EPC Group FAQ
Common questions about EPC Group Microsoft consulting services, pricing, AI expertise, and enterprise solutions for Fortune 500 and federal agencies. Don't see your question? Contact us or call (888) 381-9725.
AI & Microsoft Copilot
What is a vCAIO (Virtual Chief AI Officer)?
A vCAIO (Virtual Chief AI Officer) is EPC Group's flagship strategic advisory service that provides organizations with executive-level AI leadership at a fraction of the cost of a full-time C-suite hire. The vCAIO delivers AI governance frameworks, ROI modeling, enterprise roadmap development, vendor evaluation, and hands-on implementation support for Microsoft 365 Copilot, Azure OpenAI, and custom AI agent development using Copilot Studio.
How does EPC Group handle Microsoft 365 Copilot Readiness?
EPC Group uses a proprietary 4-Pillar Copilot Readiness Methodology: (1) Data Governance — remediating over-shared files and folders; (2) Sensitivity Labeling — implementing Microsoft Purview labels; (3) Technical Configuration — configuring Copilot licensing and security policies; (4) End-User Adoption — training programs to drive ROI. This ensures your data is secure before AI is enabled, preventing the exposure of sensitive files.
What is EPC Group's "Multiple Models. One Truth." AI strategy?
"Multiple Models. One Truth." is EPC Group's signature framework for enterprise Generative AI. Rather than locking organizations into a single AI vendor, EPC Group integrates multiple frontier models — GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Google Gemini — into a unified, governed workflow. This routes tasks to the optimal model while maintaining a single source of truth through Microsoft Fabric and Azure AI Studio.
Can EPC Group build custom AI Agents?
Yes. EPC Group builds production-ready custom AI agents using Microsoft Copilot Studio, Azure OpenAI Service, and semantic search over proprietary enterprise data. These agents connect to Dataverse, SQL Server, Microsoft Fabric, and third-party APIs to automate workflows in HR, Sales, Finance, and IT.
What is the 47-point Copilot Readiness Checklist?
EPC Group's 47-Question Copilot Readiness Checklist is a comprehensive pre-deployment assessment covering data governance, licensing, security, compliance, and adoption planning. Organizations that complete this checklist before enabling Copilot reduce security incidents by 80% and achieve 3x faster user adoption.
How long does a Microsoft 365 Copilot deployment take?
A full Microsoft 365 Copilot deployment with EPC Group typically takes 6-12 weeks, depending on tenant size and governance maturity. Phase 1 (Data Governance) takes 2-4 weeks; Phase 2 (Technical Configuration) takes 2-3 weeks; Phase 3 (User Training) takes 2-4 weeks.
What's the difference between Copilot for Microsoft 365 and Azure OpenAI?
Copilot for Microsoft 365 is a SaaS AI assistant embedded in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams — requiring no coding. Azure OpenAI Service is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering that allows developers to build custom AI applications using GPT-4o with full control over prompts, fine-tuning, and data integration.
Can you integrate Copilot with our legacy systems (SAP, Salesforce, Oracle)?
Yes. EPC Group specializes in integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure OpenAI with legacy enterprise systems including SAP ERP, Salesforce CRM, Oracle Financials, and custom SQL databases using Microsoft Power Platform and API connectors.
Power BI, Fabric & Data Engineering
Does EPC Group offer same-day Power BI emergency support?
Yes. EPC Group provides Emergency Power BI Support for critical dashboard failures, gateway errors, dataset refresh issues, and performance degradation. Senior Power BI architects are available for immediate intervention with typical response times under 2 hours.
Can you migrate us from Tableau or Qlik to Power BI?
Absolutely. EPC Group specializes in Legacy BI Modernization, migrating organizations from Tableau, Qlik Sense, IBM Cognos, and SAP BusinessObjects to the Microsoft Power BI and Fabric ecosystem, including automated DAX conversion from Tableau Calculated Fields.
What is Microsoft Fabric and do I need it?
Microsoft Fabric is Microsoft's unified analytics platform that combines Power BI, Azure Synapse, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Data Lake into a single SaaS offering with a shared semantic layer called OneLake. EPC Group helps organizations evaluate whether migrating to Fabric will reduce Azure consumption costs and improve query performance.
What's the ROI timeline for a Power BI implementation?
Most EPC Group Power BI implementations deliver measurable ROI within 3-6 months through time savings (replacing manual Excel reporting), decision speed, cost avoidance (eliminating legacy BI licenses), and direct revenue impact via pipeline visibility.
Can you fix broken Power BI dashboards immediately?
Yes. EPC Group's Power BI Emergency Response Team diagnoses and fixes broken dashboards, failed gateway connections, dataset refresh errors, and security misconfigurations within hours.
What's included in Power BI managed services?
EPC Group's Power BI Managed Services includes: 24/7 Dataset Refresh Monitoring, monthly Performance Tuning (DAX optimization), User Support help desk, Security & Governance audits, License Optimization, and an ongoing allocation of hours for New Report Development.
Pricing & Commercial Terms
How does "Consulting Block" pricing work?
EPC Group's Consulting Blocks are pre-purchased blocks of 40 or 80 hours that never expire and can be used for any service — SharePoint, Power BI, Azure, Copilot, or emergency support. There are no rigid SOWs or scope creep penalties.
What are your standard hourly rates?
EPC Group's Consulting Block rates range from $175 to $185 per hour, providing access exclusively to Senior Architects and Principal Consultants.
What payment terms do you accept?
EPC Group accepts Net 30 payment terms for enterprise clients via credit card, ACH, or wire. We also support SAM.gov registration and DFARS compliance for government procurement.
Do you offer fixed-fee project pricing?
Yes. EPC Group offers fixed-fee project pricing for well-defined initiatives such as SharePoint migrations, Power BI dashboard development, and Copilot readiness assessments.
What's the minimum engagement size?
EPC Group's minimum engagement is a 40-hour Consulting Block to ensure sufficient time to deliver meaningful business outcomes, though we also offer 4-hour Discovery Workshops for roadmap planning.
Process, Support & Getting Started
How do I get started with EPC Group?
It is a simple 3-step process: (1) Schedule a 30-minute Discovery Call; (2) Receive a Tailored Proposal within 48 hours; (3) Kickoff & Delivery, typically beginning within 1-2 weeks.
What is your typical response time for new inquiries?
EPC Group responds to new inquiry submissions within 2-4 business hours. Urgent requests from existing clients receive prioritized emergency hotline access.
Do you offer 24/7 emergency support?
Yes. EPC Group offers 24/7 Emergency Support for critical outages including SharePoint site failures, Exchange Server downtime, Power BI failures, and Azure infrastructure issues.
What happens during the discovery phase?
The Discovery Phase is a 1-2 week engagement including Stakeholder Interviews, a Technical Architecture Assessment, Readiness Scoring (Governance/Security), and a Roadmap presentation with ROI projections.
Still have questions?
30-minute discovery call. No obligation. Senior architect on the line — not a sales rep.
Social Proof & Reputation
What is EPC Group's Net Promoter Score (NPS)?
EPC Group holds a perfect 100 NPS on G2, reflecting elite-level client satisfaction and technical delivery excellence from Fortune 500 companies and federal agencies.
Which government agencies have worked with EPC Group?
EPC Group's federal portfolio includes NASA, the FBI, the Pentagon, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Department of Justice, and the National Archives. EPC Group specializes in GCC High, FedRAMP, and CMMC compliance.
What Microsoft certifications and partner status does EPC Group hold?
EPC Group is a Microsoft Solutions Partner (former Microsoft Gold Partner 2003-2022, the oldest in North America) holding all six designations: Modern Work, Data & AI, Infrastructure, Security, Digital & App Innovation, and Business Applications. The firm maintains active certifications including Azure Solutions Architect Expert and Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator Expert.
What do clients say about EPC Group?
Clients consistently highlight three differentiators: Senior-Level Expertise (no junior staff), Responsiveness (same-day turnarounds), and ROI Focus (delivering outcomes over billed hours).
How many Microsoft MVPs or recognized experts work at EPC Group?
EPC Group's team includes multiple Microsoft MVP alumni. Founder Errin O'Connor maintains an active YouTube channel (@EpcgroupNet) with 28.2K+ subscribers and over 3,200 videos covering Microsoft technologies and AI strategies.