Get full control over product data with SAP Commerce Cloud

To begin with, it is important to understand why product data is increasing exponentially. Digitization has a lot of influence on this. Years ago, the focus of organizations was mainly on offline, because customers mainly oriented themselves offline on the purchase of new products. Nowadays, that process mainly takes place digitally. As a result, companies are confronted with the fact that they need much more information from products. On the one hand, this is because products can do more and more due to digitization. Think, for example, of lighting that is getting smarter. But also because customers are more likely to orient themselves online and they cannot properly estimate the size of the product, the weight, the length of the cord or the exact color from a photo.

This is why getting a grip on product data is crucial

You may wonder why it is so important to get a grip on product data. We mentioned in the introduction that inconsistencies in product data cause inefficiencies throughout the organization.

In addition, customers are making increasingly higher demands. Are they viewing a product on your webshop? Then they at least expect product data, such as the specifications and descriptions, to be correct and complete.

Customers also want to see that products have a relationship with each other. For example, is a customer looking at a laptop online? Then he wants to be able to see immediately that you also have the laptop in a different color and that you sell a matching mouse and keyboard. Making these kinds of connections is only possible if the product data is consistent and of good quality.

Finally, the government is also making more and more demands on product information. In the food industry, for example, it is mandatory to state whether certain allergens are present in the product.

5 stages of maturity in managing product data

Before we give you tools to gain control over product data, it is good to see where your organization is now. We distinguish between five different stages of maturity:

• Ad-hoc and reactive: Product data is still fragmented and stored in various formats at different places in the organization. Maintenance often means manual work.
  Basics in order
• Product data: is fixed in one place, but is not yet used correctly in all processes, departments and channels.
• Mature: A centralized PIM solution with the associated processes and internal organization is effectively deployed.
• Optimized: PIM has already been further developed by automating the management processes and optimizing the data exchange from and to the chain partners. 
• Strategic and intelligent: PIM is used strategically to achieve business objectives, combined with the use of artificial intelligence to classify, validate and enrich product data.

Get the basics right with a PIM system

To get a grip on the product data in your organization, it is important to get the basics right first. A PIM system helps with this. When you choose a PIM system, you first have to think carefully about the product data you need. And not only the data you need for your internal processes, but also which product data your customer would like and how you can facilitate this.

Standardize and collaborate with competitors

When the basis is in place and a PIM solution is used effectively, standardization is a good next step. How? By collaborating with competitors. Yes, you read that right. Only when you choose a standard for product data together will suppliers go along with this and the entire sector will take steps forward. We explain it with an example:

Martijn is looking for a charging cable for his smartphone. Preferably one that is long enough to still scroll through social media while charging. He finds a charging cable that is suitable for his phone, but one provider states that the cable is thirty centimeters long and the other one meter. Martijn gets confused by this inconsistency, because the EAN code is exactly the same. Where does he buy now? Perhaps not on either web shop. And that is why it is important to work together with competitors on data quality. You then compete in other areas, such as an unforgettable customer experience.

SAP Commerce Cloud: e-commerce and PIM in one solution

Are you looking for both an e-commerce solution and a PIM solution? With SAP Commerce Cloud you kill two birds with one stone. PIM is part of this e-commerce system, making integration a thing of the past. This gives you accurate and consistent product information both internally and externally, resulting in more efficiency, fewer returns and more sales online. Does your organization already have a PIM or e-commerce system? Then you can also go for it and choose to use only the other part.

Deploy SAP Commerce Cloud in weeks

See results within 16 weeks with SAP Commerce Cloud? You can with the Commerce Wholesale Accelerator. This SAP Qualified Partner Package from Acorel is based on best practices, specifically for wholesalers. You can read more about this here.

Curious how your organization reaches the next stage of maturity when it comes to managing product data? We are happy to think along with you, so that you gain control, can use product data in an increasingly smarter way and offer a better customer experience. Contact us here.