The Challenge

For a retailer, providing customers with high quality product information is challenging:

• Current ERP and POS systems are not designed to handle the rich product data required for multiple channels
  
• Data provided by suppliers is often unstructured and of poor quality
  
• Information in existing merchandising systems is often inaccessible or too channel specific
  
• Use of spreadsheet solutions is inefficient, error prone and do not promote collaboration between stakeholders

With existing systems, creating such rich and consistent information is labour intensive and a serious strain on company resources. Category, Content, Marketing, Merchandising, Product and Content Managers have to execute manual data entry processes. In addition, costs escalate as the number of SKU's and the rate at which the product range changes increase. Ideally, a complete product range needs to be made available and products launched simultaneously across all channels.

With an effective product induction process, retailers can address these issues and significantly reduce costs and maximise sales. Early access to candidate products during range planning allows catalogues to be designed and online pre-release orders to be taken. Armed with the ability to carry out product induction rapidly, merchandising professionals can collaborate to deliver consistent information to customers in an efficient manner.

Customer interaction is considerably enhanced through the sharing of information and know-how which directly impacts customer loyalty.

Is there a solution to address the challenges faced by 21st century retailers? Yes, of course there is! Click here to find out.

See also

• 

  Multi-channel Retail

  A Rapidly Changing World
• 

  Product Information

  Driving Multi-channel Merchandising

• The Sonetto PIE Approach

  Empowering Business Users
• 

  Key Features & Benefits

  Sonetto Product Induction & Enrichment