ASC 606 and IFRS 15: Are you Ready for New Revenue Recognition Rules?

We don’t want to add more to your to do list as things get busy around the holidays, but this is important! By now you’ve heard about the new rules governing revenue recognition for companies that will go into effect on January 1, 2018 for public companies, and January 1, 2019 for private firms. To recap, listen in to our podcast where I speak with Microsoft about the details.

ASC606 Overview

The Accounting Standard Codification 606, or ASC 606, made its debut in May 2014. It is an industry-neutral revenue recognition model designed to increase financial statement comparability among companies and industries. The objective is to decrease complexity involved with the current models for revenue recognition.

As a result, the new unit of account for revenue recognition is the obligation of a good or a service at the time it is delivered.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which administers Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the U.S. (US-GAAP) has issued ASC 606, and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), which administers International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) used in most other countries, has issued IFRS 15. Both will enforce similar, fundamental changes to the revenue recognition process for any company that depends on complex contracts in their dealings with customers.

How do I know if my company will be impacted by ASC 606 and IFRS 15?

Businesses that have multiple components (e.g., product, services, warranties, etc.) in a single contract are the most impacted. If your firm permits changes to active contracts (e.g., adding a sports package to your cable TV contract), they are impacted. If the timing of when your firm pays commissions differs from when the products and services are delivered, then your firm is impacted. Cellular phone companies, software firms and many other kinds of companies will be impacted – some far more so than others.

 

Download our free eBook to learn all about the new rules, do’s and don’ts

 

Not Managed by Microsoft Dynamics out of the Box

Microsoft Dynamics does not manage these new standards out of the box. Companies running Dynamics GP, NAV, AX, or 365, must take all of their revenue outside ERP, process these complex calculations to figure out what they can recognize today versus what is deferred, and then bring those back in as manual journal entries. Before you start using Excel for this, consider using AXIO for Enterprise Firms, and Progressus for Small to Medium-sized Firms in addition to Microsoft Dynamics.

We wish you the best of luck with these new standards. Please let us know if you have any questions, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Best regards,

Robbie Morrison
Chief Solution Strategist, SBS Group

About Robbie
Robbie Morrison has spent nearly 20 years helping customers build and deploy elegant technology and business solutions.  From start-ups to enterprise-class organizations worldwide, his knowledge of the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem and products helps SBS Group customers maximize ROI on technology investments.

Today, Robbie serves SBS Group customers in his role as Chief Solution Strategist where he provides thought leadership and manages the development of B2B solutions.  Robbie received his MBA from the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiemorrison

 

Check out Progressus: Dynamics 365 and NAV for Small and Mid-sized Services Companies

We often host webcasts or author blog posts intended to share our expertise in the professional services sector and get the word out on our solutions for Microsoft Dynamics 365.  Recently, we’ve written about AXIO for Dynamics 365, Enterprise addition for large professional services companies with complex requirements.  And, we’ve written about Dynamics 365 PSA for companies less focused on project accounting and more reliant on up-front WBS (work breakdown structure) and bid management.

Today, I’m announcing our next webcast that will focus on Progressus, a Microsoft Dynamics 365, Business edition and NAV cloud solution designed for small and mid-sized Professional Services companies.

JOIN AND LEARN:

• Why Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Progressus are trending in the services sector
• How integrated project management and project accounting can dramatically improve operations and enhance your customer’s experience.
• Where to find that extra 10% of utilization and the predictive analytics you need to forecast accurately.

Already a Dynamics SL, NAV, GP or 365 customer interested in enhancing your Dynamics experience? Want to find out if the Microsoft Cloud is right for you? Either way, this brief, information-packed webcast will give you the answers you’re looking for.

If December 15th doesn’t work for you – register and we’ll send you a live recording of the event.

We hope to see you there on the 15th!

Dave Wallen, VP Marketing
SBS Group

What Additional Project-driven Solutions can Strengthen your Microsoft Investment?

