Lenovo PCCW Solutions (LPS) streamlines project management with Dynamics 365 Project Operations

Lenovo, a Fortune Global 500 technology leader, continues to redefine what it means to deliver “smarter technology for all.” With $62 billion in annual revenue and 77,000 employees worldwide, Lenovo’s solutions span over 180 markets. When its subsidiary, Lenovo PCCW Solutions (LPS), identified opportunities to enhance its project management capabilities for scalability and growth, it embarked on a bold transformation journey powered by Lenovo’s Digital Transformation (DT) and IT teams with Microsoft Dynamics 365.

An opportunity to scale for growth

As a strategic partnership between Lenovo and Hong Kong-based IT integrator PCCW, LPS provides one-stop IT solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. With its expanding business and a growing client base, LPS saw an opportunity to streamline operations, unify processes, and enhance real-time visibility into project performance to better serve its customers. While existing systems had supported the business successfully, the rapid pace of growth necessitated a more integrated, automated approach.

“We recognized the need to evolve our operations to align with the increasing demands of our clients,” says Yuyan Xu, DT Business Process Design Specialist at Lenovo. “By investing in modern technology, we could ensure that our teams had the tools they needed to deliver exceptional results.”

Unified and intelligent project management

To meet these goals, Lenovo’s DT and IT teams led a transformation initiative over several months, leveraging the power of Dynamics 365 Project Operations. Internal Lenovo teams had already adopted Dynamics 365 solutions including Dynamics 365 Sales and Customer Service.

The objective of the initiative was to create an end-to-end project management platform that integrates workflows, automates processes, and provides real-time insights.

Key features of the new solution include:

Opportunities and Quotes: An online tool for cost modeling and profitability analysis, with seamless approval workflows.
Contracts and Billing: Unified management of milestones, billing plans, and automated integration with Salesforce.
Project Execution: Corporate-level governance with Project Operations acting as the single source of truth for delivery data.
Resource Management: Real-time syncing of resource data between HR systems and Project Operations, ensuring accurate allocation.
Cost and Budget Control: Automated tracking of project budgets, costs, and forecasts, triggering streamlined procurement processes.

“The success of this transformation highlights the deep collaboration between Lenovo’s DT and IT teams and our ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions for complex challenges,” says Ken Zhou, Director, IT Product Management at Lenovo. “This unified platform has not only optimized our operations but also positioned LPS to lead in delivering exceptional value to our clients.”

Efficiency, Transparency, and Innovation

The new solution went into production in July 2024. With Dynamics 365 Project Operations, LPS now has a complete project management solution that unifies project quotes, execution, resource management, milestone tracking, billing, procurement, and financials, helping thousands of project operations employees in multiple regions manage internal and external projects more efficiently.

Since implementing the new solution, LPS has achieved the following results:

100% Contract Compliance: Standardized processes ensure consistency and compliance across all projects.
Improved Resource Utilization: Managers can now create accurate resource plans, track milestones, and optimize timesheets in real time.
Enhanced Productivity: Automated quotation and billing workflows reduce manual effort, improve data accuracy, and save time.
Real-Time Financial Insights: Integrated dashboards provide P&L visibility into revenue, cost, and project utilization, enhancing decision making and reducing fraud risk.

"With real-time data at our fingertips in Dynamics 365, we are transforming how we deliver projects—driving efficiency, enabling faster, data-driven decisions, and creating greater value for our clients," says Jimmy Guo, Senior Manager from Lenovo's Digital Transformation team.

LPS can also capture project revenue data in real time in Dynamics 365, which provides a single source of truth and enhances overall project reporting.

AI-driven transformation with Microsoft Copilot in Dynamics 365

In addition to standardizing project management, Lenovo is pioneering the use of AI to redefine how teams work. With Microsoft Copilot embedded into Dynamics 365 Sales and Dynamics 365 Customer Service, Lenovo now leverages conversational AI to:

Assess project risks and identify bottlenecks proactively.
Simplify the creation of detailed project plans and status reports.
Enable employees to focus on strategy and innovation rather than manual tasks.

“Integrating AI into project management has been a game-changer for us,” says Yuyan Xu. “It empowers our teams to manage projects smarter and faster, ensuring we deliver exceptional value to our customers.”

Looking ahead: shaping the future of project management

Lenovo’s commitment to innovation doesn’t stop here. Partnering closely with Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Project Operations team, Lenovo is exploring groundbreaking advancements, including autonomous agents capable of managing projects end-to-end. For example, Microsoft invited Lenovo to participate in the private preview for Time and Expense Agent in Project Operations. Lenovo is testing the features of the agent and providing valuable feedback to the Project Operations product group, with the feedback benefiting both Lenovo and other Project Operations customers.

“By blending Lenovo’s operational expertise with Microsoft’s AI-driven solutions, we’re not only transforming our own processes but also setting new benchmarks for the industry,” says Zhou “Our vision is to lead the way in using AI to unlock unparalleled efficiencies in project management.”

Overall, this transformation project demonstrated the determination and capability of both companies to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market, setting a strong example for companies with similar digital transformation needs.