Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Description of Business and Basis of Presentation RCM Technologies, Inc. (the “Company” or “RCM”) is a premier provider of business and technology solutions designed to enhance and maximize the operational performance of its customers through the adaptation and deployment of advanced engineering and information technology services. Additionally, the Company provides specialty health care staffing services through its Specialty Health Care Services group. RCM’s offices are primarily located in major metropolitan centers throughout North America. The consolidated financial statements are comprised of the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers its holdings of highly liquid money-market instruments and certificates of deposits to be cash equivalents if the securities mature within 90 days from the date of acquisition. These investments are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company’s cash balances are maintained in accounts held by major banks and financial institutions. The majority of these balances may exceed federally insured amounts. The Company held $0.1 million of cash and cash equivalents in Canadian banks as of December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, which was held principally in Canadian dollars. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company’s carrying value of financial instruments, consisting primarily of accounts receivable, transit accounts receivable, accounts payable, transit accounts payable and accrued expenses, and borrowings under line of credit approximates fair value due to their liquidity or their short-term nature. The Company does not have derivative products in place to manage risks related to foreign currency fluctuations for its foreign operations or for interest rate changes. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts The Company’s accounts receivable are primarily due from trade customers. Credit is extended based on evaluation of customers’ financial condition and, generally, collateral is not required. Accounts receivable payment terms vary and are stated in the financial statements at amounts due from customers net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts outstanding longer than the payment terms are considered past due. The Company determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, the Company’s previous loss history, the customer’s current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. The Company writes off accounts receivable when they become uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables previously written off are credited to bad debt expense. Accrued and Unbilled Accounts Receivable and Work-in-Process Unbilled receivables primarily represent revenues earned whereby those services are ready to be billed as of the balance sheet ending date. Work-in-process primarily represents revenues earned under contracts which the Company is contractually precluded from invoicing until future dates as project milestones are realized. See Note 4 for further details. Transit Receivables and Transit Payables From time to time, the Company’s Engineering segment enters into agreements to provide, among other things, construction management and engineering services. In certain circumstances, the Company may acquire equipment as a purchasing agent for the client for a fee. Pursuant to these agreements, the Company: a) may engage subcontractors to provide construction or other services or contracts with manufacturers on behalf of the Company’s clients to procure equipment or fixtures; b) typically earns a fixed percentage of the total project value or a negotiated mark-up on subcontractor or procurement charges as a fee; and c) assumes no ownership or risks of inventory. In such situations, the Company acts as an agent under the provisions of “Overall Considerations of Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal versus Net as an Agent” and therefore recognizing revenue on a “net-basis.” The Company records revenue on a “net” basis on relevant engineering and construction management projects, which require subcontractor/procurement costs or transit costs. In those situations, the Company charges the client a negotiated fee, which is reported as net revenue when earned. Under the terms of the agreements, the Company is typically not required to pay the subcontractor until after the corresponding payment from the Company’s end-client is received. Upon invoicing the end-client on behalf of the subcontractor or staffing agency the Company records this amount simultaneously as both a “transit account receivable” and “transit account payable” as the amount when paid to the Company is due to and generally paid to the subcontractor within a few days. The Company typically does not pay a given transit account payable until the related transit account receivable is collected. The Company’s transit accounts payable generally exceeds the Company’s transit accounts receivable but absolute amounts and spreads fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter in the normal course of business. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost net of accumulated depreciation and amortization and are depreciated or amortized on the straight-line method at rates calculated to provide for retirement of assets at the end of their estimated useful lives. Most hardware and software as well as furniture and office equipment is depreciated or amortized over five years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated life of the asset or the lease term. Intangible Assets The Company’s intangible assets have been generated through acquisitions. The Company maintains responsibility for valuing and determining the useful life of intangible assets and typically engages a third party valuation firm to assist them. As a general rule, the Company amortizes restricted covenants over four years and customer relationships over six years. However, circumstances may dictate other amortization terms as determined by the Company and assisted by their third