PVBS Interview with Rajev Bricksin, DynLink, Microsoft CRM Expert

Based in Arlington, Virginia, DynLink is a woman-owned Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and recognized CRM (Customer Relationship Management) leader. DynLink is one of only six firms across the nation along with PVBS tapped by Microsoft to serve in the Government Contractor Solution Circle. DynLink serves organizations requiring efficient, cost-effective, and market-proven business technology solutions.

We interviewed DynLink Vice President Rajev Bricksin to learn more about how government contractors and resellers benefit from CRM and how they can tie the CRM system to their DCAA-compliant Microsoft Dynamics NAV financial management solution. PVBS has teamed frequently with DynLink to help government contractors and resellers more effectively manage their contracts and relationships with their Federal Government customers.

What are some of the key benefits of CRM for companies that provide services and sell products to the Government?

There are so many benefits government contractors can get from implementing CRM. The government is a very complex customer for most companies. CRM lets you effectively keep track of critical decision makers within the program office and keep a record of your dealings with each one. It also helps you understand the collective history your company has had with agency contacts. This is particularly important to avoid duplication on the business development side and leverage social and business relationships across your company. Many contractor employees are ex-military and with a 360 degree view of business development opportunities they can leverage their personal relationships in an unprecedented way.

The government is also equal in many ways to large enterprises that have many people involved in the relationship ranging from program management, to finance, to procurement, to IT support. CRM helps you understand the relationship between each critical person at the agency and your company.

Also, Microsoft CRM users tell us their data is more accurate because CRM resides within the Outlook client which is where most business development executives spend their time setting up appointments and communicating with prospects. By simply clicking on an email address all relevant milestones can be easily captured.

How does CRM interface with the Dynamics NAV financial management system?

One of the beauties of Microsoft Dynamics is how well the various products work together. It’s possible to connect the valuable financial data and information in Microsoft Dynamics NAV to the sales-oriented CRM tools of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and ensure that a government contractor has up-to-date and consistent data across both systems.

Users working in and out of your office can seamlessly exchange data and information across these two systems. This helps increase the efficiency of your sales and business development teams. You can streamline processes across your organization. For example, when delivery of an order begins, invoices posted in Microsoft Dynamics NAV will be replicated to Microsoft Dynamics CRM invoices, including information about non-item lines like G/L account, resource, charge, and fixed asset lines. The order in Microsoft Dynamics CRM will also be updated automatically with the quantity shipped for each order line. The two-way synchronization of Microsoft Dynamics NAV customers and Microsoft Dynamics CRM accounts helps ensure your company database is updated in both applications at all times.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM also integrates extremely well with other Microsoft technologies. Contractors can export data to Excel, SharePoint, Access, or display selected data into ready-to-use charts and graphs, for example.

What value does CRM provide concerning existing contract management and optimization?

CRM lets you keep track of your existing contracts. You can determine funding amount remaining, contracts re-bidding periods, or contracts that are over budget or set up warnings well in advance of a project being over budget. You can manage subcontractors with a centralized project portal or a personalized dashboard. You can also set up a relationship chart of the key people at the customer account or program office that are important to your project, as seen in the image below.

How does Microsoft CRM help a government contractor identify new opportunities?

This is one area where the solution really shines. Government contractors can identify opportunities based on agency and NAICS code. Microsoft CRM can support web services feeds from leading business development resources such as Fed Bizopps or Eagle Eye. Contractors can get timely intelligence to understand and even anticipate opportunities. They can identify the most important upcoming re-compete opportunities at each buying center – well in advance of formal agency notifications. Also, by studying full contract histories, contractors can qualify teaming and acquisition candidates.

Another important feature is the ability to assess competitors and their market share at the targeted agency. Using CRM, contractors can combine spend data with agency and market intelligence to create full solutions, not just run of the mill bid responses. This helps set clear business development priorities supported by solid research to win more business.

Most importantly, an integrated solution allows government contractors to focus on their core business which is servicing their government clients. Until recently, there were not choices in the marketplace and many contractors built their own CRM solutions which are now very expensive and cumbersome to maintain. Microsoft Dynamics CRM changes that dynamic dramatically and aids government contractors in reducing expenses.

About DynLink
Based in Arlington, Virginia, DynLink is a Microsoft Gold Certified Dynamics partner and is only one of six firms across the nation tapped by Microsoft to serve in the Government Contractor Solution Circle, an expert group formed to bring better solutions to market. On a broader level, DynLink serves organizations in the Mid-Atlantic requiring efficient, cost-effective, and market-proven business technology solutions. DynLink’s solutions are tailored to deliver the precise answers your organization needs to meet your business and budget goals. DynLink consultants have the experience and expertise to ensure your IT investment is one that pays. Visit DynLink at www.dynlinkinc.com.

About Pleasant Valley Business Solutions (PVBS)

Pleasant Valley Business Solutions (PVBS), a Microsoft Business Solutions President’s Club Member, offers the Microsoft alternative for government contractor ERP, financial management and project accounting. Microsoft offers a better project accounting and financial management solution than what’s been available in the past to high-growth government contractors. Only PVBS offers a Microsoft Dynamics NAV solution that was created specifically for high-growth government contractors, to help these companies better manage and maximize their Federal Government business. PVBS is based in Reston, VA. Visit PBVS at www.pvbs.net.