While some of us have been turning towards new technologies like AI to improve product information accuracy, others have turned to their in-house community of product experts to source product information corrections, enhancements, and additions.

In an effort to ensure that 42 million data points for over 6 million products is up-to-date and accurate, Swiss retailer Galaxus recently introduced the ability for customers to correct and supplement product information to enhance the quality of details published on product pages.

Outdoor clothing & gear retailer Backcountry has been sourcing product information from consumers for years now – On every product page they have a link where you can report incorrect product information, and updates promise to be reflected within 72 hours.

Both of these examples underscore a fundamental truth: amidst the allure of cutting-edge technologies, the authentic voice of the customer remains an invaluable asset. The shift towards community-sourced product information recognizes that the lived experiences and nuanced understanding of customers bring a level of authenticity and depth that algorithms alone cannot match.

As this momentum of customer-centric information sourcing gains momentum, let’s take a look at the basics of this strategy and how more reliable and up-to-date product data can positively impact the customer experience.

What is Community-Sourced PX?

Community-Sourced Product Experience (PX) is a collaborative approach in the retail and eCommerce landscape where brands and retailers leverage the expertise and insights of their customer community to enhance and refine product information. In this model, customers actively contribute to the accuracy, completeness, and overall quality of product details, transforming them from passive consumers into engaged participants.

This process involves allowing customers to identify and rectify missing or inaccurate product information, ranging from specifications and usage details to reviews and recommendations. Brands embrace the collective intelligence of their community to ensure that product pages reflect a comprehensive and authentic portrayal of their offerings.

Community-Sourced PX goes beyond traditional methods of data curation, recognizing that customers, as end-users intimately acquainted with the products, bring a level of authenticity and nuanced understanding that automated systems or internal teams might not possess. It fosters a sense of collaboration, turning customers into valuable contributors who actively shape the narrative of product information, ultimately influencing the overall customer experience and building stronger connections between brands and their audience.

What are the Benefits of Community-Sourced PX?

Create a Community of Contributors

In the conventional retail model, customers often play a passive role, limited to the transactional aspect of purchasing. However, the advent of Community-Sourced PX elevates customers to the status of active participants. They are no longer mere observers but contributors, actively shaping the landscape of product information.

This shift is akin to inviting customers into the inner circle, where their insights and expertise are valued. As customers see their suggestions and corrections influencing product details, a sense of ownership takes root. They become stakeholders in the brand’s success, fostering a deeper connection that extends beyond individual transactions. This sense of community becomes a powerful driver of brand loyalty as customers no longer perceive themselves as detached consumers but as integral members of a community invested in the brand’s growth and improvement.

Proof of Customer-Centricity

Brands that actively listen, acknowledge, and implement customer feedback demonstrate a genuine commitment to evolving in tandem with their audience. This responsiveness is not merely a reactive measure but a proactive stance, illustrating that the brand is attuned to the ever-changing needs and expectations of its consumer base.

As customers witness their feedback translating into tangible improvements or corrections in product information, a powerful narrative of customer-centricity unfolds. The brand becomes more than just a provider of products; it transforms into a responsive partner, actively seeking to enhance the customer experience. This proactive engagement fosters a sense of trust, as customers recognize that their opinions matter and are instrumental in shaping the brand’s direction.

Promote UGC (User-Generated Content)

The concept of Community-Sourced PX is a goldmine for User-Generated Content (UGC). As customers actively contribute key information or share their genuine experiences, brands and retailers are able to enrich product pages and encourage other customers to share their own experiences or feedback, creating a better overall customer experience.

The authenticity embedded in UGC is unparalleled. It goes beyond the glossy marketing language and staged visuals, offering a real and unfiltered glimpse into the product’s impact on the lives of actual consumers. Community-Sourced PX provides a platform for customers to share their triumphs, challenges, and unique use cases, creating a mosaic of diverse perspectives that resonate with a broader audience.

Flag Missing/Incomplete Data & Patterns

Customers, intimately acquainted with products, are quick to identify gaps or inaccuracies.Their keen observations stem from a genuine connection with the products they use, making them adept at recognizing nuances that automated systems or internal teams might overlook. 

This collaborative approach helps flag missing or incomplete data and uncover patterns that might have been overlooked. The community acts as an extended set of eyes, collectively ensuring that product details are not only accurate but also reflective of the nuanced qualities that make each product unique. Plus, if your team notices that certain products or product lines are continually getting flagged for incomplete or inaccurate information, it may help your team identify gaps or inefficiencies in your publishing processes.