party advisors. Canadian Sales Tax The Company is required to charge and collect sales tax for all Canadian clients and remits invoiced sales tax monthly to the Canadian taxing authorities whether collected or not. The Company does not collect the sales tax from its clients until they have paid their respective invoices. The Company includes uncollected Canadian sales tax invoiced to clients in its prepaid and other current assets. Goodwill Goodwill represents the premium paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in business combinations. The Company is required to assess the carrying value of its reporting units that contain goodwill at least on an annual basis in order to determine if any impairment in value has occurred. The Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a two -step impairment test. An assessment of those qualitative factors or the application of the goodwill impairment test requires significant judgment including but not limited to the assessment of the business, its management and general market conditions, estimation of future cash flows, which is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of growth for the businesses, the useful life over which cash flows will occur and determination of weighted average cost of capital. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or conclusions on goodwill impairment for each reporting unit. The Company formally assesses these qualitative factors and, if necessary, conducts its annual goodwill impairment test as of the last day of the Company’s fiscal November each year, or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company periodically analyzes whether any such indicators of impairment exist. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include a sustained, significant decline in share price and market capitalization, a decline in expected future cash flows, a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate, unanticipated competition, a material change in management or other key personnel and/or slower expected growth rates, among others. Due to the thin trading of the Company stock in the public marketplace and the impact of the control premium held by a relatively few shareholders, the Company may not consider the market capitalization of the Company the most appropriate measure of fair value of goodwill for our reporting units. The Company looks to earnings/revenue multiples of similar companies recently completing acquisitions and the ability of our reporting units to generate cash flows as better measures of the fair value of our reporting units. The Company compares the fair value of each of its reporting units to their respective carrying values, including related goodwill. There can be no assurance that future tests of goodwill impairment will not result in impairment charges. The Company determined there was no impairment during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016. In both years, the Company determined that it was only necessary to assess qualitative factors and therefore did not perform a two -step impairment test. Long-Lived and Intangible Assets The Company evaluates long-lived assets and intangible assets with definite lives for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When it is probable that undiscounted future cash flows will not be sufficient to recover an asset’s carrying amount, the asset is written down to its fair value. Assets to be disposed of by sale, if any, are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell. Software In accordance with “Accounting for Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use,” certain costs related to the development or purchase of internal-use software are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, the Company capitalized approximately $434 and $2,249, respectively, for software costs. The net balance after accumulated depreciation for all software costs capitalized as of December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016 was $2,018 and $2,386, respectively. Income Taxes The Company makes judgments and interpretations based on enacted tax laws, published tax guidance, as well as estimates of future earnings. These judgments and interpretations affect the provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance. The Company evaluated the deferred tax assets and determined on the basis of objective factors that the net assets will be realized through future years’ taxable income. In the event that actual results differ from these estimates and assessments, additional valuation allowances may be required. The Company did not have any valuation allowance as of December 31, 2016 or January 2, 2016. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with “Accounting for Income Taxes” which requires an asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. “Accounting for Income Taxes” requires assessment of the likelihood of realizing benefits associated with deferred tax assets for purposes of determining whether a valuation allowance is needed for such deferred tax assets. The Company and its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. The Company also files tax returns in Canada and Ireland. The Company also follows the provisions of “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes” which prescribes a model for the recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return, and provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, disclosure and transition. The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalty, if any, as interest expense. Revenue Recognition The Company derives its revenues from several sources. The Company’s Engineering Services and Information Technology Services segments perform consulting and project solutions services. All of the Company’s segments perform staff augmentation services and derive revenue from permanent placement fees. The majority of the Company’s revenues are invoiced on a time and materials basis. Project Services The Company recognizes revenues in accordance with current revenue recognition standards