ProConcept, the ERP solution for Frédérique Constant
Frédérique Constant is a Swiss watch manufacturer based in Geneva. It was founded in 1988 by a couple of independent entrepreneurs, Aletta and Peter Stas, to offer quality Swiss watches at an affordable price, with the aim of democratising Swiss-Made luxury watch-making.
Frédérique Constant designs, develops, assembles, and tests a wide variety of mechanical, quartz, and connected timepieces at its 6,200 square metre manufacturing plant at Plan-les-Ouates (GE). Till date, Frédérique Constant has designed 30 Manufacture calibres, including high complications such as the Tourbillon, the Perpetual Calendar, and the Flyback Chronograph, as well as a new type of escapement unprecedented in watch-making: the Monolithic.
In 2015, Frédérique Constant launched the Horological Smartwatch, the first Swiss-made connected watch with a traditional aesthetic. In 2018, the Classic Hybrid Manufacture succeeded it, combining a mechanical Manufacture movement with connected functionalities. It was followed in 2020 by the Vitality smartwatch line, equipped with a new-generation integrated heart rate sensor. In the same year, Frédérique Constant revived its Highlife collection, with a redesigned case and an integrated interchangeable bracelet. It was followed in 2021 by the Slimline Monolithic Manufacture, with its very high-frequency monobloc escapement, and then the Highlife collection for women.
Frédérique Constant currently has almost 3,000 points of sale in 120 countries around the world. Since 2016, the Frédérique Constant Group (Frédérique Constant, Alpina Watches, Ateliers deMonaco) has joined the Japanese Citizen Group in order to pursue its international development and nurture new synergies.
Frank Calvo Gimenez, IT Manager, gives us his views on the ProConcept ERP, deployed at Frédérique Constant since 2007.
You have recently joined the company. Why are you so quick to share your experience of using ProConcept?
F. CG : En effet, je suis en poste chez Frédérique Constant depuis 3 mois, mais j’ai plus de 20 ans d’expérience dans les systèmes d’information. Dans mes expériences précédentes, j’ai côtoyé de nombreuses solutions ERP très connues du marché. Je pense donc avoir suffisamment de recul sur le sujet.You have recently joined the company. Why are you so quick to share your experience of using ProConcept?
F. CG: I've only been with Frédérique Constant for 3 months, but I have over 20 years of experience in information systems. In my previous experience, I've worked with a number of well-known ERP solutions. So I think I've got enough background on the subject.
In your opinion, what are the differentiating features of ProConcept ERP?
F. CG: For me, there are several. Firstly, the tool is extremely customisable and can be personalised on two levels. Firstly, interface programming, which enables data to be used with other tools. Our business involves communicating and exchanging data with the systems of major international retailers. We simply built numerous EDI interfaces that communicate in near real time. Our products are also sold via our web shop, with which ProConcept also communicates. In this way, we manage all our business processes, including those that seem specific. The second level of customisation concerns the configuration of ProConcept screens and programmes. This makes it very easy for our staff to access information, and therefore more efficient. The other key differentiator is reporting, with dashboards. They are quick to learn, and provide a multitude of metrics without the need to connect to a third-party software.
In terms of features, which do you find the most interesting?
F. CG: Logistics and production. Logistics because it allows our teams to be perfectly autonomous and to respond quickly to our customers' questions. Irrespective the subsidiary concerned, the brand, or sales method, we are able to identify the stage of manufacturing of each of our watches. In terms of production, ProConcept manages the entire flow right through to storage, so we have complete and perfect traceability of our products.
What benefits does the tool offer?
F. CG : Productivity gains, undeniably, and organisational gains too. The introduction of the tool has enabled some employees to carry out higher value-added tasks. The organisation of the company around ProConcept also makes it easier for our new employees to assimilate the business process. The amount of paper in our workshops has been significantly reduced, as operators view the system directly on thin clients. The ProConcept web version provides easy access to our subsidiaries. All the information is centralised there. The reliability offered by ProConcept makes it the backbone of our information system.
How would you describe your dealings with the ProConcept teams?
F. CG: I appreciate the exchanges with the ProConcept teams, whether with support or with our sales contact. The sincerity of these exchanges is undoubtedly linked to the fact that ProConcept is a software publisher and integrator. Even if a request cannot be met, their teams always provide us with an effective alternative. This transparency is less common with other ERP vendors.
What next? Any future projects?
F. CG: We still have projects around ProConcept. We plan to optimise the various databases of our subsidiaries with the head office. We also have plans to develop our after-sales service, production, purchasing and customer service departments. For the after-sales service, we would particularly like to standardise nomenclatures automatically, or use all the specific labels directly in the ERP system. Projects that make it a long-term tool and an ally in our development.