Case Study
From 20+ Excel lists to a central product data source — how a machine manufacturer got its data quality under control in 12 weeks
A medium-sized machine manufacturer with 350 employees and 2,500 SKUs (machines, components, spare parts) faced a classic problem: Product data was spread across seven different systems and formats — ERP, Excel lists, SharePoint, email attachments, local folders.
The consequences were noticeable
- Technical data sheets took 2—3 weeks per product line
- Sales sent outdated PDFs to customers
- Marketing was unable to respond quickly to customer inquiries
- No clear responsibility for data quality — no one “owns” the issue
- Error rate in product pages was 18%
The trigger: Why now?
Three factors came together:
- New product line with 150+ variants was imminent — the old system would collapse
- Management called for speed: “We need to be on the market faster — the competition won't wait”
- Product managers threatened with overload: “We can't do that manually anymore. We need a solution”
The approach: Three phases in 12 weeks
Phase 1: PIM Readiness Check (week 1—2)
Before we introduced a system, we needed to understand what we had:
- Data source mapping: 7 systems identified, data flows documentedAll product data sources were analyzed
- Governance gaps revealed: No owner, no validation rules, no approval processes
- Quick win list created: 3 emergency measures identified that brought immediate relief
upshot: A clear overview of the chaos — and a roadmap for resolving it systematically.
Phase 2: Data Modeling & Governance (week 3—6)
Now it became concrete:
- Structured variant logic: Sizes, materials, certificates — all in one consistent model
- Roles defined:
Processes introduced for multilingual catalogs
Marketing = publisher (prepares data for channels)
IT = administrator (technical operation) - Workflows set up: Approval process for new products, change tracking, quality checks
upshot: Clear responsibilities, comprehensible processes, quality assurance built in.
Phase 3: PIM Implementation & Output Automation (Week 7—12)
The systems came together:
- ERP connection: Master data flowed automatically from the existing system
- PLM integration: Technical data from Siemens Teamcenter was synchronized
- Automated data sheet generation: InDesign templates were fed with PIM data — datasheets created at the push of a button
- Webshop feed live: Product data was automatically exported to the online shop every day
upshot: Everything is automated. Manual errors are falling dramatically.
The results: measurable and noticeable
Time saved: 65% less time spent creating data sheets
- Before: 3 weeks per product line (manually, with coordination loops)
- After: 5 days (automated, with quality check)
- saving: 10 working days per product line
Data quality: error rate reduced from 18% to 2%
- Fewer inquiries from customers
- Fewer returns due to incorrect specifications
- Higher customer satisfaction
Time-to-market: New product line live in 4 weeks instead of 12 weeks
- Before: 12 weeks (data collection, coordination, approval, publication)
- After: 4 weeks (structured recording, automatic publication)
- competitive advantage: 8 weeks faster on the market
Relief for teams: 8 hours/week for strategic work
- Product managers can focus on product development instead of data maintenance
- Marketing has time for real campaigns instead of data cleansing
What made that possible? Proof Points
Service & methodology:
- Governance workshop with all stakeholders (clarification of roles, processes, responsibilities)
- data modeling process (iterative, with feedback loops)
- Change management (training, documentation, support)
Technical integration:
- ERP connection (SAP)
- PLM integration (Siemens Teamcenter)
- InDesign server for automated datasheet generation
- Webshop API for daily data feeds
Step-by-step rollout:
- Quick wins first (quick successes to build trust)
- Then scaling (more product lines, more channels)
The message for you
If you're also stuck in Excel chaos — when your product data is spread across multiple systems, when datasheets take weeks and errors are common — then it's time for a solution.
The good thing is that you don't have to start from scratch. With a structured approach (Readiness Check → Governance → Implementation), you can create clarity and automate your processes in 12 weeks.
Next step
Book a 15-minute PIM readiness check — free of charge and without obligation.
We look at your situation, identify your biggest levers and show you how quickly you can get better data and faster time-to-market.
Book a readiness check