under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition, which clarifies application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles to revenue transactions. Project services are generally provided on a cost-plus, fixed-fee or time-and-material basis. Typically, a customer will outsource a discrete project or activity and the Company assumes responsibility for the performance of such project or activity. The Company recognizes revenues and associated costs on a gross basis as services are provided to the customer and costs are incurred using its employees. The Company, from time to time, enters into contracts requiring the completion of specific deliverables. The Company may recognize revenues on these deliverables at the time the client accepts and approves the deliverables. In instances where project services are provided on a fixed-price basis and the contract will extend beyond a 12 -month period, revenue is recorded in accordance with the terms of each contract. In some instances, revenue is billed at the time certain milestones are reached, as defined in the contract. Revenues under these arrangements are recognized as the costs on these contracts are incurred. Amounts invoiced in excess of revenues recognized are recorded as deferred revenue, included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the accompanying balance sheets. In other instances, revenue is billed and recorded based upon contractual rates per hour (i.e., percentage of completion). In addition, some contracts contain “Performance Fees” (bonuses) for completing a contract under budget. Performance Fees, if any, are recorded when earned. Some contracts also limit revenues and billings to specified maximum amounts. Provision for contract losses, if any, are made in the period such losses are determined. For contracts where there is a deliverable, the work is not complete on a specific deliverable and the revenue is not recognized, the costs are deferred. The associated costs are expensed when the related revenue is recognized. See description of revenue recognition policy for construction management and engineering services below in “transit receivables and transit payables.” Consulting and Staffing Services Revenues derived from consulting and staffing services are recorded on a gross basis as services are performed and associated costs have been incurred using employees of the Company. These services are typically billed on a time and material basis. In certain cases, the Company may utilize other companies and their employees to fulfill customer requirements. In these cases, the Company receives an administrative fee for arranging for, billing for, and collecting the billings related to these companies. The customer is typically responsible for assessing the work of these companies who have responsibility for acceptability of their personnel to the customer. Under these circumstances, the Company’s reported revenues are net of associated costs (effectively recognizing the net administrative fee only). Transit Receivables and Transit Payables From time to time, the Company’s Engineering segment enters into agreements to provide, among other things, construction management and engineering services. In certain circumstances, the Company may acquire equipment as a purchasing agent for the client for a fee. Pursuant to these agreements, the Company: a) may engage subcontractors to provide construction or other services or contracts with manufacturers on behalf of the Company’s clients to procure equipment or fixtures; b) typically earns a fixed percentage of the total project value or a negotiated mark-up on subcontractor or procurement charges as a fee; and c) assumes no ownership or risks of inventory. In such situations, the Company acts as an agent under the provisions of “Overall Considerations of Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal versus Net as an Agent” and therefore recognizing revenue on a “net-basis.” The Company records revenue on a “net” basis on relevant engineering and construction management projects, which require subcontractor/procurement costs or transit costs. In those situations, the Company charges the client a negotiated fee, which is reported as net revenue when earned. During the fifty - two week period ended December 31, 2016, total gross billings, including both transit cost billings and the Company’s earned fees, was $49.7 million, for which the Company recognized $27.3 million of its net fee as revenue. During the fifty - two week period ended January 2, 2016, total gross billings, including both transit cost billings and the Company’s earned fees, was $65.9 million, for which the Company recognized $34.5 million of its net fee as revenue. The net fee revenue from these agreements represented 15.5% of the Company’s total revenues for the fifty - two week period ended December 31, 2016 as compared to 18.6% for the comparable prior year period. Under the terms of the agreements, the Company is typically not required to pay the subcontractor until after the corresponding payment from the Company’s end-client is received. Upon invoicing the end-client on behalf of the subcontractor or staffing agency the Company records this amount simultaneously as both a “transit account receivable” and “transit account payable” as the amount when paid to the Company is due to and generally paid to the subcontractor within a few days. The Company typically does not pay a given transit account payable until the related transit account receivable is collected. The Company’s transit accounts payable generally exceeds the Company’s transit accounts receivable but absolute amounts and spreads fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter in the normal course of business. The transit accounts receivable was $4.3 million and related transit accounts payable was $6.8 million, a net payable of $2.5 million, as of December 31, 2016. The transit accounts receivable was $7.5 million and related transit accounts payable was $9.0 million, a net payable of $1.5 million, as of January 2, 2016. Permanent Placement Services The Company earns permanent