Hartmann’s uses Dynamics 365 Business Central to artfully improve operations

Timeless beauty adapting to modern times

Since its founding in 1997 by Ulrik Hartmann, Hartmann’s in Denmark has been dedicated to using responsibly sourced materials to produce timeless, hand-crafted jewelry for customers. The store’s expert artisans produce everything from collection pieces made for a general audience to specific client commissions. Because Hartmann’s is committed to using only gems and metals from ethical suppliers, it must track each piece of jewelry individually from its point of origin all the way through sales.

That means monitoring an inventory in excess of 16,000 items at any given moment, with each item holding 88 different attributes. Hartmann’s also has a history with more than 12,000 customers, some of whom have maintained a relationship with the store for more than 15 years. While this white-glove and bespoke experience earned the company its large and loyal customer base, it saddled employees with enormous amounts of information to manage.

For years, the company had handled this task through manual processes ranging from handwritten notes to binders full of receipts and invoices.  It was extremely time-consuming for employees and made it difficult to efficiently track data. The lack of a central point-of-sale system meant that down payments for commissions had to go directly through the finance department. Newer employees also faced difficulty in onboarding with existing systems. “Up until a few years ago, Hartmann’s had between five and six systems in the value chain,” explains head of finance and operations Rasmus Mars. “What Hartmann’s needed to track hasn’t changed, but we needed to be tracking it on one unified system.”

To keep pace with the modern world while still providing its exceptional crafted work and customer service, Hartmann’s needed a more modern solution. Yet it also had to deal with the fact that its staff were experts with jewelry rather than computer systems, and needed solutions that were viable for a smaller business. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central had the power and scalability to handle the size of the business effectively—both now and into the future.

New procedures for better information

When looking for a new solution, Dynamics 365 Business Central had an immediate edge, as Rasmus had previously worked with it and liked what it offered. “Business Central was at once very user-friendly and capable of tracking all the data we needed,” said Rasmus. “Salespeople, finance staff, leadership—we can all use it. It doesn't require an IT background, but it remains intensely powerful.”

Hartmann’s had a smooth implementation of Business Central and began seeing benefits right away. With a unified system, the store can track the sources for materials and gems through production automatically up to the point of sale. Employees and management can also track sales information and provide ongoing data without a need for manual note-taking. The company estimates that it now spends up to 75 percent less time on manual processes. As every sale now goes through the software, customers can make down payments on commissions without the need of the finance department, further streamlining transactions.

Previously, the company couldn’t track actual sales until 15 days after the month had ended, meaning that any business insights were functionally nonexistent. Using Power BI, Hartmann’s  can see what is selling in near real time, providing a clear picture of the store’s cash flow and guiding plans for new pieces. “Today, it's very important that a business can access data quickly,” says Ulrik Hartmann, founder and CEO. “What you sell and what you have in stock informs how you forecast production. Business Central has helped us in both tracking what customers have purchased and predicting what we’ll need in the future.”

Improved business visibility also improved overall customer visibility. Employees can view customer histories in their entirety along with custom orders or previous requests. Hartmann’s crafts each item in its inventory, and so having an idea of what is selling and when informs a future production. It also means that staff new and old alike can see customer history at a glance and draw on established relationships. “The information available to each salesperson on the floor has been transformative,” explains Anne Mette, a salesperson at Hartmann’s. “Data is knowledge, and knowledge is the key to providing expert customer service.”

A beautiful future

Since its founding, Hartmann’s has had a specific way of doing things as part of its dedication to timeless quality and expert craft, and the shift to new software has served as a catalyst for change for employees and processes. The store can focus on the complexities of ethically sourced stones, metals, and other materials and how best to provide these items to customers without having to build elaborate procedures to track the business side of things. Because of the pre-built apps that can be added to Business Central, Hartmann’s feels confident it can incorporate additional functionality without needing complex technical knowledge.

With Hartmann’s already set to open another store in the near future, employees and leadership alike are excited to scale up the business and expand operations. Better reporting, better tracking, and a clearer picture of sales thanks to Business Central all seamlessly complement the multi-faceted craftsmanship that the store has been built on. Hartmann’s has a modern technology edge as the store’s artisans continue to pour heart and soul into every beautiful piece for each and every customer.