Product Information Management Johan Bostrom, VP Strategy & Software Alliance @EPiServer Customer & Partner Day 2012
Product Information Management
Johan Bostrom, VP Strategy & Software Alliance
@EPiServer Customer & Partner Day 2012
Customer examples
Three important things to focus on(according to Dr.Robert Shaw and Dr. Philip Kotler)
Fast - because the markets are changing faster
and faster.
Lean - because fast without lean is burning
money.
Measurable - to make sure that you are driving
sales.
The multi-channeling consequences
WebCMS
FILESERVER
E-COM
Text DB
SupplierSupplier
Productowner
Productowner
MarketingMarketing
C:\My docs
Image DBERP
InDesigndocs
PLM
SalesSales
Content spaghetti
Channeling with a PIM approach
The product
offering
The Product in focus – fashion retail edition
Process &
information flow
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3
Version 4
Fall/Winter
- 2011
Spring/Summer
- 2012
Fall/Winter
-2012
Spring/Summer
2013
Active assortment (locked to channels)
Upcoming assortment (undergoing update)
Managing carry-overs through smart versioning
Product variants Assortment
Old assortment (history)
Old assortment (history)
Product
(Regular Shirt)SKU/Item
Resource
(File of any type)
Up-sell
Example model
Expensive Shirt
SKU/ItemSKU/Item/Variant
Resource
(File of any type)Resource
(File of any type)
Product
(Pants)
Cross-sell
SKU/ItemSKU/Item
SKU/Item/Variant
Look and/or Campaign
Look/Campaign
Included in
Look/Campa
ign
Pants
Shirt
Cotton SweaterResource
(File of any type)Resource
(File of any type)Resource
(File of any type)
So why don’t we use our ERP for
our cross-channel needs?
ERP delivers
Field Value
Item number 12345-22
Item name SHOE FTB 13
Price 1399.00
On stock 188 pcs
Shelf no in
warehouse
12A
No. per pallet 122
Pallet weight 166 kg
Suppl. Itno 3476-3
The channel needs
1. Consolidate your product master data and all related digital assets
2. Make the product your information carrier
3. Add controlled attributes (metadata) to the product
inRiver’s four step recipe for efficient PIM
“A PIM process is like a racing car –
strip anything that isn’t absolutely necessary!”
Product Management Wheel
ERP/PLM/PDM
PIMPCMPCM
ChannellingChannelling
PIM Process starts here..
ERP information:
Information needed to complete
a transaction.
• Packaging
• Warehouse info
• Price
• BOM
• Etc.
Market related information:
Information needed to sell a
product.
• Sales arguments
• Translations
• Images
• Product description
Channel planning/Assortments:
Planning and grouping into the
assortments to meet different
requirements in different channels
Channel specific:
Manage all aspects of the
channeling :
• Web layout
• e-Commerce
• InDesign layout
Optimized Business Processes
Order Create Watch Edit Translate Approve Publish
Sourcing Coordinator
Editor
Photographer Supplier
Translator
Product/Marketing Manager
Import new Product
Information to inRiver PIM
Translation
service
Publish PIM content
to defined channels
Supply images to
inRiver PIM
Supply texts to
inRiver PIM
Define channel
information,
Channel Ready
A serial process
Select ProductsSelect ProductsSelect Products
Catalog ProductionCatalog ProductionCatalog Production
Translation/proofingTranslation/proofingTranslation/proofing
January March May
Enrich ProductsEnrich ProductsEnrich Products
Ch
an
ne
l Re
ad
y
A parallel process
Select ProductsSelect ProductsSelect Products
January March May
Enrich ProductsEnrich ProductsEnrich Products
Translations/proofingTranslations/proofingTranslations/proofing
Ch
an
ne
l Re
ad
y
The main reasons for better efficiency is:
• Product level decisions that allows
enrichment to start earlier.
• The ability to arrange and design the
publication even if a product and its related
content is not fully enriched.
• The ability to start translation before the first
“general language” assortment is ready.
Benefits:
• Add products and ideas later
• Shorter time-to-market
• Lower cost
• Increased quality
Catalog ProductionCatalog Production
inRiver Rich Client
inRiver Print for InDesign
inRiver Web Client
Demo
inRiver Web Media Browser
Why inRiver for Cross Channel Commerce?
• Because commerce needs rich content - in all channels.
• Collaboration point for teams, departments, external –streamlines and automates information production.
• Much faster time-to-market.
• Re-use and re-purpose information in all channels.
• Makes localization fast and cost effective.
• Far less mistakes and discrepancies.
• Consistency across channels.
• Quick customization and/or personalization for any purpose and any channel.
Why the EPiServer + inRiver package?
• A package that just works together!– EPiServer Commerce for eCommerce
– inRiver for Product Marketing (PIM)
– Standard Channel Adapter between inRiver and EPiServer Commerce
– Single point of contact for all support.
• Very customizable
• Best-of-breed solutions
• Fast and cost effective implementation
• Easy to adapt over time
¼ of the time, ½ of cost and 4x the value
• Scalability - Module based to start small scale fast
• Growth - Increases sales
• Simplicity - Easy to use and implement
• Speed - Pilot up n’running in 8-10 days
• Quality – Perfect product information
– Project ¼ of the time compared to competitors