placement fees from providing permanent placement services. Fees for placements are recognized at the time the candidate commences employment. The Company guarantees its permanent placements on a prorated basis for 90 days. In the event a candidate is not retained for the 90 -day period, the Company will provide a suitable replacement candidate. In the event a replacement candidate cannot be located, the Company will provide a prorated refund to the client. An allowance for refunds, based upon the Company’s historical experience, is recorded in the financial statements. Permanent placement revenues were $3.6 million and $3.4 million for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, respectively. Concentration During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, no client accounted for more than 10.0% of total revenues. As of December 31, 2016 the following clients represented more than 10.0% of the Company’s accounts receivable, net: New York Power Authority was 17.6%. As of December 31, 2016, New York Power Authority total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable of $0.5 million) was $8.4 million or 17.0% of the total of accounts receivable, net and transit accounts receivable. No other customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s accounts receivable, net or total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable). The Company’s five, ten and twenty largest customers accounted for approximately 31.8%, 47.7% and 60.8%, respectively, of the Company’s revenues for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. During the fiscal year ended January 2, 2016, no client accounted for more than 10.0% of total revenues. As of January 2, 2016 the following clients represented more than 10.0% of the Company’s accounts receivable, net: 1) New York Power Authority was 17.4% and 2) Ontario Power Group (the Company primarily serviced Ontario Power Generation as a subcontractor through Black and McDonald Limited) was 16.5% and 3) New York City Board of Education was 10.3%. As of January 2, 2016, New York Power Authority total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable of $1.0 million) was $9.8 million or 16.8% of the total of accounts receivable, net and transit accounts receivable. As of January 2, 2016, Ontario Power Group total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable of $1.1 million) was $9.5 million or 15.5% of the total accounts receivable, net and transit accounts receivable. No other customer accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s accounts receivable, net or total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable). The Company’s five, ten and twenty largest customers accounted for approximately 33.7%, 48.3% and 60.5%, respectively, of the Company’s revenues for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2016. Foreign Currency Translation The functional currency of the Company’s Canadian subsidiary is the local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at period-end exchange rates. Income and expense items are translated at weighted average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. Any translation adjustments are included in the accumulated other comprehensive income account in stockholders’ equity. Transactions executed in different currencies resulting in exchange adjustments are translated at spot rates and resulting foreign exchange transaction gains and losses are included in the results of operations. Comprehensive Income Comprehensive income consists of net income and foreign currency translation adjustments. Per Share Data Basic net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares plus dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential dilutive common shares consist of stock options and other stock-based awards under the Company’s stock compensation plans, when their impact is dilutive. Because of the Company’s capital structure, all reported earnings pertain to common shareholders and no other adjustments are necessary. Share - Based Compensation The Company recognizes share-based compensation over the vesting period of an award based on fair value at the grant date determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Certain assumptions are used to determine the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant and require subjective judgment. Because employee stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, and because changes in the input assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate, the existing models may not provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of the employee stock options. Management assesses the assumptions and methodologies used to calculate estimated fair value of stock-based compensation when share-based awards are granted. Circumstances may change and additional data may become available over time, which could result in changes to these assumptions and methodologies and thereby materially impact our fair value determination. See Note 11 for additional share-based compensation information. Restricted share units are recognized at their fair value. The amount of compensation cost is measured on the grant date fair value of the equity instrument issued. The compensation cost of the restricted share units is recognized over the vesting period of the restricted share units on a straight-line basis. Restricted share units typically include dividend accrual equivalents, which means that any dividends paid by the Company during the vesting period become due and payable after the vesting period assuming the grantee’s restricted stock unit fully vests. Dividends for these grants are accrued on the dividend payment dates and included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Dividends for restricted share units that ultimately do not vest are forfeited. Advertising Costs Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Total advertising expense was $643 and $635 for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2016 and January 2, 2016, respectively.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

