Retail Expertise That Delivers: How Michael Hill Simplified Device Management and Enhanced Customer Experience

For more than seven years, Michael Hill has partnered with Truis to help support and optimise its technology operations across Australia and New Zealand.

As a leading jewellery retailer operating across a large multi-site network, Michael Hill relies on trusted technology solutions partners to extend the capabilities of its internal IT team and provide specialist retail expertise.

When Dave Byrne, a near 20-year Michael Hill veteran, transitioned from software engineering into infrastructure, technology services and security management, he quickly discovered the value of having a technology solutions partner that understood both the business and the realities of retail.

This case study explores how Truis acts as an extension of the Michael Hill team, providing expert guidance, lifecycle management services and ongoing operational support that help the business reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

Founded in 1979 in Whangarei, New Zealand, Michael Hill has grown from a single jewellery store into a market-leading retailer with 281 locations across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Built on the vision of founders Sir Michael and Lady Christine Hill to make fine jewellery accessible to more people, the business has continued to evolve while remaining focused on creating meaningful customer experiences.

In recent years, Michael Hill has undertaken a significant business transformation, focused on elevating its brand, enhancing digital and omni-channel experiences, strengthening retail operations and maintaining a cost-conscious culture. Sustainability also remains a core priority, with a commitment to operating responsibly and creating positive outcomes for customers, communities and the environment. new-era-image-dx2-1

“The biggest benefit from working with Truis is expertise. The ability to pick up the phone and ask, 'What do you recommend here?' is invaluable. Those open and frank conversations- that's not written in any statement of work or MSA agreement with the Truis team. That just comes out of the box with how the team works. That expertise is difficult really to put a price on," Dave Byrne, Infrastructure, Technology Services and Security Manager at Michael Hill said.

The Challenge

As Michael Hill evolved its retail operations across Australia and New Zealand, the technology team faced increasing pressure to balance operational efficiency, cost management and customer experience improvements. At the same time, a lean internal IT team needed access to specialist hardware and retail technology expertise to support strategic decision-making.

Dave Byrne spent the first 18 years working in software and data engineering. Then about two years ago, he moved into his current role as the Technology Services Infrastructure Security Manager. The move brought a new set of challenges, particularly around hardware strategy, procurement and lifecycle management.

“When I moved into this role, I quickly found Truis to be a very engaged partner. And the reason I say that is because they fully appreciate us and respect us,” Dave said.

After spending most of his career at Michael working a software-focused job, working with and managing the hardware was a shift that had a “steep learning curve”; however, working with Truis, he found the team “very supportive and very educational.”

“My role was flipped, where hardware became everything," Dave said.

“The trust that we have built on our expertise, familiarity with their environment, process & people is extremely valuable. I believe that has been a massive help for Dave to be able to take comfort and confidence in the company’s direction moving forward, knowing that he's still got the same people here at Truis looking after Michael Hill,” Cale Millward, Truis Account Manager said.

Like many organisations, Michael Hill was navigating rising hardware costs, and the challenge of supporting a large multi-site retail environment across Australia and New Zealand.

The internal technology team is highly capable, but intentionally lean, making access to trusted external expertise essential.

"We have a relatively small team here, a fantastic, high-performing team. The team punches above their weight. But the reality is there is only so much we can do,” Dave said.

For Dave, having a partner with deep retail technology expertise was perfect.

“We don't have as much internal expertise as we'd like to have when it comes to hardware selection. But guess what the Truis team do? They work with other customers who are also in the retail industry. So again, we have lent on the guys quite extensively in the last 18 months to educate us and explain what good looks like and what good can look like,” Dave said.

"I absolutely highly recommend Truis. Zero concerns and very, very few opportunities for improvement come to mind. And that's high praise coming from me, where I always find opportunity in everything. Just a fantastic partner. They really are. We are so fortunate to have Cale and Ola work so closely with us," Dave Byrne, Infrastructure, Technology Services and Security Manager at Michael Hill, said.

The Solution

Over the past seven years, Truis has grown from a deployment and support partner into an extension of the Michael Hill technology team. By combining retail expertise, lifecycle management services and ongoing strategic guidance, Truis helps Michael Hill make better technology decisions, manage costs and support stores across Australia and New Zealand.

Retail Expertise and Strategic Guidance

One of the most valuable aspects of the partnership has been Truis' ability to combine technical expertise with a deep understanding of retail operations.

“What gives me confidence that Truis has a good understanding of our environment is it's more the questions that the Truis team ask and specifically trying to understand what our retail strategy is,” Dave said.

By understanding Michael Hill's retail strategy and broader business objectives, Truis is able to provide guidance that aligns technology investments with operational, customer experience and financial goals.

