From ordering parts to billing, all of the processes used for the production of the famous Ice-Watch are now managed on a single integrated platform. NSI supported Ice-Watch in this important breakthrough with a tailored Microsoft Dynamics AX solution, and with a positive collaboration between the two teams.
Managing growth
In the exclusive world of watch making, Ice-Watch is a true phenomenon. Launched in 2007, the brightly colored watch has been adopted by celebrities, housewives and teens alike, and its popularity has spread all over the world. Today, around 15 million people wear an Ice-Watch every day.
The company has grown quickly, and so have its management systems. In 2015 it was relying on a dozen different systems to manage its entire work flow. Its two distribution sites in Bastogne and Hong Kong each had their own accounting system and ERP. Customer orders came in through various web interfaces. Spare parts were managed with yet another software package.
There was no overall vision. Exchanging data between two departments took a long time, and there was a real risk of errors. “We also needed high-performance software to manage our growing stock in Bastogne, and we wanted to optimize our business processes”, Ice-Watch CEO Jean-Pierre Lutgen explains.
Ice-Watch opted for NSI and its Microsoft Dynamics AX solution. “We were looking for an integrated, multi-company, multi-country solution to meet the Belgian requirements, but also those of our Hong Kong structure. It had to be user-friendly, safe, scalable and technologically advanced.”
AX evolves with us, and we evolve thanks to AX
The new solution has been operational since July 2016. “We have gained so much time through this integration”, Jean-Pierre Lutgen says with enthusiasm. “And thanks to AX, we can obtain the key figures for our activities very quickly, which allows us to run a tight ship.”
The additional features have also opened up new opportunities for the company. Several extensions are already in the pipeline. The system now includes a standardized data exchange feature with two of Ice-Watch’s largest distributors. The e-shop was developed according to the very same principle.
“We will monitor closely how AX evolves to ensure we have a hi-tech and up-to-date system at all times. AX can actually evolve with us, and we can evolve thanks to AX”, the CEO says with excitement.
Feeling
What convinced Ice-Watch to choose NSI? “Their experience with SMEs. And their location in Liege, which is close to our offices. But mostly, it was a matter of feeling”, Jean-Pierre Lutgen says, a man whose intuition is now helping generate an annual turnover of more than 40 million euros: “The teams got on very well from the start thanks to NSI’s dynamic consultants and open attitude.”
Since then, Ice-Watch has entrusted NSI with the management of their entire infrastructure. They have also opened a new store in Knokke, a chic resort town on the Belgian coast. The small Belgian watchmaker is clearly still marching forward.
