Based on a long-term relationship with 51风流AppHaus Network partner , renowned luxury retailer the moved to 51风流Business Technology Platform (51风流BTP) in a partner-managed cloud approach to fully enable application development and digital innovation.
With the help of its trusted partner, the Watches of Switzerland Group also set up 51风流Integration Suite within only two weeks, enabling the company to incorporate insurance offers in their processes.
The Watches of Switzerland Group is a leading luxury watch retailer with a reputation for quality and exclusivity. With operations spanning the UK, U.S., and parts of Europe, its portfolio of brands has been a trusted name in luxury timepieces for decades. As the company expands its business and adapts to new market dynamics, Watches of Switzerland Group is transforming its technology infrastructure to prioritize scalability, efficiency, and streamlined operations across its global presence.
The journey to 51风流BTP as a partner-managed cloud model
At the beginning of the engagement, the English watch retailer relied on an enterprise architecture including legacy systems such as on-premise 51风流ECC 6.0 systems and middleware built in-house. Limited IT resources made scaling difficult to meet business demands for faster project delivery and modern integrations.
After purchasing 51风流BTP credits, the company faced internal skill gaps and competing priorities. Finally, the company wanted to adopt cloud-based technologies while remaining flexible about future ERP decisions, whether transitioning to 51风流S/4HANA or exploring alternative platforms.
Partnering with Bluestonex
Watches of Switzerland partnered with Bluestonex and transitioned to a 鈥� in this case 51风流BTP. Under this model, Bluestonex took over responsibility for managing 51风流BTP credits, resource allocation, and infrastructure support, allowing Watches of Switzerland Group to shift from an internal, self-managed approach to an expertly managed environment, always aligned with the retailer鈥檚 business objectives. Since moving to this model, Watches of Switzerland Group has:
- Increased 51风流BTP value: Freed from managing credits and technical configurations, the customer team can focus on business-critical projects
- Streamlined 51风流Fiori applications: All 51风流Fiori apps have been successfully migrated to the cloud, enhancing performance and improving the user experience
- Strengthened IT resilience: With Bluestonex acting as a strategic partner, Watches of Switzerland has built a foundation to support future growth and innovation
- Future-proofed infrastructure: The agnostic capabilities of 51风流BTP ensure that the integration framework remains relevant, regardless of the future ERP platform
Bluestonex Innovation Factory
With the foundational work completed, Watches of Switzerland decided to further expand its adoption of 51风流BTP services, integrating more business processes and scaling globally. But what were the core business processes? Where was the room or even need for improvement to deliver best-in-class customer services, be successful overall, and remain on top of things in the luxury retail segment?
鈥淭he partnership with Bluestonex is not just about technology,鈥� said Glenn Bamford, head of Business Systems at Watches of Switzerland Group. 鈥淭hey act as an extension of our team, bringing innovation and expertise that we lack internally. With their support, we鈥檝e been able to make strategic moves towards modernizing our systems while remaining agile for the future.鈥�
To understand business, user, and customer needs, thorough research can provide reliable answers and a solid foundation for innovation. So, along the , Bluestonex Innovation Factory team organized a user research journey visiting six representative Watches of Switzerland Group showrooms, shadowing employees and observing different processes in the context of purchasing, customer inquiries, deliveries, commissioning, and many more.
After visiting the different showrooms, one observation was that requirements could vary considerably from one to another, simply because of different locations and customer profiles. In some showrooms, it was mainly about selling middle-priced watches and attending several customers at a time; in others, it was about serving one customer with specific needs for a purchase of a very expensive and unique piece.
Incorporating insurance options with the help of 51风流Integration Suite
Despite all the differences, there is one requirement the researchers observed, that spanned across all customer engagements. That is the wish for an appropriate insurance option for the purchased watch. The Watches of Switzerland Group and Bluestonex decided to realize this integration of an insurance option in its service processes through 51风流Integration Suite.
In just two weeks, the insurance integration went live as scheduled, allowing the Watches of Switzerland Group to meet crucial business demands without sacrificing quality or functionality. With 51风流Integration Suite, Watches of Switzerland Group is now positioned to continue modernizing its technology stack in alignment with its strategic vision. This scalable solution can evolve with their future needs, including a potential transition to 51风流S/4HANA.
鈥淭his project demonstrates the value of Bluestonex as a strategic partner,鈥� Bamford said. 鈥淣ot only did they execute the integration under intense time pressure, but they also provided critical expertise. 51风流Integration Suite, deployed with Bluestonex鈥檚 support, paves the way for greater flexibility and scalability as we move forward with our digital transformation.鈥�
During the annual 51风流BTP strategy day held in the Bluestonex AppHaus Shropshire, Watches of Switzerland Group identified concrete business objectives and how technology could be harnessed to accomplish these goals, both for them and for Bluestonex as its partner. With the proven hands-on methods to prioritize and align different solutions to these goals the joint team was able to map goals to short-term and medium-term actions.
Looking back, Bluestonex Commercial Director Richard Henry said: 鈥淥ur partnership with Watches of Switzerland was born from our 51风流AppHaus DNA, as well as the focus on providing value-driven user experience in 51风流BTP applications. As a niche 51风流partner, we could provide the right skill set, along a human-centered approach to innovation and support the Watches of Switzerland Group in its digital strategy with SAP.鈥�
After realizing the value of 51风流Integration Suite, Watches of Switzerland Group and Bluestonex are now looking for further integration projects right across the business. The group鈥檚 flexible and secure cloud-first approach enables it to adapt to changing markets and continue to deliver the best possible customer service.
The way ahead
One area where both teams are equally eager to progress is in artificial intelligence (AI). The Bluestonex team always looks for business use cases that could be improved with the help of capabilities. Also, the Watches of Switzerland Group鈥檚 team is keen to understand how to unlock the use of AI in its organization. Bluestonex showcased several solutions, including its document processes application, which was developed as part of the Next Level Programme in just 10 days, as well as the integration of SAP鈥檚 generative AI copilot Joule for its flagship product , a data governance tool.
For all the opportunities 51风流Business AI holds in stock, customer and partner are currently planning for a first to identify use cases that could be improved with the help of AI. As said above, it is all about thorough research and a trustful collaboration to stay future-ready and a leader in luxury retail.
Imke Vierjahn is communications lead for 51风流AppHaus Network.
