Harvey Norman

CHALLENGE

Modernising the platform for a better experience — for customers and the team alike

An audit of the existing platform revealed a number of shortcomings that were directly stopping or hindering purchases: an unoptimised mobile experience, confusing navigation and a checkout full of friction. The back office told the same story — product data scattered across spreadsheets and separate systems, order management partly manual, and ERP integration lacking.

APPROACH

Strategy before development — not the other way round

We began with an extensive discovery phase that ran for almost three months. Only after thorough analysis did we start on UX development and prototyping. It was precisely this deep understanding of the client's processes that later allowed us to build solutions that were not even in the original scope.

01 Discovery phase (~3 months)

Workshops with the client, a heuristic UX audit using the Baymard methodology, a technical audit of the existing Magento platform, an SEO analysis and the definition of a technology strategy. The outcome: a digital-transformation document with a clear vision and roadmap.

02 UI/UX design and prototyping

Designing the new online store in line with Harvey Norman's corporate identity. Iterative, with regular alignment — every key screen validated with the client before development began.

03 Platform development (Magento 2 + Pimcore)

Building the new e-commerce platform on Magento 2, establishing Pimcore as the central PIM and CMS system, migrating data and integrating with the BBIS ERP system.

04 A custom Order Management System (OMS) — the decision that defined the project

During implementation we spotted an opportunity that was not in the original scope. Rather than relying on the existing order-management system (an OMS — the tool that automatically routes orders to stores and tracks every processing stage), we built our own within Pimcore. The decision extended the timeline but gave the client a level of control an off-the-shelf solution could not: orders are routed to stores automatically, every processing stage is traceable, and each employee sees only the orders within their remit.

05 Testing, training and go-live

Extensive QA testing of all user journeys and synchronisations, training for the Harvey Norman team, a planned zero-downtime cutover and a hypercare period after launch.

SOLUTION

One platform. All the data. A streamlined process.

Rather than patching the existing system, we designed the solution from the ground up. We consolidated categories, attributes and value sets and reduced dependence on external vendors. The result is a fast, responsive frontend and a robust backend that Harvey Norman runs on its own today.

• Magento 2 — the new online store: a mobile-first theme, a streamlined checkout, clear navigation between furniture and electronics, and search with autocomplete — each category serving its own type of shopper.
• Pimcore PIM — a single source of truth: all product data in one place, automatic synchronisation to Magento, and an architecture ready for new sales channels. No more hunting for the right version of a spreadsheet.
• A custom OMS in Pimcore: automatic routing of orders to stores, workflow management, customer notifications and full traceability at every stage.
• System integration: two-way synchronisation across Magento ↔ Pimcore ↔ BBIS ERP; the customer sees order status in real time and stock updates automatically.
• Roles and permissions in the OMS: each employee sees only the orders within their remit — no noise, no mistakes, no irrelevant information.
• Automated customer notifications: a templating system for email notifications on every status change — a consistent brand voice with no manual writing.

AT THE HEART OF THE SOLUTION

A custom Order Management System (OMS), built on Pimcore

During the project we agreed with the client to replace the external order-management system with an OMS implemented inside the Pimcore platform.

The OMS did not merely replace the old tool — it made the process smarter:

• Automatic order routing: across stores and the central warehouse, based on stock and the customer's location.
• Role-based permissions: each employee sees and handles only the orders within their remit — the Maribor till sees Maribor orders, not all of them. Less noise, fewer mistakes.
• Full traceability: every stage of order processing is logged and visible.
• Automatic customer notifications: on every status change, with a consistent brand voice — no manual email writing.
• ERP integration (BBIS): an invoice is generated automatically on dispatch, freeing staff from manual work.

Click & collect, where the customer sees stock in real time

For in-store collection, the system checks actual stock in the chosen store in real time, while the order is being placed. If the item is not there, the customer finds out immediately — not two days later in a call from the store. In that case the system triggers a transfer from the central warehouse or another store, and the customer gets a realistic expectation of the collection time.

The result is fewer disappointments, fewer support calls and greater trust in the online store — the customer knows the stock information holds true.

No half-finished product ever reaches the storefront

In Pimcore, a product moves through controlled states. When it is created, it lives only inside the system and cannot synchronise anywhere. Only once the team has filled in all the required data and the validation conditions are met does the product advance — first for synchronisation with the ERP, then, after a further check, to the online store. The result: the storefront never shows a product with a missing price, image or incomplete description.

RESULTS

The new platform fundamentally changed the customer experience and the team's day-to-day work:

• Fewer abandoned carts — eliminating 47 critical UX blockers had a direct effect on the share of completed purchases.
• Unified catalogue management — data entered once in Pimcore is instantly reflected everywhere.
• Faster order processing — automated routing and notifications shorten the path from receipt to dispatch and reduce errors.
• Fewer systems to maintain — Pimcore replaced OTRS and several separate tools; lower infrastructure costs and easier onboarding of new colleagues.
• Transparency for customers — real-time order tracking means fewer support calls and higher post-purchase satisfaction.
• A platform for the future — the architecture supports adding languages, channels and integrations without rebuilding from scratch.