From 20+ Excel lists to a central product data source — how a machine manufacturer got its data quality under control in 12 weeks

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• Sales sent outdated PDFs to customers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:

1. New product line with 150+ variants was imminent — the old system would collapse
2. Management called for speed: “We need to be on the market faster — the competition won't wait”
3. 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