“They appreciate our level of expertise with retail and our ability to help them upskill their own staff and processes. We can highlight areas that could be improved, whether that be through guidance as to how others may solve challenges, advise on best practise approaches, updating documentation or just identifying opportunities for incremental improvement. Whether that's just streamlining what the techs could be doing on site or advising as to how best to standardise each store. That sort of feedback reminds them they're in good hands," Cale said.

“We know that the Truis team care, and that just speaks volumes to the service that they provide," Dave said.

According to Cale, this understanding has been built through years of working closely with the Michael Hill team.

“It's more grown into more of an extension of their team. We know their environment very well and can help identify opportunities for improvement and better ways of doing things.”

Cost Optimisation and Continuous Improvement

With hardware costs continuing to rise, Truis works closely with Michael Hill to ensure the business receives the greatest possible value from every technology investment.

Through hardware selection guidance, bulk purchasing opportunities, vendor negotiations and ongoing market insights, the partnership helps maximise value from every technology investment. Through this approach, Michael Hill has been able to avoid over-engineering solutions while ensuring stores receive fit-for-purpose technology

“The highlight of the last six to 12 months has been cost reduction. Being able to ensure they get the most for their dollar has probably been key for us,” Cale said.

“Working with the Truis team who understand the cost challenges, the volatility around prices. It was really helpful in the last 12 months that they sent us so much market research explaining the cost challenges, the difficulty and the scarcity of some of the components that go into hardware. And what I did with that information was share it not only with our group executive, but also our board members. And it just helps to give them a fuller picture as to why some of the costs are increasing and also why some of the lead times are increasing. It came from a really trusted brand, which really helps bring credibility to those conversations," Dave said.

Truis Project Manager Ola works closely on Michael Hill's store projects, identifying opportunities to reduce time onsite and ultimately lower costs during new store openings and refits.

“He has identified several opportunities where he thinks we can reduce costs. We've implemented a few of those changes. Truis are the experts, and we really put a premium on the feedback that comes through from the team, because it all comes back to care,” Dave said.

Lifecycle management services

While strategic advice and cost optimisation have delivered significant value, one of the biggest drivers of efficiency for Michael Hill has been Truis' lifecycle management service.

As Michael Hill's retail footprint continues to evolve, managing the procurement, deployment, support and retirement of thousands of technology assets across multiple countries requires a streamlined and repeatable process. Truis helps simplify that complexity by managing the entire lifecycle, from procurement through to secure disposal and recycling.

What began as support for retail deployments has evolved into a comprehensive service spanning procurement, warehousing, staging, deployment, support, asset recovery and end-of-life management across Michael Hill's retail network.

"The relationship with Michael Hill started around remote support. From there, it's just grown and grown. These days they rely on us from the start - procurement, warehousing and staging, right through to logistics and onsite technicians deploy solutions in stores around Australia and New Zealand," said Cale.

Hardware can be procured, securely warehoused, pre-configured to Michael Hill's requirements and shipped to stores when required – either as break-fix or as part of a store rollout, ensuring stores remain functional and employees receive devices that are ready to use from day one. This significantly reduces the workload on Michael Hill's internal service desk and ensures a consistent experience across stores and the Support Centre.

“There's a lot of operational savings that go on behind the scenes as well in terms of configuration of devices. So rather than one of our service desk analysts having to spend extensive time configuring devices and setting them up, we have found it far more cost-effective if that responsibility lives with Truis and you guys have some really good automated processes that make that more cost-effective," Dave said.

The lifecycle management service also supports new store openings, refurbishments, hardware refreshes and store closures. Truis coordinates hardware deployment, freight logistics and on-site support, while also managing the return and assessment of retired devices.

"For a store opening, refurbishment or closure, we work closely with their Project team. We have worked with them on a process to allocate new hardware and configure for the site, provide logistics services to get everything to arrive when it needs to, and coordinate with remote technicians to get equipment installed and tested on time. When equipment comes back, we conduct an audit then repurpose/redeploy, donate, e-waste and securely destroy data when required" Cale said.

Beyond operational efficiency, lifecycle management also supports Michael Hill's sustainability objectives.

Returned devices can be securely collected, audited and assessed for reuse wherever possible, helping minimise waste and extend the lifespan of technology assets. Devices that reach end-of-life are securely destroyed and recycled, while suitable equipment can be donated to schools, charities and community organisations.

“We've got a sustainability team here at Michael Hill. Sustainability is very important to us and where possible, those devices that come back can be recycled and given to charities," Dave said.

