Situation:

Kirkwood Electric, Inc. began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1895. This fourth-generation company is composed of four divisions; Residential, Commercial, Service, and Home-Technologies. As their Service division grew rapidly, Kirkwood needed a solution to help them improve the records and accountability of this division. They also wanted to improve tracking of Residential and Commercial project profitability and reporting. Kirkwood implemented Microsoft Business Solutions–Solomon (now part of Microsoft Dynamics™), including the Field Service Management and Project Management modules. The company has 100 employees and 20 users. Annual revenue for the company is approximately $7.5 million.

Solution:

Kirkwood Electric implemented Microsoft Business Solutions–Solomon (now part of Microsoft Dynamics™). They implemented the Field Service Management, Financial Management, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, HR Management, and Customization Tools modules.

Benefits:

"We appreciate the fact that we can make Microsoft Solomon into whatever we want it to be," says Young. "It has the flexibility we need for both today and tomorrow." Young indicated she has completed numerous customizations on her own and has had assistance for the remainder.

"When we started the selection process, one of the goals I had was to find a solution that could grow with the company," says Beech. With Microsoft Solomon, the company is now able to grow without having to increase the clerical staff at the same rate.

Prior to implementation, Kirkwood was forced to bring data out into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets before they could use it. This data had to be manipulated before it was useable. "Crystal Reports provides us with instant reports based on actual data. The level of editing required prior to staff using this information is nil," says Young. "I have also found that training time has been significantly reduced due to the consistent feel of the software and because of the customizations. If a field isn't required to be used, it doesn't appear.

The Field Service module was one of the major reasons Kirkwood selected Microsoft Solomon. "We have gained tremendous ground in accountability," says Beech. "Prior to implementing Microsoft Solomon, it was extremely difficult to tell where one service technician was, much less where all of the service technicians were; now with the graphical dispatch board, we can see where all the technicians are supposed to be at a single glance." The graphical dispatch board now provides the Services division with excellent accountability.

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