Decoline launches online configurator for 1,200 dealers

About Decoline.

Decoline is a manufacturer and distributor of high-quality, user-friendly curtain solutions, ranging from curtain tracks and lifting systems to finished window coverings such as roller shades and wooden blinds.

The Belgian family-owned company, based in Pelt, has around 45 employees and primarily serves customers across the Benelux. “We also have a number of customers in Germany and a few export customers. We want to grow our export business in the future,” says Ivo. “We sell exclusively through a dealer network, including curtain shops, home furnishing retailers, and contract furnishing companies, and we sometimes supply stock items to wholesalers.”

Paper forms and a complex catalogue.

“Before Hive, our dealers placed orders by email, phone, or sometimes even fax. In practice, that often meant they sent us a picture of a completed order form. The information wasn’t always clear, which meant there was a high risk of errors when we entered it into our own system. It was also a lot of duplicate work: the dealer had already filled in all the information, and someone on our side then had to enter it all over again.

“Our customers also had to work with a very large catalogue. Figuring out which options were available, which ones could be combined, and what the final price would be quickly became complicated. We already had an internal configurator, but it was built on an outdated platform and wasn’t available online.”

New CPQ as part of Decoline 2.0.

“It quickly became clear that we needed a CPQ solution. We had just gone through a rebrand, with a fresh logo and new systems, so digitising our sales process would be a great fit with the bigger picture. We also saw other companies in our industry embracing digital tools because they make things easier for customers. For smaller retailers in particular, a digital sales process can make a real difference: they can create a quote while the customer is right there with them and submit the order immediately afterwards.”

ERP integration, look and feel, and flexibility.

“When we started looking for a CPQ solution, a few things were important. First and foremost, we needed a solid integration with our ERP system, Business Central. We didn’t want an online CPQ tool that generated good orders, only to have someone manually enter those orders into our own system afterwards. The look and feel for our customers also mattered to us. And flexibility was key: our products may look simple, but there are a lot of options to choose from. The CPQ needed to handle that complexity.”

Hive’s personal approach.

“We wanted to be able to do as much as possible ourselves, without always having to rely on Hive. We wanted to be able to set up and adjust things independently – from adding new configurators to modifying existing ones. At the same time, the support provided by the company behind the CPQ solution is also very important. If something goes wrong, we need a quick response and for the issue to be addressed. That’s exactly what we get from Hive.

“We compared several providers. We had met Hive before, but at the time, it wasn’t the right moment for us. This time, it was. One of the key reasons we chose Hive was its personal approach: with another provider, we felt like just another number. With Hive, we had direct contact with everyone on the team from the very start.”

Accurate orders and one clear process.

“Our orders are now much more reliable – they’re actually always correct. Of course, exceptions and occasional errors still come up, but everything is now properly aligned. For a particular curtain track, for example, dealers can only select the compatible brackets.

“Ease of use also makes a big difference, especially for our customers. They can make the right choices together with their own customers and, once the project has been entered, all they have to do is click a button to place the order. Their customer receives a confirmation, and the paperwork is taken care of right away. We receive the order digitally and correctly. Full circle.

“We now have one clear route: everything comes in through Hive and then goes to Business Central. That means one sales channel and one process, making everything much more transparent and straightforward.”

Flexible user roles.

One of Decoline’s most useful features? “We find it very useful how easily we can assign users and roles. We can control what different dealers can and cannot access. For example, one dealer might be able to view certain collections, while another can order different products. It’s easy to configure, and that flexibility is great.”

Configurator and Product Store.

“We use both the configurator and the Product Store. Some products are supplied fully assembled and configured, while certain components can be ordered separately. For our curtain tracks, for example, we use the configurator, where dealers can specify exactly what they need, like a specific 2.21-metre track with particular end caps, brackets, and gliders. For relatively simple products, such as tracks in standard lengths or boxes of standard gliders and end caps, customers can use the Product Store. It’s primarily intended for wholesalers.”

Small test groups.

“We started with a small group of dealers – around 100 out of our 1,200. We deliberately began with relatively simple products and a limited group of dealers, which allowed us to see how they experienced the platform, gather feedback, and make any necessary adjustments to the look and feel.

“We initially made the more complex products, such as the curtain tracks, available internally. That way, we could test them and identify any errors or issues before rolling them out more widely. After all, you only get one chance to get it right.”

Happy employees and customers.

“The feedback from our employees has been positive. Change is never easy, as people are often used to doing things the way they always have, but Hive is increasingly being embraced. It’s easy to use and provides a clear overview. The same goes for the customers who are already using it. They like how it looks and also find it easy and quick to use.”

Weekly check-ins, clear expectations.

“The collaboration with the Hive CPQ team also went very well. The handover from sales to the technical team, from Vera to Jakobus, was seamless. Jakobus gave us plenty of room to do things ourselves – exactly the way we had said we wanted to work from the outset. Expectations were clear on both sides. We had weekly meetings with Jakobus, everything was carefully documented, and he always followed up on our requests.

“The biggest challenge remains the integration with our ERP system. The connection is in place and works well, but there are still plenty of opportunities to improve it – both for us and for Hive.”

“Other than that, the process has gone really smoothly. If you’re willing to learn, Hive is very easy to maintain and configure. That’s especially true with the new Hive AI, which we mainly use to check scripts and settings and as a helpdesk. We haven’t yet tried the new feature that lets you upload a document to the AI and have it automatically generate a configurator.”

Towards a fully online customer portal.

What does the future hold for Decoline? “There are still a few outstanding points around the Business Central integration. The interaction and data exchange between our ERP system and Hive could be improved further. But we’re also looking ahead. Given the type of customers we work with, we handle a lot of smaller orders and pricing requests – around 40 to 50 a day. That calls for a different approach to the sales process. That’s why in the long term, we’d like customers to be able to view their invoices and other information in Hive as well. That would turn Hive into a fully online customer portal where customers can manage everything themselves.

“In the meantime, we’re going to invite all our dealers to start using the platform. Ultimately, the ideal scenario would be for 100% of our orders to come through Hive. This would take some of the pressure off our inside sales team. Instead of spending all their time entering orders, they could focus much more on sales and building customer relationships.”