You’ve already made quite an investment in Microsoft technology. And it can be confusing to determine what else works for service and project-driven company like yours. To accelerate your digital transformation, you need a new type of business application. One that breaks down the silos between CRM and ERP, that’s powered by data and intelligence, and helps capture new business opportunities.

In our webcast last week, we covered 10-12 different Microsoft software solutions that can strengthen or round out your Microsoft solutions. We talked about a few different ERP options as well as small and large project management solutions and some really cool apps included with Office 365.

We help you determine how to meet the unique needs of your organization with a modern business platform that makes it easy to tailor and extend Dynamics 365 applications—with little to no code development. Quickly build apps, automate workflows, and bring additional data insight into your business with the Microsoft business application platform.

If your company provides professional services and relies on delivering successful, profitable projects, then you should check out the recording.

Here are a few products and tools you can expect to see:

* Microsoft ERP Comparison: Dynamics 365, Dynamics SL and Dynamics NAV

* Microsoft CRM and PSA Simplified: Dynamics 365 for Sales and Project Service Automation

* Microsoft Office 365 Hidden Gems: Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and Yammer

Don’t worry. We didn’t forget Excel…we know how much you love it!

If you thought Excel was the only tool in the Microsoft arsenal capable of managing projects, you’re going to be surprised.

Recorded Webcast: Microsoft Mash-Up

This is the second in a series of webcasts targeting project-driven companies. This  1-hour recorded webcast pulls a variety of solutions together for project-driven companies, including ERP, Sales, Marketing, Project Management and Business Productivity. Check out upcoming events.

In our recorded webcast, we demonstrate how our clients are utilizing multiple Microsoft solutions to improve project profitability, employee productivity and customer engagement…without breaking the bank. Let me know what you think about the webcast, and send any questions that you may have my way.

Best regards,

Robbie Morrison
Chief Solution Strategist, SBS Group

About Robbie
Robbie Morrison has spent nearly 20 years helping customers build and deploy elegant technology and business solutions.  From start-ups to enterprise-class organizations worldwide, his knowledge of the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem and products helps SBS Group customers maximize ROI on technology investments.

Today, Robbie serves SBS Group customers in his role as Chief Solution Strategist where he provides thought leadership and manages the development of B2B solutions.  Robbie received his MBA from the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiemorrison

 

Microsoft NAVUG Summit Provides Product Roadmap

There were almost as many product announcements as cowboy hats at NAVUG Summit 2017 in Nashville. For Dynamics NAV users, Microsoft’s roadmap guidance was clear: NAV will continue to receive yearly updates, and customers who want to remain on-premise or hosted (non-SaaS) can do so. Customers can expect Dynamics 365 “Tenerife,” when it arrives in 2018, to offer both a SaaS option and an on-prem roadmap for NAV.

Codename Tenerife

The NAV/Tenerife product roadmap now calls for Dynamics NAV 2018 in fall 2017, with a December 1 general availability date expected; then NAV 2018 R2 in Spring 2018 alongside the initial Tenerife launch. Beyond NAV 2017 R2, Dynamics NAV will adopt a new name under the Dynamics 365 brand, but the software continued updates to the same product, said Marko Perisic, Dynamics 365 R&D general manager. “Codename Tenerife will be rolled up into the Dynamics 365 brand,” Perisic said. “It is an important brand that Microsoft is putting its weight behind.”

Is it me, or does this codename business make you feel like a spy?

Important Release Dates to Remember

Dynamics NAV 2018: DEC 1

Dynamics NAV 2018 R2: Spring 2018

Codename Tenerife: Spring 2018

NAV 2018 Productivity Updates

Microsoft program and product managers showed off a range of productivity updates that will be included in NAV 2018. Office integration will continue to expand in NAV 2018, with an eye toward more streamlined processes. Microsoft demonstrated a quote-to-cash process executed entirely in Outlook, driven by NAV. After creating a quote, order, and invoice from Outlook, the customer can also pay the invoice via their Microsoft account, again from Outlook.