"Anything we can do with these devices, so they don't just end up in landfill, that's a positive, and we know that Truis are very like-minded in that respect. We have in the past, through partnering with Truis, donated devices to local schools, so that's something that we are really proud of and love to continue," Dave said.

Through lifecycle management, Michael Hill benefits from greater visibility, improved efficiency and a scalable framework that supports both day-to-day operations and future growth.

Enhancing the Customer Experience

The partnership has also helped Michael Hill improve the experience it delivers to customers.

One recent example was the rollout of mobile point-of-sale technology across stores.

Working closely with the Michael Hill team, Truis helped identify the right devices, procure them at scale and prepare them for deployment.

“We made a strategic switch about 18 months ago to allow our sales professionals to transact on the point of sale using a mobile device. We partnered with Cale and Truis to understand what device would best align to our strategy. And we identified using iPads for that rollout would be most effective. So, Cale again was able to procure large volumes of iPad devices at a really competitive price for us. And showed great agility in configuring those devices, which means on my side, historically, I would have had to hire one or two more people just to configure and procure all those devices. But again, it was done at a really low-cost using the Truis team. So that was a really effective, well-run project,” Dave said.

The project created a more seamless shopping experience by allowing staff to remain alongside customers throughout the purchasing journey.

"Being able to sit beside the customer on a mobile device, show them the entire product range and complete the transaction without physically going behind the counter and over to a desktop device, created a far better customer experience," Dave said.

“We really love using our partners as extensions of the team. And that's exactly what Truis is. Cale might as well be, we often joke, sitting with the team here because he is always available,” Dave Byrne, Infrastructure, Technology Services and Security Manager at Michael Hill, said.

The Outcome

Through its partnership with Truis, Michael Hill has achieved significant operational and strategic benefits across its retail network. By combining retail expertise, smarter procurement strategies and end-to-end lifecycle management services, the business has reduced costs, simplified technology management, improved asset visibility and freed its internal team to focus on higher-value strategic priorities.

“They are well and truly partners. It was about 12 months ago we made the decision; such was the success of partnering with Truis in Australia, to also replicate that across New Zealand. And what do they do? They ensure that our stock levels are kept up to date. They ensure that our hardware reaches stores and the support centre in a timely fashion. They are also always getting us the lowest possible price. In terms of strategy, they are always doing their best to align us to more modern retail hardware needs, so keeping us across what other retailers that they work with are doing in the hardware space,” Dave said.

Truis' support has also helped drive greater efficiency across stores in Australia and New Zealand, strengthened sustainability outcomes through device recycling and donation initiatives, and enhanced the customer experience through the rollout of mobile point-of-sale technology.

Together, these outcomes have given Michael Hill greater confidence in its technology decisions while enabling the team to focus on higher-value strategic priorities.

"The biggest benefit from working with Truis is expertise,” Dave said.

“I noticed when I moved into this role that one thing, as I said, is that hardware is very expensive and two, it was very much a decentralised responsibility across almost the entire function, where lots of people seem to have strong opinions on hardware and device selection. I realised pretty quickly that I needed to make one or two people responsible. And that was done effectively because I was able to partner them very closely with the Truis team,” Dave explained.

Customer Feedback

What began as support for retail deployments and remote services has grown into a strategic partnership built on trust, collaboration and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.

“We are starting to become a really well-oiled machine. I've seen the capability really increase on the Michael Hill side. The Truis team are just doing what they do best,” Dave said.

“What sets Truis apart from other vendors is I love continuous improvement. And I love the fact that the Truis team, most politely and respectfully, are not shy about communicating opportunities for improvement. And we hear about those on weekly calls. We've now got a section dedicated just to continuous improvement. And equally, I love the fact that they love when we send feedback back to Truis as well,” Dave said.

“That willingness to really care, to come into our offices here, or being invited down to your head office just to see what's in your Store of Tomorrow concept room, I always find those meetings really worthwhile because we're always learning something new," Dave said.

“It has been really fabulous working with Cale for the last two years,” Dave said.

Conclusion

As Michael Hill continues to evolve its retail operations across Australia and New Zealand, technology remains a critical enabler of efficiency, innovation and customer experience. Through a combination of strategic guidance, cost optimisation initiatives and end-to-end lifecycle management services, Truis helps the business simplify technology management, maximise the value of its investments and support a consistent experience across its retail network. The result is reduced operational complexity, greater visibility and control of technology assets, and more time for Michael Hill's internal team to focus on strategic priorities.

Perhaps most importantly, the partnership gives Michael Hill confidence that its technology decisions are backed by people who understand both its environment and the realities of modern retail.

“It's just a really good partnership. I can't speak highly enough of it," Dave concluded.