How Artisio helped VendueHuis der Notarissen reach the next stage in auction innovation

It may have a 210 year history of auctioneering under its belt, but VendueHuis der Notarissen isn’t afraid to look ahead. This is what has helped the Netherlands-based auction house become one of the most highly respected and well-known auction houses in the world.

Since it was first founded during the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, VendueHuis has achieved numerous milestones, such as the sale of Vermeer’s iconic ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ in 1881. Now, as the auctioning world continues to evolve, VendueHuis is taking strides to evolve, too. And that’s why the organisation chose to invest in Artisio’s auction management system.

Tackling the challenges of modern auctioneering

Despite its rich history, VendueHuis isn’t afraid to tackle the chances and challenges of modern auctioneering head on, using social media to describe their “strong eagerness to innovate” in order to meet modern auctioning demands.

This drive for change is necessary, as modern auctioneering looks to appeal to a customer base with changing demands and growing expectations. Speaking to Artisio, manager of Technology and Processes at VendueHuis, Marit Bril, says, “We are constantly challenged by a changing arts and antiques market. Transparency and user experience are key for us and we felt the space to grow in this part.”

One key area of change in recent years has been the growth of online auctions. Auction houses that fail to accommodate customers bidding remotely risk being left behind. This is also something VendueHuis has recognised.

Marit says, “As online auctioning becomes more and more important in the industry, we wanted to really focus on this aspect. Since the Artisio solution is very focused on online auctioning and is fully compatible with both mobiles and tablets.”

Some of the critical challenges faced by VendueHuis were:

• Legacy systems

Like many auction houses, VendueHuis identified the need to update software systems to provide greater scalability and API integration support – making it easier to utilise third party software applications.

The reliance on outdated software was also problematic because for several years data had been distributed across multiple systems, which made it hard to gather business insights.

By creating a modern, connected and cohesive auction management platform, the collection and reporting of data has been made much easier and supports future business growth. By working with Artisio, VendueHuis now have the ability to integrate the latest cloud software and data analysis tools. Existing archived data – including inventory photos, images and other digital assets – have also been imported for easy access.

• Automation

Another efficiency tool that will help to make VendueHuis’s back office functions seamless and streamlined is the automation of everyday tasks. Making improvements and automating core processes is particularly beneficial for auction houses because it helps to enhance productivity and free up staff time to focus on high value tasks.Automation also serves to remove the element of human error and improves customer service.

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• Accounting integration

Finally, the implementation of a new auction management system also included the integration of VendueHuis’s accounting system, Exact Online.

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Artisio and VendueHuis: auction innovation for the modern age

VendueHuis remains a key player in the auctioning world and, as such, they reached out to Artisio to help them meet the demands of modern auctioneering.

The auction house sought to develop future-proof solutions that would improve the online customer experience and optimise administrative workflows. They turned to Artisio to help them build and configure a holistic solution, supporting front-to-back sales management, online payments and inventory.

The Artisio team visited VendueHuis in the Netherlands, going through the whole auction process and visiting old providers to understand the way they work. It was very important to retain all of VendueHuis’ historical data and imagery as part of the process.

Speaking on VendueHuis’ experience working with Artisio, Marit Bril comments: “With Artisio, I truly gained a new partner for improving our internal processes. Whenever a process wasn’t running the way it should be, my Artisio account manager was there to find a solution. During the migration, Artisio was available to assist day and night whenever we needed.

“I was impressed by the speed with which Artisio delivered new functionalities, and how they really took the time to understand our needs. This was especially true on the accounting side, with the API Artisio built into our accounting software. We were able to migrate from our previous software to Artisio in less than 3 months without any serious downtime.”

Customising or adapting features to tackle challenges or meet business goals is no issue for Artisio, thanks to the team’s extensive experience and expertise. From the creation of an API-enabled integrated ecosystem to the automation of core business processes, bespoke development helped to ensure that VendueHuis received the very best results.

In particular, the creation of the centralised ecosystem enabled a 360-degree view of financial data, stock, sales, customer information, seller information and more. This solution means that once sales are completed at a timed auction, the lots, buyers and bidding data are also automatically synched to Artisio.

By working alongside Artisio, VendueHuis is able to offer a seamless user journey to their clients, creating an intuitive and streamlined auction process that meets the needs of online collectors and buyers alike.

Marit says, “Working with Artisio has been a pleasure throughout. They took the time to truly get under the skin of our business and understand how they could develop a solution that would enhance and improve our operational capabilities.

“With the new auction management system in place we are able to be more productive and efficient in everything we do. Having all data captured in one system also enables us to be more proactive and insight driven as an organisation.”

Investing in new auction technology like Artisio auction management software helps auction houses respect their history and move towards the future. Our comprehensive auction management solution handles all aspects of your business under one platform, from front-to-back sales to online payments and inventory.

Find out more about Artisio AMS today by booking a demo.‍