Perfectly polished for market expansion

When companies develop their own software, it’s much like a craftsman building their own house: they have more control, it’s relatively cost-effective, and modifications can be made easily as needed. However, as technology evolves and requirements change, a comprehensive overhaul eventually becomes necessary. It was in this situation that Robert Morlock took over the management of Nailscamp GmbH, thus opening a new chapter in the company's history: "The company was well organized, though not entirely efficient. For instance, the prolonged storage of goods in the warehouse was rarely given much attention." There was no professional ordering system and no basis for the sustainable international development of the Proglow brand. With the existing inventory management system, future growth could only have been achieved with additional staff. As perfect as many processes were, the technology behind the scenes was outdated. Of even greater concern was the fact that there was no one left who was familiar with the system. It was evident to all stakeholders that action was imperative.

This was true not only for inventory management, but also for the shop system, which was equally outdated. The two areas are inherently intertwined; changes to one system always impact the other. During the search for a new software partner, both systems were on the table. The project team was clear on one thing: they no longer wanted separate solutions for the web shop and the ERP system. At the end of a multi-stage selection process, it came down to a duel between the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (Dynamics 365 BC for short) ERP system on the one hand and the diva-e e-commerce platform on the other. Although diva-e met many of Nailscamp's requirements, the company ultimately chose the Microsoft solution. The deciding factors were its flexibility and long-term investment security. The company wanted to maintain a lean IT management structure in the future, so the system change was accompanied by a transition from its own server to the Microsoft cloud. The new business software is complemented by the Shopify e-commerce platform, which replaced the existing web shop. The contract for the complete system implementation was awarded to the COSMO CONSULT Group, which specializes in digital transformation. "For us, e commerce expertise was the deciding factor. We also appreciated the transparent consulting approach and the quick response times. These qualities fostered trust and gave us the confidence we needed for the project," recalls Robert Morlock. This reassured the team that the project could be implemented within the planned timeframe.

The project team closely followed the Dynamics 365 BC program standard for the central workflows in order processing and logistics. Most operational requirements were easily implemented through configuration. However, integrating the shop system in the front office with the new enterprise software in the back office was more challenging. To achieve digital integration of the processes between the two systems, around 50 percent had to be customized. Despite the detailed preparation, things got exciting shortly before the launch. First, communication between the two systems did not work right off the bat. While everything ran smoothly in France, in the final test in Germany, not all orders were transferred correctly. The project team also noticed that the mobile picking app was sluggish, slowing down the workflow. "Our logistics team works very efficiently. The app simply couldn't keep up. However, one of the strengths of a large partner like COSMO CONSULT is that they can provide additional capacity at short notice when things get tight," the managing director explained. Using the COSMO Mobile Solution and COSMO Logistics apps as a basis, a mobile solution was created in a very short time that perfectly supported the multi-stage picking process without any loss of performance. Logistics employees use Android tablets and handheld scanners to perform this task.

Within just five months, the project team succeeded in modernizing the IT infrastructure. Ideas that were once impossible to realize due to outdated technology now enhance the company’s process landscape. "With Dynamics 365 BC, we can now pick items, bring them to the shipping location, and immediately start the next consolidated order. Previously, orders could only be processed one after the other," explained Robert Morlock. Overall, this has made the process up to 20 percent faster and enabled the team to process significantly more orders per person. "Our customers benefit from shorter delivery times," he adds. In addition, warehouse and order management has been improved with efficient convenience features such as automatic order suggestions. New reports also bring more transparency to logistics. For the Proglow team, getting started with the new software took some getting used to. "When transitioning from a lean, highly customized system to powerful standard software, it is normal not to be able to find every feature immediately," he said. It takes a while for everything to become familiar.

Dynamics 365 BC and Shopify mark the beginning of a new chapter for Nailscamp, an exciting journey toward international growth, fresh opportunities, and promising markets. The modern e commerce platform serves as their sturdy vessel, ready to navigate uncharted waters. “We now have a solid IT infrastructure that will help us realize our plans and reach our goals,” the company leader affirms confidently. To accelerate momentum, Nailscamp is gearing up with new features for category management and process automation, powering their voyage into the future.