Case Study: Spicing up Data Management for Allinox Cookware
Allinox has been a global cookware manufacturing specialist since 1949. As a producer of customized cookware, they develop and produce pots and pans for private-label brands around the world.
As an ambitious client, Allinox was eager to start right away with the implementation of numerous core functionalities. This is with accelerated automation and lowering operational tasks in mind. As of today, a solid PIM/MDM acts as a foundation for multiple e-commerce channels, automated catalog & product datasheet generation, pre-product lifecycle and Customer Support relief.
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Chop up the roadmap
The major challenge in this project was and still is, to keep up with the ambitions of the client. While we couldn't wait to start with Allinox's ambitious plans, we took the time to zoom out and chop up the roadmap. This implied that we focused on a phased approach, starting with the heart of it all: getting to know the product. Once we got a grip (pun intended) on the technicity of kitchen cookware we started working on a model that could comprise it all. From there we paved new roads to open an array of new possibilities on which we are still building today.
Talk doesn't cook rice, action does
At the start of the project, there was no PIM/MDM/DAM in place. Data was mainly managed in Excel files, and assets were segregated on several internal disks and online platforms. With this in mind, we focused on getting a solid model in Pimcore as a foundation. Next to this, we implemented the ERP system to source basic product information and the web shop as an information consumer. With this base layer, Allinox could start centralizing and consuming product information. From that point on, we started on multiple side projects: - We captured the complete pre-product R&D process in a Pimcore workflow. - Built an integration with Easycatalog for automated catalog generation. - And fully automated the generation of product datasheets for the different brands, each containing its own special features and corporate identity. Next to that, we kept up with the day-to-day questions and improvements that reached us.
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner
Like a star restaurant menu, we served course after course with time to breathe within, letting space to enjoy the experience. The client shifted from decentralized information spread over silos to 1 central datahub offering a 360 view on product information. This resulted in faster time-to-market for numerous data consumers. Next to this, the R&D department makes use of a pre-product lifecycle to start data sourcing as soon as possible. By doing this, they reduce the number of times entering the same product information to one. To top it off, we focused on automating a lot of print publishing processes. This enabled the marketing staff to be more focused on their core business. Looking forward, we know that the ambitions do not stop here. In fact, we are currently investigating the setup of a digital asset & product information portal. Seems like we'll be back in the kitchen soon.