Wholesalers face many challenges when it comes to onboarding product data: The large number of suppliers who deliver their data in a wide variety of formats is just one of them. How you can still efficiently integrate heterogeneous product data into your own systems.
Product information: An important guide through the product range
From A for auto parts to Z for zip ties: German wholesalers have almost everything on offer. However, what may please customers is causing headaches for some wholesalers. That’s because consolidating and adding to the countless pieces of product information from different suppliers and keeping them up to date is sometimes a real Sisyphean task. For example, full-range suppliers of industrial products often stock several hundred thousand items. Comprehensive product information is essential for buyers so that they can find the desired product quickly and reliably from the wide range of screws, cables, lubricants and sensors.
5 challenges of product data onboarding in wholesale
That’s not the only reason why product data onboarding in (technical) wholesale is a tricky challenge. The following factors also contribute to the complexity:
1. Wide variety
In addition to the large number of specifications, many products exist in numerous variants that often differ only in minute details. Managing these different variations and their specific data is time-consuming. Furthermore, there are often complex relationships between products, such as accessories, spare parts or compatible components. These must be mapped so that customers can choose the right product.
2. Lack of standardisation
In wholesale, there is often a lack of uniform standards for structuring and exchanging product data. Many suppliers are using their own product catalogues and standard classifications and thus different designations and formats for product attributes such as size, weight, colour or material. This complicates the exchange of data between trading partners as well as the integration of product data into internal systems.
3. Inconsistent data
Wholesale product data often comes from a number of different sources: In addition to various standard classifications, this often includes Excel tables, PDFs or CSV files. Some suppliers now also import their data directly into the wholesaler’s merchandise management system via API interfaces. A prerequisite for this would be a standardised, flexible and scalable data model for the wholesaler. However, this is the point where merchandise management and ERP systems often reach their limits. Consolidating the different formats can result in inconsistencies in terms of the completeness, accuracy and timeliness of the data and can make onboarding much more difficult. In the worst case scenario, this can lead to errors in the ordering process and in logistics.
4. Lack of automation
The complete automation of product data onboarding has so far been the exception rather than the norm in wholesale. This not only consumes a lot of time, but also increases the susceptibility to errors: When product data is manually retrieved and consolidated from different sources transmission errors are inevitable.
5. High customer expectations
Nowadays, wholesale customers expect a B2C shopping experience. They want access to the relevant information at all times, like detailed product descriptions and current stock levels as well as self-service options. Conventional product data onboarding in wholesale is increasingly reaching its limits when confronted with such demands.
Modern PIM solutions are becoming a must-have for wholesalers
Defining uniform standards and automatically adapting the supplied product data ensures consistency, while the centralised data collection and automatic distribution to the various systems ensures a smooth flow of information. Furthermore, not even high volumes of data can bring PIM software to its knees. Quite the contrary: Appropriate solutions use search, filter and access control functions to ensure that wholesalers keep a firm grip on their product range. Even when this involves several hundred thousand products.
Our solution for wholesale product data onboarding:
novomind iPIM Supply
Want to efficiently transfer, consolidate and synchronise millions of supplier product data into your own systems? novomind iPIM Supply is one of the most powerful systems on the market and practically runs itself. In addition to highly automated workflows, AI support and a self-service portal for easily importing supplier product data, you have comprehensive quality control options and can take your product data onboarding to a new level.
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