How can you, as a manufacturer or wholesaler, get the most out of your product data?

But how can you make optimal use of your product information? We will discuss this in this blog based on four key areas: organization, processes, data, and technology.

1. Organisation: create a data-driven culture

Getting the most out of product data starts with the organisation itself. Data is not a by-product of business operations, but a strategic asset. Therefore, put data at the heart of your decision-making and processes.

Understand the value of product data
Make your organisation aware of the importance of product data. The better the data, the better you are able to anticipate customer needs, optimise processes and stay ahead of the competition. This requires a change in mindset, with departments such as sales, marketing and IT working together to ensure high-quality product data.

Data governance and ownership
To avoid errors, duplicates and lost files, clear agreements must be made on who is responsible for data management and data quality. An effective approach to this is to appoint different owners. These data owners (or Product Information Managers) ensure that all product data is up-to-date, consistent and usable by all relevant parties within the organisation.

2. Processes: optimised workflows for data management

To make best use of product data, good processes need to be in place. Clear workflows allow you to collect, manage and distribute data efficiently. All while minimising errors and saving time.

Standardise data collection processes
A major problem within many B2B organisations is the variety of product data. The data comes in through different sources, such as suppliers, internal departments or external databases. This creates inconsistencies and errors. How do you solve this? Through standardisation. Provide clear guidelines around data entry to ensure consistency, regardless of the source. In addition, it helps to manage your data through a central system.

Automate data processing where possible
Many companies still rely on manual input. This is time-consuming and increases the likelihood of errors. When you put product data in a central place, such as in a Product Information Management (PIM) system, you can start automating processes. You can also use machine learning and AI with modern PIM solutions such as Inriver, Akeneo and Contentserv.

Some ways AI can contribute:

Automatic data entry

• Data extraction: AI can automatically extract data from various sources such as PDFs, websites and databases, reducing manual input.
• Data normalisation: AI can detect and correct inconsistencies in data, such as standardising units or correcting typos.

Smart management

• Categorisation and tagging: AI can automatically categorise and tag products based on their characteristics, improving management and findability.
• Predictive analytics: AI can analyse trends and patterns in product data to make predictions about future demand, inventory management and price optimisation.

Efficient publishing

• Content generation: AI can generate product descriptions, specifications and other content automatically, saving time and ensuring consistency.
• Multichannel publishing: AI can optimise content for different sales channels and platforms, publishing the right information at the right time.

3. Data: quality over quantity

Product data is not just a collection of individual attributes such as prices, inventories or specifications. It is a valuable source of information that provides insight for improving customer relationships, optimising the supply chain and even increasing profitability.

Invest in data quality
Quality over quantity. Poor or incomplete data leads to incorrect analyses, missed opportunities or even operational errors. It is therefore important to continuously invest in the quality of your product data. This means carrying out regular data quality checks to ensure that data remains accurate, up-to-date and consistent.

Rich product information for a better customer experience
For manufacturers and wholesalers in the B2B sector, providing rich product information is essential for supporting customers. This includes not only basic information such as prices and availability, but also comprehensive technical specifications, images, manuals and certificates. This information enables customers to make informed decisions, leading to higher customer satisfaction and better sales results.

4. Technology: use the right tools and technologies

Modern tools and systems enable companies to centrally manage their product data and make it accessible to everyone within the organisation, as well as external partners and customers.

Product Information Management (PIM) systems
A PIM system is an indispensable tool for B2B companies that want to manage their product data effectively. This system centralises all product information in one place and makes it easy to keep this data consistent across different channels and departments. A PIM system also allows you to modify and expand data quickly, which is especially important when working with thousands of products. Get informed about which PIM system best suits your needs and budget. This depends on your maturity as an organisation, IT landscape, ambition and goals. There are many PIM and Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems on the market to choose from.

Using data analytics and AI
Advanced technologies such as data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) can help gain deeper insights from your product data. For example, AI can recognise patterns in your sales data that would otherwise be overlooked, helping to predict trends or optimise inventory. Data analysis tools can help detect inconsistencies in product information and correct them automatically, contributing to higher data quality.

Integration with other systems
It is also important that your product data systems can seamlessly integrate with other business-critical systems such as ERP, CRM and e-commerce platforms. By linking these systems, you ensure that product data is always up to date and that different departments use the same information. This prevents silos within the organisation and ensures smooth cooperation between teams.

In many companies, you still come across point-to-point integrations, but in modern IT landscapes you increasingly see integrations via an iPaaS or integration layer. This way, you can streamline processes, be flexible and scalable, and ensure secure real-time updates of product data.

From data to value

Effectively leveraging product data within a B2B organisation requires a holistic approach that brings together organisation, processes, data and technology. By investing in a data-driven culture, streamlined processes, high-quality data and the right technologies, you can not only improve operational efficiency, but also optimise the customer experience and gain competitive advantage.

Manufacturers and wholesalers who take product data seriously will find that it not only improves their internal processes, but also contributes to better customer relations, higher sales and more innovation. The question is no longer whether you should invest in product data, but how quickly you realise this investment to stay ahead in a competitive market.