PIM and DAM

In early 2020, our small but dedicated team found ourselves grappling with a formidable challenge that would set in motion a transformative journey of discovery and innovation. It all began when we decided to take a closer look at our product information and data management system, only to realize that nearly 70% of our invaluable data was plagued by inconsistencies and disarray.

The heart of the matter lay in four distinct challenges. Firstly, a multitude of data sources, a total of 12, operated without clear ownership of individual data points. Secondly, a lack of robust revision control mechanisms resulted in a constant influx of 2-5 ECO (Engineering Change Order) requests each week. These changes necessitated updates to technical documentation, the website, and our online sales channels. Thirdly, the file names and organizational structure of our digital assets were predominantly in German, creating a substantial language barrier in our English-speaking work environment. Lastly, our reliance on manual organization had evolved into a cumbersome and unsustainable practice, submerging us under a mountain of digital disarray.

Recognizing the dire need for a solution, our small team embarked on a quest to unearth a more efficient and organized approach. Our collective vision was to harness the untapped potential of our digital assets and leverage them to their fullest extent. After thorough research, we stumbled upon the game-changing solution we had been looking for: Censhare.

Censhare, a Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) company, emerged as the remedy to our digital woes. It offered a comprehensive system that was tailor-made to meet our goals of data quality, productivity enhancement, and future-proofing our operations (see chart bellow for how we measured this).

The key to Censhare’s transformative power lay in its ability to seamlessly integrate with our existing systems. By linking it to our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and uploading our digital asset working files, we were able to create a single, unified source of truth. This single source became the linchpin of our operations, ensuring that our data was consistent, up to date, and readily accessible.

The impact of this transformation rippled through our entire organization. The website, previously a source of frequent manual updates, became dynamically connected to our data repository. Our online sales channels received a steady flow of accurate, current information. Even our spec sheets, a time-consuming and error-prone task, were now generated with up-to-the-minute data on a daily basis.

Our journey from the initial shock of data inconsistency to the innovative embrace of Censhare was nothing short of remarkable. It revolutionized the way we operated, instilling a newfound sense of data quality, enhancing productivity, and positioning us for a dynamic future. Our team, once burdened by the weight of inconsistency, now thrived in an environment where our our product information and digital assets were organized, accessible, and harnessed to their fullest potential.

During this journey, I had the privilege of addressing an audience of more than 200 participants, including notable companies like Nike and Procter & Gamble, during a Henry Stewart online event (view event page here). In this presentation, I had the opportunity to delve into the solutions we implemented. These solutions revolved around the integration of our Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems, resulting in a substantial improvement in data accuracy and how we tailored the system to align perfectly with our specific needs and objectives.

Key Skills

Before Censhare

Source
Data Collection (manual or not)
10%
Potential of data compromised
20%
Non-appropriate manipulation
10%
Type
Restricted access to master data
10%
Updated systematically or automatic
10%
Updates frequently enabling accuracy
10%
Accuracy
Data is exact and precise
10%
Data is correct for the intended use
95%
Accuracy of the data can be relied on
20%
Security
Data is safe from unauthorized changes
10%
Changes are traceable
10%
Retrievable if un-authorized changes made
30%
Process
Data is not duplicated unnecessarily
20%
No gaps in the information flow
10%
The information is relevant to the task
95%
Responsibility & Ownership
Ownership & accountability defined
40%
Accuracy KPI
KPI to implement to keep data accurate
10%

After Censhare

Source
Data Collection (manual or not)
95%
Potential of data compromised
95%
Non-appropriate manipulation
95%
Type
Restricted access to master data
95%
Updated systematically or automatic
95%
Updates frequently enabling accuracy
95%
Accuracy
Data is exact and precise
95%
Data is correct for the intended use
95%
Accuracy of the data can be relied on
95%
Security
Data is safe from unauthorized changes
95%
Changes are traceable
95%
Retrievable if un-authorized changes made
95%
Process
Data is not duplicated unnecessarily
95%
No gaps in the information flow
95%
The information is relevant to the task
95%
Responsibility & Ownership
Ownership & accountability defined
95%
Accuracy KPI
KPI to implement to keep data accurate
95%