Client Spotlight: Sea Technology

CFOS QB Consulting Saves Marine Engineering Firm Thousands
Of Dollars Yearly On Support Fees

The Challenge
Prior to making the decision to switch to QuickBooks Enterprise, Sea Technology used multiple systems to manage their accounting and inventory functions. Their primary accounting system was Great Plains (Microsoft Dynamics GP), and they used an outside payroll company. Yearly maintenance costs were a major concern, as was the complexity of the system; it was difficult to train new employees and the company felt that they were paying for many features which they did not really need.

Sea Technology wanted to switch to an integrated accounting, payroll, and inventory system that could be accessed from both of their offices, would be easy to learn, and would be less expensive than their existing system. In addition, it was critical that any new system be able to handle their special requirements for tracking employee hours both on land and at sea, since their employees were covered by different insurance plans depending on their location.

The Solution
Sea Technology contacted a member of the QuickBooks team, who proposed that they switch to QuickBooks Enterprise for both accounting and inventory, and that they use Intuit Assisted Payroll to handle the tracking of employee hours by location.

The conversion was done over a single weekend, including the import of 25,000 items and setup for ten users. For the cost of a single year of Great Plains support, the company was able to pay for both the software and the cost of the conversion. On an ongoing basis, the yearly support fee for QuickBooks Enterprise (which includes a yearly upgrade) is less than 10% of what they were previously paying for Great Plains. In addition, by switching to Intuit Assisted Payroll, Sea Technology saved 20% while streamlining and automating their payroll process.

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About Sea Technology
Founded in 1978, Sea Technology provides sales, custom installation, and service for a variety of marine electrical, electronics, and metal fabrication products. Based in two offices in Seattle and Dutch Harbor, Alaska, the company prides itself on its ability to meet the needs of its customers "anytime they need us, anywhere they need us."

About CFO Selections
CFO Selections provides finance and accounting executive search and interim consulting services to a wide range of organizations in the West. The company focuses on locating and recruiting the highest caliber senior-level talent available. Its team of consulting CFOs works in a collaborative and problem-solving way to generate maximum results. CFO Selections' trusted executives have assisted many clients in bridging the gap to profitable growth by tailoring their services to meet exacting situations.

CFO Selections is headquartered in Bellevue, WA and can be reached by contacting Managing Partner Tom Varga at (206) 686-4480 ext. 123, or tom@cfoselections.com.