Within the NAV 2018 web client, the in-app designer will allow for users to personalize their own experiences by rearranging interface elements and adding and removing fields. Global interface changes completed with the in-app designer are saved as NAV extensions, meaning they should be manageable and stable across core system updates.

Tenerife User Interface Updates

There is a revamped user interface coming with Tenerife that will aim to simplify role centers, with more visible information and actions moved higher on the page for easier access. The left-side menus will be moved to the top of the screen to add more real estate to content. List pages will be redesigned to look more like financial reports. And the preview shown at Summit featured a monochrome look and feel that Microsoft believes will improve the visual impact, especially around data visualizations.

Microsoft has positioned Dynamics 365 Tenerife as a business application platform that offers a full range of capabilities, backed up by the Common Data Service for augmenting apps as needed. Microsoft wants customers to look at it as a solution that can be augmented easily with standalone Dynamics 365 apps like Sales, Marketing, Talent, and service using Common Data Service.

Cloud-first

Microsoft made it clear that Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations – Business Edition (formerly NAV), is a “cloud-first” solution. “Emphasis has to be on the cloud, but it’s important to recognize and know [that] despite trends, we have a huge customer base and Microsoft will not leave any of those customers behind,” said Perisic. “We recognize you have installations on your own hardware and we will continue to support that. And because of that we’re not a cloud-only company, we’re a cloud-first company. Make investments there first and mirror those for customers who are on-premises. We see it as an advantage to provide that choice.”

Let us know if you have any questions about these latest product updates for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and/or NAV.

Best regards,

Dave Drouin
EVP of Professional Services, SBS Group

About David Drouin

David is a graduate of Wharton School of Business with a B.S. in Accounting and Economics.  After graduation, he began a twenty year career in public accounting, including five years as a partner where he built a successful systems advisory practice and managed it as partner-in-charge.

David joined SBS Group in 2006 as the Executive VP of Finance before taking on his current role as Executive VP of Professional Services.

In addition to his business and accounting background, David has strong technical skills which he has leveraged in helping hundreds of small businesses and large enterprises evaluate and implement ERP systems in his nearly thirty years in technology services sector.​

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddrouin

The Real Answer to the Question Professional Services Have all Been Asking: Why Budget?

Why prepare a budget?

You may answer:
• My business has been going for many years and I have never had one before.
• I make pretty good money, so why do I need one?
• If I focus on keeping my billable hours up, everything else will take care of itself!
• I watch my debtors and WIP; this is enough to keep everything on track!
• I am a professional, with more than enough on my plate and I don’t have time for this financial stuff. My bookkeeper is on top of all of this.
• I don’t have time for this business planning nonsense. ¹

Many of the professional services firms we work with don’t place importance on budgeting. However, we believe that budgets are enormously important to the operation of your business; not only do they help you manage your costs, but they also help you determine whether your profit goals are within reach and keep you on the right road from month-to-month. In its simplest form, a budget is a detailed plan of future receipts and expenditures. Think of a budget as a tool for providing control. For example, by looking at next quarter’s budget you can anticipate peak periods and schedule stock and labor to handle the sales volume. You can also plan vacations, marketing activities and inventory taking for slow periods.

The resource planning cycle for a company typically consists of planning, budgeting, and forecasting activities. But how is this process different for a professional services company?

Learn how to budget in professional services, and the seven tips and practices for creating a budget that supports your project in our eBook: Why Budget, as well as information about our two professional services automation tools (AXIO for Enterprise companies, and Progressus for small and medium sized companies). Let us know if you have any questions in the meantime.

Best regards,

Robbie Morrison
Chief Solution Strategist, SBS Group

About Robbie
Robbie Morrison has spent nearly 20 years helping customers build and deploy elegant technology and business solutions.  From start-ups to enterprise-class organizations worldwide, his knowledge of the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem and products helps SBS Group customers maximize ROI on technology investments.

Today, Robbie serves SBS Group customers in his role as Chief Solution Strategist where he provides thought leadership and manages the development of B2B solutions.  Robbie received his MBA from the University of Georgia, Terry College of Business.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbiemorrison