Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:CTAS) reported strong results for the third quarter of its fiscal year 2025, with revenue rising 8.4% year-over-year to $2.61 billion. Gross margin improved to a company record of 50.6%, while operating income rose 17.1% to $594 million. Diluted earnings per share increased 17.7% to $3.84, up from $3.26 in the prior year. Executives noted continued strength across all business segments, raising full-year guidance as a result of broad-based customer growth.

Alongside its financial performance, Cintas detailed several ongoing technology initiatives aimed at strengthening operations and customer service.

Executives emphasized the company’s investments in automation, data analytics, and an upgraded customer relationship management (CRM) system. These efforts were credited with supporting both internal productivity and external customer engagement across its rental and services businesses.

Why It Matters: Cintas’s technology-forward approach illustrates how legacy service-based industries can evolve through digital transformation. For CIOs and technology leaders, the company provides a real-world example of IT investment aligned with measurable operational outcomes, spanning data analytics, automation, and CRM integration. As labor remains tight and customer expectations grow, Cintas’s model reinforces the business value of strategic tech deployment.

• Data Analytics as a Core Driver of Decision-Making: Cintas continues to expand its use of analytics to improve decision-making across the organization. CFO J. Michael Hansen explained, “We’re focused on how we use data to better serve customers, manage route efficiency, and allocate resources.” These analytics tools enable Cintas to identify trends, respond more rapidly to customer needs, and ensure consistent service delivery. The initiative also ties directly to margin improvement efforts, supporting more efficient labor and inventory planning.

• Automation Enhancing Productivity Across Operations: Automation was highlighted as a major theme during the call, particularly in how it reduces manual tasks in service delivery and internal workflows. CEO Todd Schneider stated, “We’ve made significant investments in automation, particularly in our distribution and processing facilities, to increase throughput and consistency.” These investments are designed to support scalable growth while reducing operational bottlenecks. The company sees automation as essential to maintaining high-quality service as demand increases.

• CRM System Upgrades Enable Personalized Customer Engagement: A new CRM platform is enabling Cintas to provide more tailored interactions with customers across its diverse service lines. Schneider noted, “The CRM tools give our sales and service teams a more complete view of the customer relationship, so we can be more proactive and responsive.” This system integrates customer history, preferences, and service metrics, helping teams deliver faster resolutions and more targeted product recommendations. It’s a key part of Cintas’s strategy to increase customer retention and wallet share.

• Technology as a Strategic Enabler of Margin Expansion: The company directly linked its improved margins to technology adoption. CFO Hansen emphasized, “The productivity improvements from automation, along with better data utilization, are helping us drive meaningful margin expansion.” In this case technology is actively contributing to Cintas’s ability to improve profitability while scaling. The leadership team made clear that continued investment in IT infrastructure and tools is central to long-term operating leverage.

• Clear Role for IT Leadership in Business Growth: Cintas’s success shows that IT and digital teams are integral to delivering business outcomes. Schneider remarked, “Our culture is about continuous improvement, and our technology strategy reflects that.” For CIOs and tech executives, this alignment between business goals and IT execution offers a blueprint for supporting frontline service models through back-end innovation. The Q3 call reinforced that technology leaders at Cintas are seen not just as support, but as drivers of growth and value.

Go Deeper -> Cintas Earnings Call Transcript – MarketBeat