A and several other countries are expected toattend

The awards are presented by the StevieAwards, which organizes several of the worlds leading business awards showsincluding the prestigious American Business Awards. Nicknamed the Stevies forthe Greek word "crowned," winners will be announced during a gala banquet onMonday, February 9 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Nominated customer serviceand sales executives from the U.S.A and several other countries are expected toattend. More than 500 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually everyindustry were submitted to this years competition.

LeanLogistics is a finalistfor two categories: Sales Department of the Year - Distribution & Transportation, based on thecompanys 18 new clients, and 36 percent sales growth from 2007 to 2008 Customer Service Department of the Year - Airlines, Distribution &Transportation, based on the companys surveys of existing customers, which showhigh marks in customer renewal responses and willingness to provide referralsfor LeanLogistics"We are exceptionally proud to be named as finalists for two Stevie Awards,"says Dan Dershem, CEO and president, LeanLogistics. "We founded LeanLogisticswith the philosophy that our success would be dependent on offering innovativetechnologies supported by exceptional customer service. To be recognized as aStevie Award finalist validates our approach, and our belief that we deliver thebest service in the transportation industry." LeanLogistics focus on customer service is a byproduct of the LeanLogisticsSoftware as a Service (SaaS) business model. Unlike traditional technologiesthat are purchased for a one-time fee, LeanLogistics clients pay a monthlysubscription to access a suite of Web-based services. Accordingly, there isntthe traditional transition from a "sales" to "support" relationship. Instead,LeanLogistics SaaS products and services must provide consistent value to theclient throughout the relationship.

That relationship begins with the new-client sales process, where the Sales andMarketing teams develop an in-depth understanding of the clients business andobjectives. Finally, the Account teams provide ongoing support, and sharebenchmarking and best practices to ensure that clients realize the full value oftheir transportation management system. To support customer service and new-client sales, LeanLogistics also focuses onbecoming an information resource for the industry. The company also hosted more than 100clients, industry leaders and analysts for the two-day LeanLogistics Symposiumin Grand Rapids, Mich. As part of the companys efforts to educate the industrymembers about macro-economic changes impacting transportation costs,LeanLogistics sponsored "The CFOs Guide to Transportation Spend Management."The white paper, presented by Logistics Management and Supply Chain Managementmagazines, illustrated how some companies have realized a 15-20 percentreduction in their transportation expenses through improved transportationmanagement. However, the most successful sales tool - and most telling evidence ofLeanLogistics customer service - is the number of clients that are referred toLeanLogistics by existing customers. "A customer willing to endorse your services is exponentially more powerful thanany advertisement or white paper we could publish," says Dershem.