In the interview with Jochen Janke, Managing Director of MPDigital GmbH
In preparation for the PIM Street at the DIGITAL FUTUREcongress on 3 November at Messe Essen, today we are speaking with an expert in the field of PIM (Product Information Management). Many German SMEs that have increasingly turned to the topic of multichannel marketing in recent years use PIM systems. Whether cable management manufacturer Pflitsch, building technology manufacturer Albrecht Jung or vacuum technology manufacturer FIPA. All of them rely on the technology from MPDigital for eCommerce, WebCMS or catalogue design. The provider has been developing customised software and offering services for company-wide product information systems (PIM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), cross-media publishing and eCommerce since 1997. This is reason enough to dedicate ourselves to PIM once and for all and to work out the advantages of using a PIM system. The conversation therefore focuses on the digitalisation of product data, the different classifications and the basis for successful multichannel marketing, which includes the elements online, eProcurement and print.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Your references include many top SMEs from the manufacturing industry and brands that are known worldwide. From what company size do you think the use of a PIM system is worthwhile?
Jochen Janke: The company size is not the decisive factor when it comes to using a PIM system. It is rather factors such as the number and complexity of products, sales channels and languages that determine the benefits of a PIM system. We have developed a potential analysis that provides an initial assessment of the benefits of a PIM system. This usually makes it possible to quickly determine whether the use of a PIM system is worthwhile.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Before introducing a corresponding PIM system, product data must be digitalised. How do you support your customers in making this process as lean and efficient as possible?
Jochen Janke: We offer our customers a configuration workshop to determine the required scope of the PIM system. Our 20 years of experience with PIM is particularly beneficial for companies that have not yet dealt intensively with the topic. Our PIM system also already includes around 80% of the data model required for a standard PIM system from the start. The remaining 20% can be easily configured by users themselves in the interface. All of this works on the fly; changes to the configuration are immediately visible on the products. In addition, we offer a Content-Automation module that enables content to be created automatically.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: To manage products in a PIM system in the long term, strict classification is required. Can you briefly explain the individual phases involved and also highlight their advantages and disadvantages?
Jochen Janke: Classifying products is a crucial factor for the usability of the resulting product information, but unfortunately also the most time-consuming. If the company needs to provide information in a standard classification such as ETIM, eClass, GPC, CeCedPI or UNSPSC, the first step is to determine the relevant classes for the required classification(s) for its products. This offers the advantage of building on existing features and values that are generally recognized in the industry. Based on these classes, the features that are additionally required for one's own purposes are usually defined. If there is no standard class for one's own products, the necessary features and values must be defined independently. The disadvantage is that the classification work must be done by the company itself, but this will then be 100% tailored to the company. Our PIM includes the aforementioned standard classifications, which can be used as a basis for one's own classification. Multi-classification is of course also supported. In all these processes and classifications, we naturally advise and support our customers in full. Over the years, we have gained a lot of experience here, which saves companies a lot of time and money.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: How do you manage the import and export of different data formats?
Jochen Janke: For import and export, you can define your own descriptions in the PIM that define the mapping of the files to the PIM fields. These descriptions can be scheduled to automate import and export processes. For complex formats such as BMEcat, our PIM offers additional configuration options to adapt the data model to different specifications, in addition to import and export. This may sound a bit complicated at first, but with the support of our company, it is quite easy to implement.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: PIM systems are often still associated with the pure automation and optimization of print processes. What benefits does the introduction and operational use of an application in the areas of online marketing and e-commerce offer?
Jochen Janke: Our PIM experience actually originated from editorial systems that were developed for creating extensive catalogs. At that time, electronic formats included CD-ROMs and the first online applications. Today, several channels have been added without replacing old ones. Companies now face the challenge of supplying many different channels with product information. Without a PIM system, this has to be done separately for each channel. With a PIM system, there is a single point of truth that ensures all channels are updated from one source. I think more channels for product information will emerge that will benefit from this system. However, once you have started using such a system, you will appreciate its advantages and be better equipped to handle future innovations.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Many medium-sized companies operating internationally need to offer their products in multiple languages. This applies not only to the web but also to corresponding (print) catalogs. How does your solution help implement this effortlessly?
Jochen Janke: The data structure of our PIM system is fundamentally multilingual. This applies not only to textual information but also to classification. New languages can therefore be easily integrated or are already included in standard classifications. Connections to machine translation and translation memory systems are also possible. Of course, this means that our system will continue to be developed in the future and will always receive new features to meet future requirements. That goes without saying.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: What will you be showing visitors at the DFC on November 3 at Messe Essen?
Jochen Janke: We will be showcasing our PIM-to-go, the PIM system from the cloud, which allows you to be ready to start in just one day.
DIGITAL FUTUREmag: That sounds exciting. We look forward to seeing you again at the DFC. Thank you very much for this insight.