An Interview with David Valade from Alta Vista Technology

Alta Vista Sign

This week we sat down with David Valade from Alta Vista Technology. Alta Vista is an award-winning ERP and BI consulting firm who focuses on cloud-based accounting software Sage Intacct and Microsoft Dynamics. They have performed over 500 implementations and have been named one of the top VARs by Accounting Today and have been listed in the INC. 5000 for 2 years straight as one of the fastest growing private companies.

 

 

 

 

DEVINE CONSULTING: Good Morning Dave. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us today.

DAVID VALADE: It’s my pleasure, thanks for having me.

DC: So what’s life like at Alta Vista Tech right now?

DAVID VALADE: Crazy, but good. This has been an amazing year for us. I know we worked together on a lot of big deals, Jennifer. And we finally achieved a lot of big goals we’ve had for a long time. I’ll always remember this year as the first time we made Sage Intacct’s President’s Club, moved up the rankings for top VARs in the country, and really hit our stride.

DC: So, business is really ramping up! Are there any trends you are noticing? Any industries taking off in particular?

DAVID VALADE: Actually, our staffing vertical has been really strong. The more we work in that industry the better we get, which means we carry our hard-earned knowledge forward. And we typically recommend Sage Intacct as our preferred solution for staffing companies, which is such a natural fit.

DC: Are they all just sharing common issues? What have you seen as the cause for them to seek out need for new software?

DAVID VALADE: Well, sure, you do see common issues there. We see tons of nuance, but at its core staffing companies all need to bill their customers efficiently and identify their highest income-generating resources. Some companies are coming off decades-old solutions and don’t even realize how incredibly far software has come.

DC: Why have they all chosen to go to Sage Intacct? What benefits is it providing that other software isn’t?

DAVID VALADE: Oh, where to start? There’s so much with dashboarding, reports… I’ll say one big benefit is Sage Intacct’s pervasive use of dimensions. A staffing company can have projects or jobs, customers, and employees, all set up as dimensions in the software. That simple tagging means that you can put all your costs and revenue to the right project, employee, or customer, so you know right away where your profits are coming from. I’ve seen a lot of software and Sage Intacct is just so elegant. You already know all this, Jennifer, but our customers couldn’t believe it until they saw it firsthand.

DC: And this is providing a lot of measurable success?

DAVID VALADE: Absolutely. I’ll give you one example. One of our staffing customers has a lot of salaried employees. They wanted to know how much of each employee’s cost went to each job they worked – all the way down to overhead costs like benefits and taxes. We assumed some standards, added a few formulas, and now it’s there. It transformed the business – suddenly they realized they were undercharging some customers and underleveraging certain employees. The craziest part is that is was just so easy to do.

DC: So what would be your advice for staffing companies or any companies in general who are having issues, or maybe don’t realize they are having issues with their current accounting solution?

DAVID VALADE: I’d say don’t assume you have your business solved and don’t settle. Take a look at modern cloud-based software, look through the content and videos on our website, or ask for a free consult. If you don’t keep an open mind and explore all those options that can make you more profitable, you can bet your competition will.

DC: I think this will be helpful to those that really may not know they have underlying issues. Any final thoughts?

DAVID VALADE: Anyone who has followed along this far should know that I’m an excellent dancer. A lot of times that goes unmentioned. And it’s a shame when that happens. An absolute shame.

DC: I’d have to agree, I’ve seen it myself! Again, thank you for taking the time to do this for us Dave. It’s greatly appreciated.

DAVID VALADE: My pleasure!

Check out Alta Vista Technology, located just outside of Detroit in Royal Oak, MI. Thinking about making an ERP switch or in the early stages? Drop us a line at 855.913.3228 or send us an email at info@altavistatech.com and we will get back to you within 24 hours.

Jennifer Devine

I'm an experienced finance professional with more than 20 years of experience. I've held several Controller positions throughout my career, most notably with an internationally respected commercial real estate investment, management, and brokerage firm. In this role, I was responsible for all aspects of accounting across the company's many operational divisions - including internet services, real estate development, property management, and brokerage services. As our company operated in multiple countries and currencies, it was essential to me that all financial reports were accurate and compliant.