Improve Overall Quality and Reliability of Product Information

With the collective contribution of the community, brands can significantly enhance the overall quality and reliability of their product information, ensuring accuracy and completeness. This process is akin to a collaborative audit, where the community serves as a vigilant team, ensuring that every product detail aligns with the reality perceived by those who actually use the products. Whether it’s correcting specifications, validating usage scenarios, or adding nuanced information, the collective intelligence of the community becomes an invaluable resource for brands striving to deliver accurate and comprehensive product information.

Plus, this collaborative approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement. As community members actively engage with product details, brands gain real-time insights into evolving customer needs and expectations. This iterative feedback loop allows brands to adapt swiftly, ensuring that product information remains relevant and aligned with the dynamic nature of consumer preferences.

What are the Benefits of Providing More Reliable Product Information?

Reduced Return Rates

When product details are accurate and comprehensive, customers are empowered to make informed purchasing decisions, reducing the likelihood of dissatisfaction and subsequent returns. This, in turn, results in a significant decrease in return rates and the associated costs for both customers and brands.

Plus, the decrease in return rates contributes to improved customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers and brand advocates. They appreciate the brand’s commitment to providing reliable information, fostering loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. In the long run, this positive cycle not only minimizes the financial impact of returns but also enhances the brand’s reputation and customer relationships.

Better Searchability & Site Functionality

Accurate product data lays the foundation for precise and relevant search results. When customers search for specific products or features, the accuracy of the data ensures that the search algorithm can effectively match their queries with the most relevant products, eliminating the frustration of irrelevant results and allowing customers to quickly and effortlessly find exactly what they are looking for.

An up-to-date and accurate product catalog also enhances the overall navigation experience. Customers can intuitively explore product categories, filter options, and refine their searches based on accurate specifications. This organized structure contributes to a user-friendly environment and streamlines the decision-making process, enabling customers to browse and purchase with ease and confidence.

More Consistent Omnichannel Customer Experience

Whether a customer engages with a brand through the website, a mobile app, social media, or in-store, having consistent and accurate product information creates a unified brand presence. Accurate and uniform product data facilitates a smooth transition for customers moving between channels. Whether they research online and buy in-store or vice versa, having consistent data eliminates friction points, making the transition effortless and enhancing overall customer satisfaction. This cohesion reinforces brand identity, conveying a sense of reliability and professionalism to customers, regardless of their chosen touchpoint.

For brands aiming to deliver personalized experiences, consistency in product data is paramount. A unified understanding of product details allows for more effective cross-channel personalization strategies. Whether recommending related products online or offering tailored promotions in-store, a foundation of consistent product data enables brands to understand and anticipate customer preferences across the entire omnichannel landscape.

The Future of Community-Sourced PX

Community-Sourced PX invites customers into an exclusive inner circle, where their insights and expertise are valued. The shift from passive observers to engaged participants fosters a sense of ownership and community. Customers become integral stakeholders in the brand’s success, nurturing a deeper connection that transcends individual transactions. This newfound sense of community emerges as a powerful catalyst for brand loyalty, as customers recognize themselves as vital contributors to the brand’s growth and improvement.

While the concept of Community-Sourced PX might still be in its infancy, it holds the power to not only redefine how brands curate information but also reshape the entire customer journey. This collaborative evolution paves the way for a retail experience that is not only accurate and reliable but also deeply rooted in community, authenticity, and a customer-centric ethos. 

Interested in learning more about how you can harness the power of your community to improve your product experience offering? Reach out to a PX expert today!

Demystifying AI in Retail

• Task automation: Using AI to perform repetitive, rule-based tasks without human intervention, ranging from simple data entry to complex business processes.This frees up valuable human resources to focus on more strategic, creative, and high-value activities. 
• Predictive analysis: Using historical data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning techniques to identify the likelihood of future outcomes or trends.By analyzing past data, AI can predict future trends, customer behaviors, and market changes, allowing companies to make informed decisions, anticipate demand, optimize resource allocation, and proactively address challenges before they arise.
• Pattern recognition: Using AI to identify patterns, trends, or anomalies within vast datasets that may not be apparent to human observers. AI excels at quickly and accurately recognizing patterns in data, enabling businesses to extract valuable insights. This is particularly beneficial in areas like fraud detection, customer behavior analysis, and quality control.

