• A historic industry, with many dated business processes transformed into one professional efficient system.
• Easy implementation. First report generated within 10 minutes, fully integrated into business processes within two weeks.
• Multiple users able to engage with data from anywhere in real-time.
• 75% time saving on report creation.
• Trusted single source of truth to boost collaboration and data culture.
• Confidence in stock levels builds customer trust and satisfaction.

Based in the Netherlands, Hermadix has been the leading supplier of shading agents and coatings to the horticultural industry and diy-coatings for more than 60 years. Its products help customers to achieve the very best greenhouse climate possible with innovative, high-quality products and its tailor-made advice. Consumers have come to know Hermadix as the name behind a range of high-quality paints and stains.

It Was Time for Hermadix to Embrace Its Data

Before 2015, Hermadix struggled with its dated business basic software used for 40 years. Making the tough, but right, decision to turn away from the sunk cost fallacy, Hermadix acknowledged its need to shift the business toward a data-driven future. Michel van Zijverden, Financial Director at Hermadix, said an update was needed to make the business more efficient and professional.

“We needed to standardize our standard system to alleviate my responsibility for maintaining everything. That was the main reason why we changed to Microsoft Dynamics NAV.”

But even with a new ERP, van Zijverden was still tasked with building all new reports as no other staff members had the skills or tools to do so.

“I had to do it every time. I would use another report or modify and old one. It was a lot of work,” said van Zijverden. “We started a business in Spain too, so I had to travel a lot. I used to be able to be on hand all the time, but it became clear we needed a solution to enable staff to make their own analysis.”

Jet Reports Allowed Hermadix to Work Smarter and Harder

When it came to finding the right tool, Harmonize IT came to the rescue, demonstrating how easy it was to create reports using Jet Reports. The employees at Hermadix liked needed a tool that:

• Was easy to use and would generate quick ROI.
• Enable self-service reporting.
• Provided access to real-time reliable data when they needed it.
• Would link directly to the data source, to remove risk of manual error and increase confidence in reported numbers.

“Harmonize IT came in with a strong understanding of only what we needed as opposed to overloading us with lots of information. This really set us up for success.”

Hermadix had a strong need for a module that would help analyze its paint recipes in greater detail. Thankfully, Harmonize IT specializes in boosting data capabilities of chemical companies within Dynamics NAV. With Harmonize IT onboard, van Zijverden was empowered with industry specific training and knowledge, and quickly grasped the basics of Jet Reports.

“The full implementation of Jet Reports took only a few days. But it was also instantly easy to use. Within 10 minutes of install I created my first report.”

When Hermadix took the next step and upgraded from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 Business Central, the portability of Jet Reports smoothed the transition and helped them get up and running again in a matter of a few days.

Jet Reports Shored Up Hermadix’s Tricky Supply Chain

Hermadix now has six users (or roughly half its staff) using Jet Reports. These staff can easily analyse chemical stock in real-time to help inform future purchases and sales. This is essential in a shifting market dealing with supply chain issues, as high-demand raw materials can be very hard to obtain and need to be ordered well in advance. van Zijverden said Hermadix can forecast stock through the next period to understand its raw materials needs.

“A lot of factories have moved to China. With COVID-19, shipping raw materials the last year was very hard with shortages in almost everything because of international trade restrictions. Anything from pigments to anti-foam additives became much harder to source. Normally delivery time would’ve been two to three weeks and, since the beginning of the pandemic, it is sometimes up to seven months.”

van Zijverden said that Jet Reports added predictability to the business in such uncertain times. Through Jet Reports, Hermadix had complete oversight of its business needs. It could identify shortages early and account for extended delivery times, deftly course correcting in the turbulent waters of the pandemic.

Understanding Empowers Reliability for Hermadix

Jet Reports Means Less Time Reporting and More Time Analyzing

Implementing Jet Reports has meant a 75% time saving on report creation, said van Zijverden. Using Jet Reports easy prebuilt content means that reports can be created at the click of a button. There is no need for customization, or complicated creation, the report is ready in minutes.

Jet Reports streamlined Hermadix’s data processes to further boost oversight, said van Zijverden.

“Before, we did not have a stock counting system. We only did it once per year. Now, with Jet Reports and Dynamics 365 BC, we have complete control of our stock. Even from Spain I can do purchases in the Netherlands.”

Reliable Reports Means Faster, More Informed Decision-Making

Before Jet Reports, employees at Hermadix did not trust the data. Staff would waste time double-checking to make sure the data was correct because there wasn’t a single reliable source of truth.

Jet Reports has significantly increased staff quality of life at Hermadix. Now, staff spend less time verifying the data, and more time analysing it to better inform business decisions. Jet Reports has boosted confidence and engagement and helped van Zijverden build a stronger data culture at Hermadix.

“When people don’t trust the system, they’re going to ask questions and be cautious. They’ll say things like ‘Do we really have to buy that stuff?,’” said van Zijverden. “People are more willing to use the data as a thorough basis now. There are no ‘what ifs.’”

Automated Ordering Means Greater DIY Customer Satisfaction

With Jet Reports, Hermadix’s customer relationships have also improved. The DIY market makes up a large portion of the business, and this area saw dramatic increase during the pandemic with so many people forced to spend time at home. Now, with Jet Reports, Hermadix can better maintain its stock levels, so when DIY customers make purchases online, they instantly get an order confirmation with delivery time.

“Customers can be confident in our delivery because we are confident in our raw materials. There is no variance,” said van Zijverden.

Additionally, this is an automated process for Hermadix, so staff don’t get bogged down with follow up emails. Customers receive all the information they need upfront, removing any need for customers to chase for confirmation.

“If a customer places an order at 11 am, they’ll have a confirmation email by 11:15 am that lets them know the status of their order, the date the order it will be delivered at our premises, and the date it’ll be delivered to them.”

Hermadix Continues to Explore Its Use of Jet Reports

Hermadix intends to continue expanding its capabilities with Jet Reports. van Zijverden said that it’s time he started learning how he can leverage more of Jet Reports’ utility to drive business value.

“I really want to dig in and see the new possibilities that Jet Reports can offer us. We are happy with what it does for us now, but I know there is much more that can help our business, so the next step is to explore those possibilities.”