| History |
With more than 60 years of combined experience, the three co-founders of SIRA decided they could create a superior solution to meet the needs of project-based government contractors. The goal was to develop an affordable, web-based, easy-to-use program that allows clients to adopt Best Practices on their timetable.
Now, four years later, the result is eProMT, the affordable Performance Intelligence software for project-based government contractors.
In 2001, Dean Szabo and Ray de la Garza were fully engaged in their management responsibilities for one of the country’s largest government contractors. They realized they needed a web-based cost reporting and budgeting tool. They knew that all the spreadsheets and system work-arounds currently being used were only a temporary remedy and an automated system of essential intelligent information was required. Such a system would empower them to support all their project and organization managers. Although buried beneath the burden of their daily responsibilities, the vision for what was to become eProMT was born.
| SIRA's Vision |
Dean was responsible for the financial planning and budgeting team which included Ray and his systems development and programming team. In 2002, Dean and Ray’s company was acquired by Titan Corporation, which required them to convert from their home-grown accounting system to Deltek’s Costpoint accounting system.
Layne Leach was Titan’s corporate-wide Costpoint conversion expert. Dean and Ray had been informed that Layne’s expertise with Costpoint installations, SQL stored procedures and data tables would make the conversion experience as painless as possible.
Working together as a team, Dean, Ray and Layne uncovered the truth about an accounting system conversion. All the necessary accounting, payroll and contracts cost support information can be efficiently recorded in Costpoint when the accounting rules and cost structures are properly established. However, Costpoint does not allow users to easily create project and organization budgets, efficiently generate reports that are meaningful to project managers, it cannot provide sophisticated business tools to create EACs/ETCs or Annual Operating Plans and Reforecasts, and it cannot reconcile project and organizational budgets for financial managers, nor estimate forward bid rates.
Even with the conversion to a new and effective ERP system, the vision of business intelligence collided with the reality of spreadsheet chaos. Dean, Ray and Layne learned that the conversion to Costpoint simply did not provide the necessary Performance Intelligence that project-based Government Contractors need to maximize profitability. They also discovered that their options to deploy Performance Intelligence were both expensive and time-consuming. How did other financial and operational managers overcome these challenges?
| SIRA's Opportunities |
It become clear that this was a problem that all government contractors faced. This problem presented an opportunity. In August, 2003, Dean and Ray resigned from Titan Corp. to establish SIRA, Inc. so they could pursue their vision of creating an affordable, web-based solution to help government contractors adopt the Best Practices in their industry at their own timetable. The next month, SIRA, Inc. was founded. (The company’s name is an acronym for Strategic Information Resource Architects).
When Layne left Titan a few months later to join Dean and Ray, SIRA’s core capabilities were complete:
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Financial Management Know-How
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In-Depth System Development and Programming Experience
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Database Design, Conversion and Query Expertise
Based upon their previous experience with the three SIRA co-founders, Titan Corporation asked SIRA to consider them as a test site based upon their need for Performance Intelligence. This also provided SIRA the opportunity to have eProMT beta tested by one of the country's largest government contractors.
Within 16 months, SIRA had its first sale; 50 seats to Titan. Subsequently Titan was purchased by L-3 Communications. During the next 24 months, three separate Titan divisions within L-3 purchased more than 150 additional seats.
SIRA has now established a strong endorsement from every one of its clients. Each year, SIRA has more than doubled its client base, number of seats, and revenues. Most importantly, every client is so impressed with eProMT that they have purchased additional seats following their initial purchase.
With the release of Earned Value Management functionality, SIRA is expanding its marketing and sales efforts by offering eProMT through an expanding base of established Deltek consultants and CPAs. SIRA welcomes inquiries from qualified Deltek consultants and CPA firms.
To find a referral or reseller partner near you, click on the “Partners” section of this website.
