Business Computing Recreates a Shining Example of Jewelry Software

BCi e-Jewelry Software will now be available worldwide in the Microsoft App Store for the online version of D365 starting in fall 2022.

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Table of Content

    Partner Overview

    BCi Jewelry Logo

    When Microsoft speaks, especially with dollars, smart Microsoft Partners listen, and act!

    One such partner is Business Computing of Pasadena CA. Founded in 1991, Business Computing has grown to providing a full range of IT services including consulting, systems design, analysis, development, installation, implementation, training & support with vertical focus on all levels of the jewelry industry, including manufacturing, distribution, diamond trading, precious metals, retail and the fashion jewelry segments.

    BCi e-Jewelry Featured Image

     

    In 1997, a Los Angeles jeweler asked Business Computing to develop software for inventory management and calculating items based on daily market costs, keeping track of the diamonds, and everything else needed to run their business. Impressed by a demonstration of resilience and performance, they chose Navision as their choice of ERP platform to build upon. That choice proved to be a very good long-term decision. When Microsoft purchased Navision, Business Computing became a Microsoft partner.

    They found powerful marketing value in having their software built on a Microsoft platform, which attracted very large customers including some of the US and Europe’s largest jewelry companies as well as European precious metals companies including a $3 billion market leader. They saw that these large customers preferred their software because they had all the required functionality needed by jewelry wholesalers, daily market traders, and those who sell all manner of jewelry, augmented by their Microsoft relationship.

    Observing that the jewelry industry seemed to have lagged behind without a “go-to” jewelry ERP solution, Business Computing seized the opportunity to focus there. They assembled a team of jewelry experts, consultants, and other staff with experience in the industry. They then assembled an advisory group of clients from the jewelry industry itself to guide their solution development.

    Their verticalization project culminated in the creation of e-Jewelry Software, a complete ERP solution specifically developed for the jewelry industry, supporting all the jewelry and diamond related needs in what is now considered to be one of the most innovative and technologically advanced jewelry business management interfaces. e-Jewelry offers a smooth and friendly user’s experience that has been built to ensure the user seamless adoption.

    Keeping Current to Provide Customers the Best Platform

    At the time they first developed e-Jewelry, they determined that the ideal ERP platform to build it on was Microsoft Dynamics NAV. This selection and the development work they did to customize it brought tremendous success for this solution.

    When Microsoft introduced Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC) which superseded NAV and other on-premises solutions, Business Computing clearly saw the opportunity presented by moving their platform to the cloud. They also saw several considerable challenges, including:

    • Migrating their software from NAV to Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC, which would require significant re-development.
    • Keeping their moderately-sized staff available to existing customers to provide their consistently high quality of support while doing this development work.
    • Funding the re-development effort, which would require a substantial investment.
    • Qualifying for coveted Microsoft Certified status for their new cloud-based e-Jewelry product.
    • Qualifying for listing on Microsoft’s exclusive AppSource directory of solutions running on the Dynamics 365 platform.
    • Finding developers with the skills required to re-develop e-Jewelry on the Dynamics 365 BC platform.

    The opportunities were clear. Being featured in AppSource would promote their platform to far more members of the jewelry industry. Cloud delivery would ease their support requirements and simplify the onboarding process dramatically.

    Microsoft Investment programs for Business Central ISVs Enable Their Growth

    Business Computing has long been a member of the Stratos Cloud Alliance, which complements and supplements their own resources to help them achieve goals they would otherwise be unable to address.

    Stratos Cloud Alliance introduced them to two new investments Microsoft was making to support ISVs who had developed their own intellectual property (IP) and wanted to bring it from their on-premises version to the Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC cloud platform and get it listed on Microsoft’s AppSource directory. Similarly, the second program was designed to help those ISVs to promote and migrate their current on-premises customers to the cloud and Dynamics 365 BC.

    The key benefit of both programs connects these ISVs to Stratos Cloud Alliance because it has made the investments and qualified to be a certified coach with proven expertise in making this journey most successfully. As the ISV’s coach funded by this program, Stratos Cloud Alliance provides all the support Business Computing would need in development, migration, and publication of their solution. They provide a highly productive linkage between the ISV and Microsoft.

    Put Me In, Coach. In AppSource, that is…

    Business Computing realized that Microsoft would eventually sunset Dynamics NAV, which would be disastrous for e-Jewelry. They also realized migration to the cloud was the clear path to enormous growth. Since their existing staff was fully engaged in supporting existing customers, they definitely needed the kind of supplementary support, resources, and intimate knowledge Stratos Cloud Alliance could provide to them as their Microsoft-sponsored Coach.

    When they first showed e-Jewelry to the coaching team at Stratos Cloud Alliance, their reaction was immediate. This excellent product needed to be featured in AppSource to expand their market presence. Stratos Cloud Alliance delivered all the guidance, resources, skills and knowledge needed to re-imagine and re-develop e-Jewelry to be delivered as software-as-a-service from Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC in the cloud.

    Business Computing also turned to Stratos Cloud Alliance to prepare their newly cloud-based solution to pass inspection by Microsoft on everything from stability to security to go-to-market strategy and more, all to make sure it qualifies for listing in AppSource.

    Business Computing also needed to make an investment to qualify for these Microsoft programs. One of the program requirements was that the ISV had at least 50 active seats of their solution as customers. At the time they started considering the program, that was already in place. Then, Microsoft increased the requirement to 100. Having made the decision that this program was something they needed to do, they set out and drove to the 100-seat requirement in less than 120 days, even as they were busily completing the migration.

    Global Results

    Today, e-Jewelry is used by jewelry-related businesses around the world, from the US to Europe, South Africa, China, India, and more. Acknowledging the excellent performance of their own software as reported by their customers, Business Computing still attributes a significant proportion of their growth to moving their platform to Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC in the cloud. Their observations for Jewelry industry trade shows are the basis for their belief. Customers who were turned off by the large price tag to purchase dedicated software for their industry had no problem with the idea of paying for use of SaaS-delivered software for a monthly fee.

    In addition to selling and implementing e-Jewelry, Business Computing has also been implementing Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for its customers for over two decades now. Business Computing learned and understood that in today’s business world, EDI is often a required method of data exchanging. However, this realization did not change the fact that implementing the many aspects of trading partners in order to meet specific EDI requirements for different customers was a major challenge, one that had to be met head on. Today, Business Computing offers a seamlessly simple way to meet trading partner specifications inside the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central system, opening the door for more customers beyond the jewelry industry.

    The Roadmap to The Future

    Today, top jewelers as well as diamond traders and importers continue to use e-Jewelry worldwide with a customer base ranging from a mom-and-pop jewelry store down the street to a $3 billion dollar jewelry company in Europe. Business Computing now offers e-Jewelry Software on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises and in the cloud. After pandemic delays, e-Jewelry Software is now going to be available worldwide in the Microsoft App Store for the online version of Microsoft Dynamics 365 starting in the fall of 2022.