RCM Technologies, Inc. (the “Company” or “RCM”) is a premier provider of business and technology solutions designed to enhance and maximize the operational performance of its customers through the adaptation and deployment of advanced engineering and information technology services. Additionally, the Company provides specialty health care staffing services through its Specialty Health Care Services group. RCM’s offices are primarily located in major metropolitan centers throughout North America.

The consolidated financial statements are comprised of the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers its holdings of highly liquid money-market instruments and certificates of deposits to be cash equivalents if the securities mature within

days from the date of acquisition. These investments are carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company’s cash balances are maintained in accounts held by major banks and financial institutions. The majority of these balances

may

exceed federally insured amounts. The Company held

$0.1

million of cash and cash equivalents in Canadian banks as of

December

31,

2016

and

January

2016,

which was held principally in Canadian dollars.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s carrying value of financial instruments, consisting primarily of accounts receivable, transit accounts receivable, accounts payable, transit accounts payable and accrued expenses, and borrowings under line of credit approximates fair value due to their liquidity or their short-term nature. The Company does not have derivative products in place to manage risks related to foreign currency fluctuations for its foreign operations or for interest rate changes.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

The Company’s accounts receivable are primarily due from trade customers. Credit is extended based on evaluation of customers’ financial condition and, generally, collateral is not required. Accounts receivable payment terms vary and are stated in the financial statements at amounts due from customers net of an allowance for doubtful accounts. Accounts outstanding longer than the payment terms are considered past due. The Company determines its allowance by considering a number of factors, including the length of time trade accounts receivable are past due, the Company’s previous loss history, the customer’s current ability to pay its obligation to the Company, and the condition of the general economy and the industry as a whole. The Company writes off accounts receivable when they become uncollectible, and payments subsequently received on such receivables previously written off are credited to bad debt expense.

Accrued and Unbilled Accounts Receivable and Work-in-Process

Unbilled receivables primarily represent revenues earned whereby those services are ready to be billed as of the balance sheet ending date. Work-in-process primarily represents revenues earned under contracts which the Company is contractually precluded from invoicing until future dates as project milestones are realized. See Note

for further details.

Transit Receivables and Transit Payables

From time to time, the Company’s Engineering segment enters into agreements to provide, among other things, construction management and engineering services. In certain circumstances, the Company

may

acquire equipment as a purchasing agent for the client for a fee. Pursuant to these agreements, the Company: a)

may

engage subcontractors to provide construction or other services or contracts with manufacturers on behalf of the Company’s clients to procure equipment or fixtures; b) typically earns a fixed percentage of the total project value or a negotiated mark-up on subcontractor or procurement charges as a fee; and c) assumes no ownership or risks of inventory. In such situations, the Company acts as an agent under the provisions of “Overall Considerations of Reporting Revenue Gross as a Principal versus Net as an Agent” and therefore recognizing revenue on a “net-basis.” The Company records revenue on a “net” basis on relevant engineering and construction management projects, which require subcontractor/procurement costs or transit costs. In those situations, the Company charges the client a negotiated fee, which is reported as net revenue when earned.

Under the terms of the agreements, the Company is typically not required to pay the subcontractor until after the corresponding payment from the Company’s end-client is received. Upon invoicing the end-client on behalf of the subcontractor or staffing agency the Company records this amount simultaneously as both a “transit account receivable” and “transit account payable” as the amount when paid to the Company is due to and generally paid to the subcontractor within a few days. The Company typically does not pay a given transit account payable until the related transit account receivable is collected. The Company’s transit accounts payable generally exceeds the Company’s transit accounts receivable but absolute amounts and spreads fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter in the normal course of business.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost net of accumulated depreciation and amortization and are depreciated or amortized on the straight-line method at rates calculated to provide for retirement of assets at the end of their estimated useful lives. Most hardware and software as well as furniture and office equipment is depreciated or amortized over

five

years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated life of the asset or the lease term.

