting overhead. "I'd say it kept us from having to fill three to four additional accounting positions," Lash reported.

Deltek Performance Management even helped with MBARI's commitment to reduce their impact on the environment. "With Deltek Performance Management," Lash said, "the right reports end up with the right people electronically, so there's much less printing and copying of paper reports to put into people's mailboxes."

MBARI is extremely pleased with their decision to move to Deltek Performance Management. "Walking in the door, everyone is impressed with how streamlined our systems are," Lash noted. "We feel like we may be spoiling our people!"

MBARI at a glance

Company Name: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Headquarters: Moss Landing, CA

Business Summary: The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is a non-profit ocean science and technology research and training organization, dedicated to developing better instruments, systems, and methods for scientific research in the deep waters of the ocean.

URL: www.mbari.org