My Experience as an Operations Analyst @Hermes

Hermès Bijouterie is the jewelry division of Hermès, known for its exceptional craftsmanship and elegant designs. It combines artistic creativity with technical precision, producing exclusive pieces that reflect the brand's heritage of luxury and timeless quality.

The Development division coordinates the creation and prototyping of new jewelry lines, from artistic conception to production, managing the physical, administrative and financial flows. It works with several sub-departments (Artistic Direction, Purchasing, Inventory Management, etc.) to ensure planning, cost control and product quality.

Although some of the issues involved in my mission had already been identified (management of entrusted prototypes from both a storage and financial point of view), my overall objective was to diagnose and improve the entire operational process, in a 3-steps approach and lean method:

Audit & Interviews of Sub-Department

I conducted in-depth process analysis of key sub-departments in order to understand and model its operational workflows:
Artistic Direction, in charge of designing the new line in cooperation with the design office, which models the parts in 3D, and validating the various prototypes during development
Purchasing, responsible for sourcing components from suppliers (chains, attachments, stones, etc.) in accordance with specifications.
Financial control, which consolidates all financial flows to ensure that budgets are monitored and suppliers are paid on time.
Stock Management, which manages the physical flow of the various prototypes, including those to be returned to craftsmen or exhibited at events.

Process Modeling & Analysis

With my modelisation, I analyzed current operational flows, identifying areas for optimization, such as project coordination, data management, and communication inefficiencies:
Lack of project structure and communication/coordination between teams.
Inconsistent data management across technical, product, and financial information.
Time inefficiencies in processes, including order management, quality control, and supplier relations.

Solution Proposals

I developed new tools, restructured workflows, and suggested process improvements to enhance cross-departmental communication, traceability, and overall efficiency:
Redesign of the development process to clarify roles, interactions, and improve document/tool tracking (e.g., handling of entrusted items, invoices, stock management).
Creation of a project structure to streamline meetings and improve project oversight from planning to execution.
Overhaul of key tools (e.g., standardized project briefs, invoicing templates, tracking systems) to enhance coordination, traceability, and communication with suppliers.