Intangible Assets

The Company’s intangible assets have been generated through acquisitions. The Company maintains responsibility for valuing and determining the useful life of intangible assets and typically engages a

third

party valuation firm to assist them. As a general rule, the Company amortizes restricted covenants over

four

years and customer relationships over

six

years. However, circumstances

may

dictate other amortization terms as determined by the Company and assisted by their

third

party advisors.

Canadian Sales Tax

The Company is required to charge and collect sales tax for all Canadian clients and remits invoiced sales tax monthly to the Canadian taxing authorities whether collected or not. The Company does not collect the sales tax from its clients until they have paid their respective invoices. The Company includes uncollected Canadian sales tax invoiced to clients in its prepaid and other current assets.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the premium paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in business combinations. The Company is required to assess the carrying value of its reporting units that contain goodwill at least on an annual basis in order to determine if any impairment in value has occurred. The Company has the option to

first

assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a

two

-step impairment test. An assessment of those qualitative factors or the application of the goodwill impairment test requires significant judgment including but not limited to the assessment of the business, its management and general market conditions, estimation of future cash flows, which is dependent on internal forecasts, estimation of the long-term rate of growth for the businesses, the useful life over which cash flows will occur and determination of weighted average cost of capital. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value and/or conclusions on goodwill impairment for each reporting unit. The Company formally assesses these qualitative factors and, if necessary, conducts its annual goodwill impairment test as of the last day of the Company’s fiscal

November

each year, or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company periodically analyzes whether any such indicators of impairment exist. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators

may

include a sustained, significant decline in share price and market capitalization, a decline in expected future cash flows, a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate, unanticipated competition, a material change in management or other key personnel and/or slower expected growth rates, among others. Due to the thin trading of the Company stock in the public marketplace and the impact of the control premium held by

relatively few shareholders, the Company

may

not consider the market capitalization of the Company the most appropriate measure of fair value of goodwill for our reporting units. The Company looks to earnings/revenue multiples of similar companies recently completing acquisitions and the ability of our reporting units to generate cash flows as better measures of the fair value of our reporting units. The Company compares the fair value of each of its reporting units to their respective carrying values, including related goodwill. There can be no assurance that future tests of goodwill impairment will not result in impairment charges. The Company determined there was no impairment during the fiscal years ended

December

31,

2016

and

January

2016.

In both years, the Company determined that it was only necessary to assess qualitative factors and therefore did not perform a

two

-step impairment test.

Long-Lived and Intangible Assets

The Company evaluates long-lived assets and intangible assets with definite lives for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset

may

not be recoverable. When it is probable that undiscounted future cash flows will not be sufficient to recover an asset’s carrying amount, the asset is written down to its fair value. Assets to be disposed of by sale, if any, are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell.

Software

In accordance with “Accounting for Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal Use,” certain costs related to the development or purchase of internal-use software are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the software. During the fiscal years ended

December

31,

2016

and

January

2016,

the Company capitalized approximately

$434

and

$2,249,

respectively, for software costs. The net balance after accumulated depreciation for all software costs capitalized as of

December

31,

2016

and

January

2016

was

$2,018

and

$2,386,

respectively.

Income Taxes

The Company makes judgments and interpretations based on enacted tax laws, published tax guidance, as well as estimates of future earnings. These judgments and interpretations affect the provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and the valuation allowance. The Company evaluated the deferred tax assets and determined on the basis of objective factors that the net assets will be realized through future years’ taxable income. In the event that actual results differ from these estimates and assessments, additional valuation allowances

may

be required. The Company did not have any valuation allowance as of

December

31,

2016

January

2016.

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with “Accounting for Income Taxes” which requires an asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. “Accounting for Income Taxes” requires assessment of the likelihood of realizing benefits associated with deferred tax assets for purposes of determining whether a valuation allowance is needed for such deferred tax assets. The Company and its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return. The Company also files tax returns in Canada and Ireland.

The Company also follows the provisions of “Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes” which prescribes a model for the recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return, and provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, disclosure and transition. The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalty, if any, as interest expense.

