EN Lobster pim · PDF fileeffi cient tool for operative marketing. Lobster_pim at a Glance • Access via Java-Webclient without further installations

Lobster_pim

Central Product Information Management

DAM / MAM

_shop_data

_pim

etc.

ERP

B2B / B2C-ShopsWeb-CMS

cataloguesbrochures

pdf data sheets

trading platformsupplier data

image data

product data

Lobster_pim

Employing multiple channels of communication when it comes to placing products on the market is common practice for the majority of all companies. Effi ciency plays a key role if one wants to remain competitive. But multichannel marketing becomes increasingly diffi cult as product lifecycles become shorter and the assortment of goods larger. Without a centralised product data management, one soon faces numerous locations within a company at which diverse product information are being gathered (data bank, offi ce- or

Effi ciency for your Product Information Management

DTP-documents, printed documents in different versions etc.). The allocation, maintenance and search for product information in this kind of data structure is time-consuming and prone to errors.

This is where Lobster_pim comes into play. The integrated software combines all partial information from the ERP-system, delivery catalogues (also BMEcat, eCl@ss, Profi cl@ss, ETIM, UN/SPSC ...) and any number of further systems into one centralised product data management platform.

Advantages of Lobster_pim

The administration, processing and provision of product information within a company is oftentimes characterised by

• The maintenance of the same data at different locations

• The search for the correct and most up to date data source for pictures, texts and product data within different systems

• Manual provision of product information for different divisions

• A discrepancy between online content and printed catalogues

• Deadline pressure for the production of catalogues

• The diffi cult handling of several languages including time-consuming translations and amendments

Lobster_pim has the solution and provides all relevant information on a centra-lised platform. Thanks to Lobster_pim, you will gain:

• Central access to all product information via a user-friendly, clearly arranged interface

• Consistent product information including changes, corrections and translations in all publications

• Considerably minimised administrative burden

• A simple connection to a DTP-system with a clear separation of editing and layout

• Control over all tasks and workfl ows

• The possibility of tracing every change in the central system and in layout

• Simple communication between the users

• Signifi cantly reduced effort for translations (supporting also non-European languages in data storage and user interface).

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Data Integration as a Part of Product Information Management

Lobster_pim clearly distinguishes itself from other PIM-solutions due to its consequently holistic and integrative approach. In our view, product information management, the foundation of all product-oriented communication processes, is always embedded in the overall data management of a company. The importance of core data maintenance and the necessary effort associated with it are oftentimes underestimated. However, part of the necessary data can be automatically obtained from different sources (e.g., ERP, production-, media- and delivery-data). It is a key challenge to combine and consolidate different formats and data structures with

as little manual effort as possible – this is a typical task for data integration. The inclusion of the IT-department and the consideration of their specifi c requirements are strictly necessary.

Most of the available product data usually have a strong focus on manufacturing or transaction. In order to be suitable for marketing purposes, this data has to be extended and structured with further advertising information (texts, pictures, media etc.).Lobster_pim supports these processes optimally and meets all requirements of a future-proof, fl exible and effi cient tool for operative marketing.

Lobster_pim at a Glance

• Access via Java-Webclient without further installations

• Compatible with Windows XP/7/Server2008, Unix/Linux, Sun Solaris, Mac OSX

• Compatible with the data banks MySQL, MS SQL, SAP DB, postgreSQL (additional SQL-data bank systems upon request)

• Unproblematic connection to existing shop-systems via standard interfaces (XML, CSV, SOAP, ODBC/JDBC)

• Mobile access irrespective of current location

• Clearly structured navigation, user-defi ned view on core data (“hierarchy trees”)

• Highly granular administration of attributes, including passing over, attribute groups, calculation fi elds and formula set option for attribute names

• Support of prevalent classifi cation systems

• Differentiated allocation of access control

• Free defi nition of styles for media-neutral Inline-formatting (mark-ups) that will be transformed into media-specifi c formats upon publishing

• Version control and historical list of changes for all information. Status display within the hierarchy tree

• Where-used lists for products and media

• Overview window with functions for mass data maintenance and direct import/export

• Perfected, storable search options for contents, users, date of change, status etc..

• Translation management including traceability for changes in the master language

• Confi gurable clearance-workfl ows

• Administration of product relations (accessories, cross-selling, bill of materials) and cross-references

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Integrated Media and Documents Administration

The integrated media and documents administration of Lobster_pim allows the free assignment of pictures, videos, sounds, presentations and data sheets to any of the elements of your product data structure or single catalogue pages. All assigned elements can be illustrated in a clearly arranged way. Additionally, an automatic where-used list will be displayed – additional assignments of any element will thus be visible at once.

Equally user-friendly as the data composition and en-richment is the preparation of publications. In the “ca-talogue” tree-structures, print-catalogues, campaign flyers, web assortments, electronic catalogues etc. can be assembled in content – from product informati-on, photos, technical drawings, texts, data sheets and other forms of media. Numerous standard interfaces make sure that the data are prepared in a way approp-riate to the respective product channel:

• Configurable XML-, Excel- and CSV-exports

• Generation of electronic catalogues supporting prevalent classifications (e.g., eCl@ss, Proficl@ss, ETIM, GAEB, UN/SPSC...)

• Output in ODBC-/JDBC-data banks

• Native Support of SOAP messages

• Optional: Lobster_data.wizard for configurable, complex imports/exports

Optimised Print Media Generation

The time- and resource-consuming production of print media becomes much more structured, simple and faster with Lobster_pim:

• There are several options for layout and output available. Depending on the requirements, the choices at hand range from manually freely constructed page layout to grid-oriented, half or fully automatically created page structure in InDesign and right up to rule-based creation of PDF-sheets in high typographic and artistic quality through a PDF output server.

• Correction runs will be kept to a minimum through a bi-directional connection, a direct display of the correction state in the layout and selective update options..

• Depending on necessity and intended purpose, the page planning or catalogue composition takes place in several different ways. Ranging from simple compositions in catalogue trees to grid planning up to WYSIWIG page planning with direct editing options of the InDesign documents, every field of business and every type of catalogue will be provided its optimal functioning. Communication via glued provisional layouts will be rendered unnecessary.

• The layout program allows the layout artist to directly view the information composed in the product manager. Thus, he/she can focus on the actual task at hand. This also applies to sequentially constructed catalogues.

• Even corrections and other tasks can be directly handled in the layout program without any jumping back and forth between different systems.

• The publication workflow can be monitored and operated.

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The media management of Lobster_pim fully covers all standard demands. A Media Asset Management can be included for highly professional requirements or specialised tasks. Therefore, Lobster_pim provides connec-tors for ISY3, pixxelboxx, OPIX Media Warehouse, Heiler Media Manager and additional systems.

Lobster UKDunston Innovation Centre Dunston Road ChesterfieldDerbyshire S41 8NG

PHONE +44.114 3 991 551MAIL [email protected]

For more information visit www.lobster-uk.com