Kimberfire’s Diamonds Shine on Schedule with Direct File Uploads and Automated Transfers

Background 

Kimberfire is a Toronto, Ontario-based jewelry store specializing in fine diamond jewelry. They are known for their expert personal service and are considered a better way to buy diamond engagement rings. 

When choosing Kimberfire, you get jewelry expertise, the finest craftsmanship, and incredible value. In 2020, they quickly adapted to Covid, implementing appropriate safety measures, including offering virtual appointments while maintaining the highest customer service and satisfaction. Now, as a virtual-first business, you can visit their website to browse diamond jewelry or set up a virtual appointment to select a diamond and design jewelry alongside an expert consultant. In person follow-up appointments are also available.

Needing a Way to Receive Critical Business Files via SFTP 

With direct access to wholesale diamonds through their suppliers, Kimberfire is uniquely set up to offer their customers a wide selection of brilliant stones. Being able to showcase available stones promptly and allowing clients to have the best selection of diamonds was a bit of a problem. 

They needed a way for their diamond suppliers to get new product specs to them quickly, securely, and with the ability to do so programmatically so new files would automatically forward to their final destination. This is a two-step process – receiving the CSV files from the suppliers and getting the files onto the Kimberfire server for final processing. 

The simplest way to transfer the original supplier files would be via SFTP, a secure SSH file transfer protocol. SFTP establishes a secure connection between the supplier’s computer and a server. Without access to a secure SFTP server, the supplier files take much longer to receive, making it more challenging to manage incoming files. Once files are uploaded to the secure server, Kimberfire could have the files forwarded to a location where their proprietary sales platform would take the product data and create listings for available stones for customers to choose from.

Solution: How Kimberfire Uses ExaVault 

Without access to a server to accept SFTP transfers, manual workflows and file management required an excess of time between retrieving new stones from suppliers and making those stones available to customers. They began a search for a way to receive files via SFTP, and in 2016 Kimberfire started using the ExaVault platform. Offering a hosted SFTP solution, ExaVault fit their needs of a secure place to easily receive and manage files uploaded by their third-party suppliers. 

From day one, with their ExaVault SFTP site, Kimberfire was able to receive and process their business-critical files. ExaVault’s user-friendly interface enabled both employees and vendors to onboard and start using the system to upload and share files with no formal training. The ease of use for vendors to share files ensured there was no disruption to their operations.  

One critical task done during the initial setup was to create a home folder for each of the account users based on the location of the diamond supplier. Utilizing the easy-to-set-up user permissions, Kimberfire provided users with a home folder that allows only authorized users to access specific folders. The home folder for a supplier’s location would be the server storage location that the supplier could access. The user would only be able to upload files to that specific location. 

Since Kimberfire only needed suppliers to submit their product CSV files, upload-only permissions could be set for the users. This type of permission setup would let suppliers upload their files without seeing any other files or subfolders. Permissions could also be set to allow or disallow actions such as download, modify, or delete files. 

Managing their workflow is no longer a hassle for Kimberfire or their vendors. Initial CSV files from suppliers get automatically uploaded to ExaVault via SFTP. SSH keys have been set up for each user to programmatically upload the files to the account via secure transfer and passwordless login. Setting up SSH keys allows the user’s system to directly connect with ExaVault and push files to their server.  

Kimberfire has also automated the next step. They use SCP to copy the files back over to their ingestion server on a schedule. SCP is the command-line utility Kimberfire uses to securely copy files from one location to another. This way, employees are not left with stale inventory. When they come to work, the files have been downloaded from the ExaVault server and the up to date inventory is ready to sell.

Success with a Hosted SFTP Solution 

With ExaVault, Kimberfire has a solid and straightforward workflow in place that keeps their inventory updated and their business thriving. 

Step 1: Suppliers upload files to the designated folder via SFTP. 
Step 2: The files are downloaded via SCP. 
Step 3: Files are processed, and new product is made available to customers. 

If you are looking for a secure FTP/SFTP site for business-critical file transfer, ExaVault can help. We are a leading file transfer platform for businesses of all sizes with tools to help automate transfers, including a developer API, integrations, and more. Contact us to discuss your use case and find the plan perfect for your workflow. Reach out today and start your free trial >>