Revenue Recognition

The Company derives its revenues from several sources. The Company’s Engineering Services and Information Technology Services segments perform consulting and project solutions services. All of the Company’s segments perform staff augmentation services and derive revenue from permanent placement fees. The majority of the Company’s revenues are invoiced on a time and materials basis.

Project Services

The Company recognizes revenues in accordance with current revenue recognition standards under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)

605,

Revenue Recognition, which clarifies application of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles to revenue transactions. Project services are generally provided on a cost-plus, fixed-fee or time-and-material basis. Typically, a customer will outsource a discrete project or activity and the Company assumes responsibility for the performance of such project or activity. The Company recognizes revenues and associated costs on a gross basis as services are provided to the customer and costs are incurred using its employees. The Company, from time to time, enters into contracts requiring the completion of specific deliverables. The Company

may

recognize revenues on these deliverables at the time the client accepts and approves the deliverables. In instances where project services are provided on a fixed-price basis and the contract will extend beyond a

-month period, revenue is recorded in accordance with the terms of each contract. In some instances, revenue is billed at the time certain milestones are reached, as defined in the contract. Revenues under these arrangements are recognized as the costs on these contracts are incurred. Amounts invoiced in excess of revenues recognized are recorded as deferred revenue, included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the accompanying balance sheets. In other instances, revenue is billed and recorded based upon contractual rates per hour (i.e., percentage of completion). In addition, some contracts contain “Performance Fees” (bonuses) for completing a contract under budget. Performance Fees, if any, are recorded when earned. Some contracts also limit revenues and billings to specified maximum amounts. Provision for contract losses, if any, are made in the period such losses are determined. For contracts where there is a deliverable, the work is not complete on a specific deliverable and the revenue is not recognized, the costs are deferred. The associated costs are expensed when the related revenue is recognized.

See description of revenue recognition policy for construction management and engineering services below in “transit receivables and transit payables.”

Consulting and Staffing Services

Revenues derived from consulting and staffing services are recorded on a gross basis as services are performed and associated costs have been incurred using employees of the Company. These services are typically billed on a time and material basis.

In certain cases, the Company

may

utilize other companies and their employees to fulfill customer requirements. In these cases, the Company receives an administrative fee for arranging for, billing for, and collecting the billings related to these companies. The customer is typically responsible for assessing the work of these companies who have responsibility for acceptability of their personnel to the customer. Under these circumstances, the Company’s reported revenues are net of associated costs (effectively recognizing the net administrative fee only).

Transit Receivables and Transit Payables

From time to time, the Company’s Engineering segment enters into agreements to provide, among other things, construction management and engineering services. In certain circumstances, the Company

may

acquire equipment as a purchasing agent for the client for a fee. Pursuant to these agreements, the Company: a)

may

During the

fifty

two

week period ended

December

31,

2016,

total gross billings, including both transit cost billings and the Company’s earned fees, was

$49.7

million, for which the Company recognized

$27.3

million of its net fee as revenue. During the

fifty

two

week period ended

January

2016,

total gross billings, including both transit cost billings and the Company’s earned fees, was

$65.9

million, for which the Company recognized

$34.5

million of its net fee as revenue. The net fee revenue from these agreements represented

15.5%

of the Company’s total revenues for the

fifty

two

week period ended

December

31,

2016

as compared to

18.6%

for the comparable prior year period.

The transit accounts receivable was

$4.3

million and related transit accounts payable was

$6.8

million, a net payable of

$2.5

million, as of

December

31,

2016.

The transit accounts receivable was

$7.5

million and related transit accounts payable was

$9.0

million, a net payable of

$1.5

million, as of

January

2016.

Permanent Placement Services

The Company earns permanent placement fees from providing permanent placement services. Fees for placements are recognized at the time the candidate commences employment. The Company guarantees its permanent placements on a prorated basis for

days. In the event a candidate is not retained for the

-day period, the Company will provide a suitable replacement candidate. In the event a replacement candidate cannot be located, the Company will provide a prorated refund to the client. An allowance for refunds, based upon the Company’s historical experience, is recorded in the financial statements.

