Successful Data Optimization: A Success Story of TELEGÄRTNER and nexoma

Efficient data management is undoubtedly an important factor for success, not only in the print world. This is precisely what the success story of TELEGÄRTNER Karl Gärtner GmbH reflects: Thanks to the feed management / data syndication software “CatalogExpress” from nexoma, TELEGÄRTNER can now automatically generate data standards such as BMEcat and provide them in an optimized way.

The context: What products does TELEGÄRTNER produce?

A joint presentation by Guido Sauerland (CEO of nexoma GmbH in Arnsberg) and Alexander Voss (Head of IT at TELEGÄRTNER) offered the priint:day audience a first-hand success story. To better understand the successful collaboration, it's worth reviewing TELEGÄRTNER's activities to date:

TELEGÄRTNER has been operating for over 75 years and is one of the leading suppliers of coaxial connectors, network components, plastic injection molding parts, industrial electronics and cable assemblies. The company employs more than 750 individuals at eleven international locations. With its headquarters based in Germany, TELEGÄRTNER also successfully operates in the USA, United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Taiwan, Slovakia and Japan.

The starting point: Outdated technologies, manual, complex processes and siloed knowledge

At priint:day, Alexander Voss, Head of IT at TELEGÄRTNER, explained how the company was processing and providing data to wholesalers.

To do this, the Steinenbronn-based company uses the online platform “Open Datacheck”. For example, manufacturers and suppliers from sectors such as plumbing, heating and air conditioning (SHAC ) and electronics can use the platform to provide their product master data in the BMEcat data standard. Wholesalers can then use the platform to retrieve the checked and standardized data for product listings in their own online shop or on external marketplaces.

For this purpose, TELEGÄRTNER regularly creates BMEcat exports of its product data. Previously, the company used a customized manual workflow for this, which was based on the interaction of several Excel spreadsheets, Access catalog databases and Outlook tools.

As Alexander Voss himself analyzed, BMEcat creation was complicated by scattered data in different folders before the introduction of CatalogExpress. Furthermore, knowledge about structures, program codes (macros) or folder access rights was often only held by a single person. This not only increased the risk of disruption, but also highlighted the limitations of the old IT architecture, which lacked modern automation functions. All of these factors significantly slowed down the provision of data to Open Datacheck and the resulting opportunities.

Hybrid presentation: nexoma CEO Guido Sauerland was on site and was supported by Alexander Voss, Head of IT at TELEGÄRTNER, who joined the event remotely.

The objective: Why CatalogExpress from nexoma was selected

Um diese Problemstellungen nachhaltig zu lösen, suchte To solve these problems sustainably, TELEGÄRTNER sought out a modern, broad-based software. As Alexander Voss revealed in his presentation, the main objective was to find a flexible, secure cloud solution with many functions.

After researching possible providers, the company selected nexoma GmbH, based in Arnsberg. There were several reasons why Alexander Voss decided to implement CatalogExpress as the new BMEcat software:

The software-as-a-service structure offers TELEGÄRTNER a cloud solution that is operated on German servers, with data security and data protection being top priorities. The Head of IT was also impressed by the wide-ranging expertise of the robust, 30-member IT team: Many years of experience with diverse industries, data standards and exchange formats, combined with knowledge of classification standards such as ETIM or ECLASS, which are essential in the electronics industry. Additionally, another deciding factor was the extensive experience with platforms such as Open Datacheck and their specific requirements.

The solution: Automated BMEcat creation and provision with CatalogExpress

With CatalogExpress, TELEGÄRTNER can now centrally refine and transform its product data. To do this, the software loads product information, sales and marketing data from various sources (a PIM, ERP or individual Excel spreadsheets, for example) and consolidates them. Fast data exchange is ensured by integrated standard interfaces to well-known PIM providers such as Akeneo, ATAMYA (eggheads), Contentserv, Crossbase, OMN from Apollon, Pimcore, Viamedici EPIM, to eCommerce solutions such as Shopware and Oxid or to databases such as a MongoDB.

The AI-supported data mapping then assigns the individual source data fields to the corresponding data fields of the desired target format. The target format templates stored in CatalogExpress for various BMEcat variants and other data standards further facilitate correct data generation. Alternatively, users can also define an individual target format.

To this extent, CatalogExpress generates an optimized BMEcat that best meets the requirements of Open Data­check. The subsequent data validation also helps to check the completeness and structure. TELEGÄRTNER can then automatically provide the generated BMEcat to Open Data­check via FTP, for example, or optionally to other data recipients via web services (REST-API) or by email.

After a one-time data mapping setup, the XML files of the BMEcat standard can be repeatedly created and provided automatically. Role management with various definable permissions also allows software use by more than one person. This enables TELEGÄRTNER to sustainably reduce IT and personnel downtime risks and prevent knowledge silos.

Should further (international) data standards (such as FAB-DIS, a standard widely used in the construction industry in France) play a role in their own product data management in the future, TELEGÄRTNER could also use target format templates that are already integrated.

At the conclusion of their priint:day presentation, Alexander Voss and Guido Sauerland expressed their satisfaction. TELEGÄRTNER saves valuable time and resources with CatalogExpress – which has now opened up new sales opportunities thanks to the powerful leverage in data transformation.

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