March 16, 2021
Analysis paralysis is a real problem – especially when you are a government contractor seeking the right outsourced accounting solution for your small to medium-sized business. Yet real differences do exist. While the Daston Corporation is proud to offer GovCon outsourced accounting services and a secure, cloud-based, federally compliant accounting solution that allows for a fully remote workforce at an exceptionally low cost – where do we stack up with regard to the competition? Let’s take a closer look…
Daston’s GovCon Essentials: Cloud-based, Nimble and Affordable
At the Daston Corporation, we are a government contractor (GovCon) ourselves and are deeply familiar with the ins and outs of doing business with the federal government. Our GovCon Essentials BPO ERP Solution is powered by Oracle NetSuite and was built BY GovCons FOR GovCons. Our solution is an extremely customizable and 100 percent Cloud-based (vs. Cloud-hosted) Software as a Service (or SaaS), that is easy to use for users and administrators working anywhere. Daston’s BPO bundle is a comprehensive package that includes Outsourced Accounting Services, Daston System Consulting, and GovCon Essentials powered by NetSuite.
Our BPO Bundle is a full compliance solution that includes both the services and software needed to obtain and maintain Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) compliance and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) compliance. Our clients gain access to pre-negotiated, fully vetted, and experienced managed accounting service providers – in addition to the software that pulls it all together. Our accounting service providers are highly qualified GovCon accounting experts, who are experienced and trained on GovCon Essentials. Be sure to compare apples to apples in your evaluation. Plan to compare the true cost of ownership for software plus accounting services with our competitors and you will see that Daston’s BPO Bundle is an outstanding value. Our providers offer a full range of services to maximize the use of your GovCon Essentials ERP software, and our solution is priced less than the cost of a full-time account services clerk!
Deltek Costpoint: Cloud-Hosted, Rigid and Overpriced
Deltek Costpoint is the “Granddaddy” of project-focused software. While their solution has been around the longest, it cannot provide the modern and flexible, cloud-based features that Daston’s NetSuite solution can. Deltek is now part of a holding company that diverts its resources to many other sister companies (several of whom use Oracle NetSuite themselves.) Costpoint is not a SaaS, but rather is “cloud-hosted” by Amazon Web Services. Cloud-hosted solutions are often more expensive to purchase up-front, more costly to maintain, and more expensive over time. This high cost of ownership may explain why Costpoint software is often more expensive than its competition. Plan to add the cost of a third-party report writing tool and an administrator for both Costpoint and to write the complex reports needs to access its’ underlying architecture.
Additionally, when compared to GovCon Essentials, Costpoint lags in its business management offerings such as a modern, relational database for easy report building and saved searched within NetSuite; over 250 plus out-of-the-box GAAP reports and ability to offer custom workflows, flexibility, and easy tracking of key GovCon leading practices and KPI’s.
Intuit Quickbooks: Bargain Solution with No Capabilities for Growing GovCons
Intuit’s Quickbooks is bargain-priced and best suited for small businesses and gig workers – not rapidly growing GovCons. Offering only basic accounting capabilities, Quickbooks is able to provide basic add-on modules and compliance assistance; but does not offer modern and flexible cloud-based technology or dashboard capabilities that allow for easy building and customization of management tools to track KPI’s and other business-specific objectives.
Intacct Sage: Older Solution with No Compliance Tracking Capabilities
Sage by Intacct is a basic accounting software that is moderately priced and does not offer many bells and whistles, including compliance tracking capabilities. This is clearly a “no-go” for any growing GovCon that is looking to stay compliant while working within the Federal Government.
Jamis: Decent but Limited Package, Not Suited for Scalability or Growth
While Jamis’ accounting ERP solution features a pleasant look and feel, it has limitations, including very few report-writing capabilities. The solution is moderately priced and may be a good fit for smaller GovCons, but is not suited for scalability or growth – nor is it likely to perform for the lifetime of a growing business.
Microsoft Dynamics: Partially-Built Solution that May or May Not Be Compliant
Microsoft’s Dynamics software is preferred by many CPA firms who sell consulting services; however, it is not a fully-built solution and requires sizable consulting funds to customize for GovCons. Add-on and compliance capabilities are available, however, additional consulting or development investment will be required. This solution would work well for GovCons who have their own software developers on staff.
In the end, Daston’s GovCon Essentials BPO, powered by NetSuite is a solid investment for any growing GovCon looking for a state-of-the-art, Cloud-based ERP solution that offers ease of use, better time-to-value, and lower total cost of ownership. Our complete solution goes beyond simple accounting functions and will keep your enterprise compliant, while also offering the comprehensive accounting services, system consulting services, and Cloud-based tools your growing GovCon needs. Plus, it’s developed BY GovCons FOR GovCons!
To learn more, click here to see a matrix of how our BPO service offerings compare to those of our competitors.