Permanent placement revenues were

$3.6

million and

$3.4

million for the fiscal years ended

December

31,

2016

and

January

2016,

respectively.

Concentration

During the fiscal year ended

December

31,

2016,

no client accounted for more than

10.0%

of total revenues. As of

December

31,

2016

the following clients represented more than

10.0%

of the Company’s accounts receivable, net: New York Power Authority was

17.6%.

As of

December

31,

2016,

New York Power Authority total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable of

$0.5

million) was

$8.4

million or

17.0%

of the total of accounts receivable, net and transit accounts receivable. No other customer accounted for

10%

or more of the Company’s accounts receivable, net or total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable). The Company’s

five,

ten

and

twenty

largest customers accounted for approximately

31.8%,

47.7%

and

60.8%,

respectively, of the Company’s revenues for the fiscal year ended

December

31,

2016.

During the fiscal year ended

January

2016,

no client accounted for more than

10.0%

of total revenues. As of

January

2016

the following clients represented more than

10.0%

of the Company’s accounts receivable, net:

New York Power Authority was

17.4%

and

Ontario Power Group (the Company primarily serviced Ontario Power Generation as a subcontractor through Black and McDonald Limited) was

16.5%

and

New York City Board of Education was

10.3%.

As of

January

2016,

New York Power Authority total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable of

$1.0

million) was

$9.8

million or

16.8%

of the total of accounts receivable, net and transit accounts receivable. As of

January

2016,

Ontario Power Group total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable of

$1.1

million) was

$9.5

million or

15.5%

of the total accounts receivable, net and transit accounts receivable. No other customer accounted for

10%

or more of the Company’s accounts receivable, net or total accounts receivable balance (including transit accounts receivable). The Company’s

five,

ten

and

twenty

largest customers accounted for approximately

33.7%,

48.3%

and

60.5%,

respectively, of the Company’s revenues for the fiscal year ended

January

2016.

Foreign Currency Translation

The functional currency of the Company’s Canadian subsidiary is the local currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at period-end exchange rates. Income and expense items are translated at weighted average rates of exchange prevailing during the year. Any translation adjustments are included in the accumulated other comprehensive income account in stockholders’ equity. Transactions executed in different currencies resulting in exchange adjustments are translated at spot rates and resulting foreign exchange transaction gains and losses are included in the results of operations.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income consists of net income and foreign currency translation adjustments.

Per Share Data

Basic net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is calculated using the weighted-average number of common shares plus dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential dilutive common shares consist of stock options and other stock-based awards under the Company’s stock compensation plans, when their impact is dilutive. Because of the Company’s capital structure, all reported earnings pertain to common shareholders and no other adjustments are necessary.

Share - Based Compensation

The Company recognizes share-based compensation over the vesting period of an award based on fair value at the grant date determined using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Certain assumptions are used to determine the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant and require subjective judgment. Because employee stock options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, and because changes in the input assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate, the existing models

may

not provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of the employee stock options. Management assesses the assumptions and methodologies used to calculate estimated fair value of stock-based compensation when share-based awards are granted. Circumstances

may

change and additional data

may

become available over time, which could result in changes to these assumptions and methodologies and thereby materially impact our fair value determination. See Note

for additional share-based compensation information.

Restricted share units are recognized at their fair value. The amount of compensation cost is measured on the grant date fair value of the equity instrument issued. The compensation cost of the restricted share units is recognized over the vesting period of the restricted share units on a straight-line basis. Restricted share units typically include dividend accrual equivalents, which means that any dividends paid by the Company during the vesting period become due and payable after the vesting period assuming the grantee’s restricted stock unit fully vests. Dividends for these grants are accrued on the dividend payment dates and included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Dividends for restricted share units that ultimately do not vest are forfeited.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Total advertising expense was

$643

and

$635

for the fiscal years ended

December

31,

2016

and

January

2016,

respectively.