Connecting TheDots

Before implementing a PIM solution, Azerty faced a fragmented product data landscape. Product information arrived from multiple supplier sources in varying formats, making it difficult to manage pricing, product relationships, and content updates in a consistent and timely manner. The organization lacked a single system capable of synchronizing enriched product data across all sales channels simultaneously. As the assortment continued to grow, the manual workload increased and the risk of data inconsistency became a bottleneck for both operational speed and commercial agility. Azerty needed one central hub where product data could be ingested, classified, enriched, and published with full control over channel-specific pricing logic.

ConnectingTheDots implemented its PIM platform as the operational core of Azerty’s product information management:

1) Centralized Product Hub

All product data now flows into a single ConnectingTheDots PIM environment, where information is enriched, product relationships are defined, and updates propagate instantly to all connected sales channels, including the Azerty webshop.

2) Automated Data Onboarding via Product Data Loader

The Product Data Loader enables Azerty to independently process and enrich incoming supplier data. During each import, the system automatically classifies products, cleanses records, and validates data quality, ensuring the PIM remains accurate and current without manual intervention.

3) Advanced Channel-Specific Pricing

ConnectingTheDots configured price lists per sales channel, incorporating currency settings, VAT rates, and formula-based automatic calculation of retail prices. This gives Azerty the flexibility to adjust pricing strategies in response to market conditions with minimal manual effort.

4) Native Integration with Onetrail and Icecat

Via standard connectors to Onetrail and Icecat, Azerty automatically pulls in product data, pricing updates, and stock levels. Each import triggers classification, data cleansing, and validation, keeping the catalog consistent and reliable at scale.

With ConnectingTheDots PIM, Azerty achieved full control over both product data and pricing across every channel:

• Centralized product management across all sales channels from a single source of truth
• Automated supplier data processing, eliminating manual data entry and reducing error risk
• Channel-specific pricing calculated automatically per channel, including currency and VAT logic
• Real-time synchronization ensuring updates in PIM are immediately visible in the Azerty webshop
• Consistent and validated product data through automated classification on every Icecat and Onetrail import
• Scalable foundation for growth, with a flexible architecture ready to support further catalog expansion and new channel integrations

De Bijenkorf’s legacy PIM system had reached its limits: excessive customization had made it rigid, teams lacked visibility into data quality and process status, and the speed of product publishing could not keep pace with commercial requirements. Product information was scattered, workflows were unclear, and teams were switching between systems to complete basic enrichment tasks. With a complex IT landscape and high standards for content quality across every channel and language, the organization needed a modern, flexible PIM backbone that could support omnichannel operations without creating dependency on heavy technical workarounds. The guiding requirement was a solution that was simultaneously powerful for data management and intuitive enough for day-to-day use by marketing, copy, and photography teams.

ConnectingTheDots implemented its PIM platform as the central backbone for De Bijenkorf’s product information operations:

1) Unified Data Model and Classification

ConnectingTheDots established a uniform data model covering all products and variants, with structured classification ensuring consistent data across every channel and language. This eliminated the inconsistencies that had previously required manual correction before publication.

2) Task-Driven Workflow Management via Product Information Flow

The Product Information Flow within the PIM assigns tasks automatically to the correct teams based on product stage — from photography and copywriting through to final approval. Every team member sees their pending tasks in a single view, removing the need to switch between systems or rely on manual handovers.

3) Real-Time Data Quality Dashboards

Intuitive dashboards give teams immediate visibility into completeness rates, enrichment progress, and outstanding actions. Spreadsheet-style bulk editing capabilities allow efficient updates at scale, reducing the time required to move products from intake to publication-ready status.

4) Automated Downstream Synchronization

Fully enriched products are automatically synchronized to all downstream systems, including country-specific sales channels, ensuring every storefront always reflects the most current and complete product data without manual exports or interventions.

5) Partnership-Led Implementation

The implementation took place within a complex enterprise IT environment. ConnectingTheDots and De Bijenkorf operated as a joint team with short communication lines and open dialogue, resolving technical challenges rapidly without derailing timelines.

With ConnectingTheDots PIM, De Bijenkorf established a future-proof foundation for efficient, high-quality product management across its entire omnichannel operation:

• Full control over product information across all countries and sales channels from a single source of truth
• Streamlined cross-team collaboration through task-driven workflows that automatically route work to the right people at the right stage
• Faster product publication with consistently complete and accurate data reaching all channels simultaneously
• High data quality and real-time progress visibility through dashboards that surface gaps before they reach downstream systems
• Scalable architecture capable of supporting continued growth in catalog size, market coverage, and channel complexity

“We wanted to move away from loose files and switch to a modern, flexible PIM backbone. ConnectingTheDots understood exactly what we wanted to achieve.”

