Hitachi Consulting Client, The Linc Group, Wins Microsoft Dynamics Overall Customer Excellence Award

‘Pioneer’ Provider of Technical Facilities Services Industry Using Microsoft Dynamics (CRM & AX) and Hitachi Consulting’s Field Services Solution

DALLAS – April 9, 2009 – Hitachi Consulting client, The Linc Group, a leader in the technical facilities services industry, was recently awarded the 2009 Microsoft Dynamics Overall Customer Excellence Award. The company, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., was honored by Microsoft at the recent Microsoft Dynamics user conference, Convergence 2009, in New Orleans.



The Microsoft Dynamics Overall Customer Excellence Award Winner is given to the top nominee from among Microsoft’s 10 Customer Excellence award categories. Award submissions are judged based on creativity, vision, and business benefits of using Dynamics. The Customer Excellence Awards were established in 1997 to recognize Microsoft customers that have achieved notable accomplishments using Dynamics solutions.

The Linc Group’s leadership team, which includes Tracy Price, Dave Whaley, and Greg Lush, formed the company five years ago and created a global industry leader with several operating companies, and 4,000 employees in nearly 400 locations. The Linc Group uses Microsoft technology to unify its companies, streamline and automate processes.

In a recent Aberdeen Group research report, Recession Battle Plan for Field Service, The Linc Group’s strategy and success were described in detail.

The Linc Group … has been a pioneer and early adopter of technology to supports its corporate goals.

According to Mike Gillis, Managing Vice President, National Microsoft Dynamics team, "The Linc Group, from its inception, had a vision to transform the traditional building services industry into a modern, real-time collaborative environment. With Microsoft technology at the foundation, they have created an enterprise-wide business model that seamlessly integrates quality, standards and best practices, communication, and continuous improvement. This unique approach has allowed them to truly raise the bar for profitable and consistent service delivery industry-wide."

“We made a big bet on Microsoft early on and it has clearly paid off. We’ve been able to manage and sustain our rapid growth by leaning heavily on technology,” said The Linc Group CIO Greg Lush. "Our company has been completely transformed by Microsoft technologies. One of our major challenges is that our service workers are all around the world, and are always out in the field. We absolutely could not deliver the same consistent, high-caliber service the old manual-work-order way. We rely on our integrated Microsoft Dynamics solutions. "

The Linc Group’s winning solution, Gillis said, is built out of the box on Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 with Field Services and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, along with Office, SharePoint, and Performance Point, running from Ultra Mobile personal computers in the field. The Linc Group was able to tailor the solution to meet specific business needs using the configuration tools available with Microsoft Dynamics AX with Field Services. The solutions provide a platform for streamlining operations, measurement, analyses, and continuous improvements to deliver quality service.

"The Linc Group is an outstanding example of what Microsoft Dynamics can do for a company’s field services organization," said Gillis. "In today’s economic turmoil, field services is one business area where customer service can be significantly improved, while reducing costs."