Invensys Operations Management is out to make it easier and less expensive for small electric utilities in the United States to participate in smart grid, an energy modernization program supported by the U.S. government. Utilities need a high-performance, low-cost way to distribute real-time pricing data to customers so that they can make smarter consumption decisions. Invensys responded by creating a smart grid communications platform using The Service Bus and Access Control Service, both part of the Windows Azure™ platform. The resulting platform enables utilities to immediately embrace smart grid services at affordable prices. Such services will help utility customers save money by using energy more wisely. Invensys developed its pilot solution in just three months as part of a plan to realize increased revenues from selling smart grid–compliant products and services.

Food manufacturer and distributor Halwani Brothers (Egypt) wanted to improve the company’s productivity, efficiency, and profitability by replacing its existing business management system. Working with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner RIGHT, the company deployed Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2009 at its head office and six branches. The software has cut operating costs by 50 per cent and given managers a single view of financial data across the group.

To accommodate sales growth of 125 percent in one year, clothing designer and distributor Head Gear needed to automate and streamline its warehouse operation. The company’s existing Activant Eclipse ERP system, however, lacked the functionality needed to take on new business requirements. For example, the system did not support EDI, which became a necessity as Head Gear penetrated new markets. To meet this need and others, the company deployed Microsoft Dynamics® NAV and add-ons for shipping and the fashion industry. Since then, Head Gear has automated operations and increased responsiveness to customers through EDI. The company has also driven significant improvements in productivity, resulting in a savings of more than U.S.$250,000 a year, and reduced its turnaround time for orders from three days to only one—all while handling a sales volume as large as $1 million a day.

With operations across Kazakhstan, Intertrade, a wholesale distributor of a wide variety of infant products including food items, streamlines its ordering system with the implementation of a mobile trade applicatoin based on Windows Mobile.

Innovative stroller and child mobility products manufacturer Bugaboo International, based in Amsterdam, has a global workforce of 800 employees spread across four continents. To better serve its employees and simplify IT management, Bugaboo International made the move to a more structured IT environment with the help of Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Brain Force. During that process, the company chose to upgrade all of its computers to the Windows® 7 operating system and the Microsoft Office 2007 productivity suite, resulting in productivity and performance improvements, and offering employees better opportunities for global collaboration.

With a growing business around Microsoft Dynamics® CRM, Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner Assistus needed a way to streamline deployments and set clear expectations with customers to ensure optimal solution alignment, drive adoption, and eliminate unplanned costs. To achieve this, the company turned to Microsoft Dynamics Sure Step, which provides a range of tools and templates that cover Microsoft Dynamics solutions from presales to implementation and ongoing support. Now, with Sure Step, the company is consistently ahead on project-delivery timelines, avoids budget overruns, and effectively manages change requests. And because Assistus can store its project information, including custom code, in Sure Step as templates, the company benefits from economies of scale through repeatability, enabling it to improve margins or cut costs on competitive bids to win more business.

One company that has actually seen business increase during an economic downturn is supply-chain services firm PCH International. The company quickly realized, however, that its current enterprise resource planning system could no longer keep up with its growth. PCH began looking for a system that could automate tasks that employees had to perform manually and integrate and unify company data for faster, more efficient storage and retrieval. Working closely with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner ePartners, PCH implemented Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2009 at its headquarters. Soon after, the company deployed the solution to six other locations. Now, the company benefits from border-free data access and management; faster, more cost-efficient transactions; and improved compliance with local tax codes and financial regulations.

Until recently, Dr. Vojtech Alexander’s Hospital in Kezmarok, in the Slovak Republic, managed its supply chain, patient statistics, personnel, and finances with separate applications that weren’t compatible. This meant employees often duplicated their efforts capturing and searching for data. Working with Microsoft® Gold Certified Partner WBI, the hospital deployed Microsoft Dynamics® NAV, helping employees access and share information quickly and easily.

The Supreme Group—which provides food, fuel, logistics, and other services to military and commercial groups operating in areas of conflict—had an enterprise resource planning (ERP) application that was intended for a small organization. After exponential growth, Supreme sought a more integrated, extensible ERP solution. It deployed Microsoft Dynamics® AX and is expanding its implementation to include greater functionality in more countries. Supreme has improved process management with its new solution, leading to better visibility into its warehouse status. As a result, the organization has reduced food waste by 15 to 20 percent because it can efficiently manage stock according to expiration dates. Supreme also increased its information accuracy, resulting in more consistent service to customers, less time spent correcting information, and reduced risk of food or fuel shortages.

Lithuanian financial company DnB Nord Lizingas wanted to reduce manual tasks and improve employee efficiency. It deployed a lease management solution called Sonex Leasing, which is based on Microsoft Dynamics® NAV business management software. With this solution, the company has introduced a new service to the market, increased employee efficiency by 20 per cent, and decreased IT maintenance costs by 50 per cent.