Innovative Wireless Technologies Selects Microsoft Dynamics SL

Wireless products and applications provider selects Microsoft Dynamics solution for better time capture, project management and government compliance capabilities.

REDMOND, Wash.— After conducting a stringent survey of five enterprise resource planning (ERP) products — including offerings from Deltek Inc., J.D. Edwards & Co. and SAP Business One — Innovative Wireless Technologies Inc. (IWT) (http://www.iwtwireless.com) has selected Microsoft Dynamics™ SL to replace its existing IT system, currently based on QuickBooks accounting software. IWT, which has been in business for 10 years, develops custom-engineered wireless solutions for commercial, military and government applications. The company offers standard products and application-specific solutions for wireless sensor networks and reduces development cost and time to market for its engineering services customers by leveraging this core intellectual property. IWT is headquartered in Forest, Va., and has offices in Reading, Pa., and Fairfax, Va.

Todd Irby, chief financial officer at IWT, said that Microsoft Dynamics SL emerged as the clear choice because it was the most representative of IWT’s business model. “We had pushed QuickBooks to the edge of what it could do, and the seams were about to burst,” Irby said. “Microsoft Dynamics SL clearly had what it takes for us to accurately capture time, have up-to-date insight into critical project information, and efficiently manage materials and supplies.”

Irby said that the deployment of Microsoft Dynamics SL will take effect Oct. 1, 2007. Benefits he expects IWT to realize as a result of the deployment include the following:
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More timely access to critical information. Currently, IWT’s project managers must rely on finance professionals for critical information on their projects. With Microsoft Dynamics SL, however, Irby said that IWT project managers will be able to access a portal for key project statistics that they can use to calculate profit and loss on their jobs, the status of all their invoices, and other data that will be used to deliver more efficient and accurate customer service.
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Greater flexibility. IWT specializes in developing and delivering custom solutions, which means that jobs are often unique in terms of material content, supplies and labor. Irby said that Microsoft Dynamics SL will offer the company the option to build to ship, which is the traditional method, or to accumulate data within a specific project, adding labor or other value-added options. Microsoft Dynamics SL will give IWT the ability to accurately track materials, labor and products regardless of the revenue model being employed.
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Compliance with government regulations. As a company that does significant business with the government, IWT needs to conform to regulations set forth by groups such as the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). Irby said that the capabilities within Microsoft Dynamics SL will enable IWT to quickly and accurately provide information on a range of project-specific details should the DCAA ask for it. These details include time entry, the booking of payroll entries and how hourly rates are billed for engineers working on government jobs. In fact, he added, the seamless and integrated nature of these capabilities transforms compliance-related tasks from additional work to “just being a part of what we do.”
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More intuitive look and feel. Irby said that one of the reasons IWT selected Microsoft Dynamics SL is its intuitive look and feel, which makes the transition easier for IWT users who “grew up” in the Microsoft® Office suite environment. IWT also uses the Microsoft Office suite running on Microsoft Exchange Server. Other solutions, he said, were very cumbersome to look at, which created a mental block for users from the very beginning.

In selecting and preparing to deploy Microsoft Dynamics SL, IWT worked closely with Isis Inc. (http://www.isisinc.com), a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner based in Richmond, Va. Spencer Lauterbach, sales consultant with Isis, oversaw the project. “The people at IWT are incredibly savvy when it comes to technology,” Lauterbach said. “They were great people to work with, which made the process of delivering very high-quality products and services to them a great experience for all involved.”

Michael Park, corporate vice president for Microsoft’s U.S. Dynamics business, said that IWT’s selection of Microsoft Dynamics SL offers further evidence of the product line’s ability to address complex business issues in a simplified, affordable way. “We are indeed pleased to welcome IWT to the community of businesses that use Microsoft Dynamics products and services,” Park said. “The fact that Microsoft Dynamics SL beat out other industry players under such tight scrutiny is proof that our products and services continue to lead the way for innovative companies looking to get more out of their ERP systems.”