— Emma Ootes, Product Owner at De Bijenkorf

Wehkamp’s growing assortment created compounding complexity: product data arrived from multiple sources and supplier formats, each brand required its own structure and branding, and publishing accurately to both the webshop and the mobile app demanded a level of control and process clarity that the existing setup could not deliver. Beyond commercial requirements, compliance pressures added urgency. Material data, packaging information, and sustainability certifications needed to be centrally captured to support reliable UPV (extended producer responsibility) reporting. With catalog scale, brand diversity, and regulatory obligations all increasing simultaneously, Wehkamp needed a single, enterprise-grade PIM hub that could centralize control without sacrificing the speed required in a high-volume e-commerce environment.

ConnectingTheDots implemented a multi-brand PIM environment purpose-built for the scale and complexity of Wehkamp’s operation:

1) Multi-Brand Architecture with Centralized Management

A single ConnectingTheDots PIM environment serves all three brands — Wehkamp, Kleertjes.com, and Union River — while preserving each brand’s individual assortment structure and visual identity. Centralized management eliminates duplication of effort across teams without compromising brand-level autonomy.

2) Automated Supplier Integrations via Fashion Cloud and Vuuh

Native integrations with Fashion Cloud and Vuuh enable fully automated inflow of product data and imagery directly from suppliers. This removes manual data entry from the onboarding process, accelerating time-to-listing and reducing the error risk inherent in manual handling at scale.

3) Real-Time Synchronization via Apache Kafka

Changes made in the PIM propagate instantly to the webshop and mobile app through an Apache Kafka integration. Updates are live across all consumer touchpoints without batch delays or manual export steps, ensuring shoppers always see accurate, current product content.

4) Compliance and Sustainability Data Management

Material data, packaging specifications, and regulatory certificates are captured centrally within the PIM. This structure makes UPV reporting reliable and efficient, removing the dependency on fragmented records across teams or systems.

5) Workflow Management and Data Quality Dashboards

Teams operate with structured workflows, clear task ownership, and real-time dashboards that surface completeness rates and data quality gaps. Every team member knows exactly which products require action and at what stage, keeping the content pipeline moving at the pace the business demands.

With ConnectingTheDots PIM, Wehkamp established a scalable, compliant, and high-velocity product data operation across its full multi-brand portfolio:

• Centralized management of 180,000+ products across three distinct brands from a single platform
• Faster publishing through automated supplier data inflow and real-time downstream synchronization via Apache Kafka
• Higher data quality and content completeness per brand, driven by structured workflows and progress dashboards
• Regulatory compliance secured with centrally managed material data, packaging information, and UPV reporting
• Scalable platform ready to grow with catalog expansion and the addition of new brands or channels without structural rework

ANWB’s product information was dispersed across multiple sources and formats, creating inconsistencies, redundant effort, and delays in publishing workflows. Without a unified data model, teams duplicated work across systems, new products took longer to bring to market, and existing content drifted out of sync with supplier updates. The organization needed a solution that could centralize control over product data, enforce consistent quality standards before publication, and support the speed of a large-scale retail and service operation without requiring heavy technical intervention for day-to-day tasks.

ConnectingTheDots implemented its PIM platform as ANWB’s central product information environment, with a configuration tailored to the organization’s workflows and quality requirements:

1) Centralized Product Data Hub with Uniform Data Model

All product information now resides in a single ConnectingTheDots PIM environment, structured around a clear and consistent data model with defined classification. This eliminates the inconsistencies that previously arose from managing data across disparate sources and formats.

2) Product Data Loader as Supplier Intake Gateway

The Product Data Loader (PDL) serves as the controlled entry point for all incoming supplier data. ANWB teams independently upload, review, and enrich raw supplier content through the PDL, which validates data against ANWB’s quality standards before it enters the main PIM environment. New products reach publication faster, and existing content remains continuously accurate.

3) Structured Product Information Flow

The end-to-end workflow within the PIM is designed to match ANWB’s internal working methods. Teams move products from intake through enrichment to publication-ready status within a single, coherent process, reducing handover friction and accelerating time-to-market across the full assortment.

4) Role-Based Access and Single Sign-On

The platform is configured with role-specific permissions, ensuring each team member sees and acts on exactly what is relevant to their function. Single sign-on integration streamlines access across the organization, while notification and progress reporting features give managers real-time visibility into pipeline status.

5) Bynder DAM and Magento Integration

Native connectors to Bynder for digital asset management and Magento for e-commerce publication ensure that enriched product content and associated media flow automatically to downstream channels without manual export or re-entry.

With ConnectingTheDots PIM, ANWB established a structured, scalable, and quality-controlled product information operation capable of supporting continued catalog growth:

• Centralized product data across the full assortment in a single, consistently structured environment
• Faster time-to-market for new products through the streamlined Product Data Loader intake and enrichment workflow
• Consistently accurate and complete content enforced by quality validation at the supplier data entry point
• Improved cross-team collaboration through role-based access, clear task ownership, and progress dashboards
• Automated downstream publishing via integrated Bynder DAM and Magento connectors, keeping all channels current without manual intervention