Smart product data onboarding for reliable database publishing

It is clear that the e-commerce market will continue to grow in the future and that digitization will continue to increase as a result. Nevertheless, classic print catalogs continue to be of great importance, especially for customers. For example, it is not unusual for the annual or seasonal catalog to be expected on time, so that it forms a cornerstone of the marketing concept with its new products and promotions. Target group-oriented catalogs address the customer specifically and are an important part of the offline user experience.

In order for these catalogs to exceed the expectations of the clientele, a very high product data quality is required. However, ensuring this is not easy, as large volumes of product data have to be procured and prepared from different suppliers and manufacturers. Many companies are therefore faced with the challenge of introducing fast and efficient preparation processes that do not require a great deal of manual effort. How can this be done? With automated product data onboarding.

Product data quality - a decisive factor for good catalogs

There is hardly any marketing medium where consistent and coherent data is as important as in the print sector. The requirements here are particularly high, because by the delivery date, the publication must be complete and coherent. This also includes providing customers with all the information they need to make an informed purchase decision without the need for further research. In addition, the catalog should be visually appealing, structurally clear and enable comparisons.

Having product data that is always up to date and of the right quality is also of great importance when print products have to be completed quickly for the relevant target group. These deadlines, also known as "good to print", are important because at this point not only must the layout be correct, but all product data must also be available in the best possible quality. It is not unusual for products to have to be added or removed shortly beforehand. Here, product data quality is just as crucial as well thought-out processes so that last-minute changes do not lead to inconsistent catalog pages or data gaps.

The basis for high-quality catalogs is high-quality product data, which is usually available in the PIM and image data, in a MAM or DAM system. These systems can be connected to the Adobe® InDesign® and Illustrator® design programs via the priint:suite. All required product information is transferred fully automatically, regardless of whether it is text, attributes or images. This connection, known as database publishing, reduces the error rate and makes tedious copy-and-paste unnecessary.

Why large amounts of product data are a challenge

Comprehensive catalogs with a large assortment are in high demand and offer a wide range of products. Database publishing with the priint:suite makes it easy to transfer even thousands of products and attributes to the catalog software. Often, however, the assortment is not only composed of the company's own products, but also of supplier data from several sources. Suppliers transmit this data in their own formats. For example, units may differ, different notations may be used, or different attribute structures may exist. If this data is transferred to the catalog, this leads to an inconsistent appearance, poor comparability and, in the worst case, to the failure of templates or scripts that translate attributes into symbols, for example. The result is dissatisfied customers, many queries, correction loops and time-consuming manual adjustments.

AI-supported to the best catalog quality

The best data quality is the basis for successful print production. High product data quality is already crucial at the beginning of the product lifecycle, namely during import into the ERP or PIM system. And this is exactly where Onedot's first intelligent product data platform for the procurement, preparation and syndication of product data for trade and industry comes in: All supplier or manufacturer catalogs are first automatically prepared in a clearly structured process and then converted to the desired ERP or PIM data structure in a second phase, making them ready for import.

With this efficient preparation process, product data is always up-to-date and can be used directly for print publications. Changes in long-lived master data can be managed in the same way as short-term adjustments to prices or availability, so that the catalog can always be kept up to date. Assets, such as images for the catalog, can also be automatically downloaded and imported into a PIM, MAM, or DAM system for optimal catalog illustration. Other channels and use cases such as e-commerce, electronic catalogs or data sheets also benefit from these comprehensive functions.

The innovative automation saves effort, time and resources, especially together with the priint:suite, and facilitates changes and additions shortly before the printing deadline. Tedious and error-prone manual rework to adjust attributes and assortments is replaced by Onedot. This frees up time and space for more creative work in designing the print catalogs that are in demand.

Would you also like to achieve optimal product data quality from the supplier to the finished catalog? Please contact us so that we can create your perfect data pipeline!