Avoid Common Pitfalls When Implementing AI

Ignoring data security 

Not involving stakeholders and end users 

Poor communication and support

Steps for Optimal AI Adoption in Retail

Step 1: Assess your needs

• How much data do you need to manage? 
• Do you have any specific cleaning or categorization problems? 
• What processes would you like to automate or optimize?
• Do you need to enrich your descriptions, keywords, or titles?
• To date, how much time do you set aside for this type of task and how much do you want to reduce it?
• What kind of results/ROI do you expect?
• How can AI fit into your current workflow?

Step 2: Select the right technology

Step 3: Train and communicate with your employees 

Harnessing AI for Growth

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ABOUT AKENEO

People are visual, and this oversight can crush your conversion rate. When shopping online, we want to see engaging and informative images and videos of the products we’re going to buy. 

Digital Asset Management solutions (DAM) are the Rolls Royces of media management and what many brands turn to when it comes to handling their media assets. But how exactly do DAM systems fit into the Product Experience ecosystem? 

Let’s take a look and see how PIM and DAM systems are, in fact, complementary technologies that allow organizations to deliver top-tier experiences for customers by combining rich media assets with compelling product information.

What is DAM?

Digital Asset Management (DAM) software solutions are tools designed to efficiently organize, store, retrieve, and manage digital assets within an organization. These assets can include images, videos, documents, and other multimedia files. 

DAM systems provide a centralized and searchable repository, enabling teams to easily locate, share, and collaborate on digital content. By streamlining workflows and ensuring version control, DAM software can enhance productivity, brand consistency, and the overall management of an organization’s digital resources. 

With features like metadata tagging, permissions management, lifecycle management and support for API based integrations, DAM solutions contribute to a more organized and accessible digital ecosystem, supporting businesses in maximizing the value of their digital assets.

DAM Systems and Product Experience

DAM systems have an important role to play in the product experience ecosystem. Similar to Product Information Management (PIM) solutions, DAM systems serve as a centralized hub for content management. 

However, DAM goes a step further by focusing specifically on multimedia content. This specialization makes DAM a powerful complement to PIM, offering a dedicated repository for managing and distributing high-quality visual and audio assets. This ensures that marketing teams, designers, and other stakeholders can swiftly access and utilize compelling images and videos for product listings, eCommerce platforms, marketing campaigns, and other customer-facing materials. 

It’s important to note that DAM systems are intended to manage the entirety of a business’ media content, not just product related assets. This means DAM systems manage media needs for many departments within the organization and store assets for things like corporate communications, legal, human resources, training & development, brand assets and more. 

For organizations just looking to store product related assets, a dedicated DAM solution may be overkill in terms of cost and complexity. Many PIM solutions also include the ability to handle product-related media assets, which can be a great alternative if there’s no need for the full power of a dedicated DAM solution. 

While PIM and DAM share the overarching goal of centralizing content, they serve distinct purposes within the broader product experience ecosystem. PIM excels in managing complex taxonomies of product data, including technical specifications, marketing copy, and sustainability and compatibility information. It’s designed to adapt this information and ensure consistency and accuracy across the entire customer journey, from how products or sets of products are represented in an ad space, displayed in marketing channels, turned into compelling product and brand stories in owned or third-party sales destinations, or even in customer service interactions. 

On the other hand, DAM specializes in the visual aspects of product representation and their efficient storage, editing, organization, and retrieval. 

DAM to PIM Integration Best Practices 

It’s important to note that there are many different ways to integrate PIM and DAM systems within an ecosystem. Generally, when integrating a DAM system to a PIM system, establish a single source of truth for each data field and determine who can access and manipulate what within each system. 

In most cases, the DAM system will host the media itself as well as metadata, and serve the images via a CDN. The PIM will allow teams to then combine the product record with media originating from a DAM system. 

The PIM can be considered a consumer of information from the DAM. Many modern PIMs manage media links directly from a DAM system without actually storing any physical media files.These links can still be used to generate a preview within the PIM though, allowing merchandising teams to work with a complete product record in a single place. 

It’s critical to have a strategy for linking images to products. When a product catalog can have hundreds of thousands of products with millions of images, it’s important that a consistent mapping process is in place. Establishing a naming convention is often a good approach. 

The actual mapping of images to products can happen within an integration layer, but many PIM solutions also include a rules engine that can automate this effort with no additional development work needed. 

Finally, media transformations and editing (cropping, resizing, recoloring, watermarking etc.) typically occur within the DAM system, which has more robust capabilities in this space. 

PIM & DAM in the Product Experience Ecosystem

In conclusion, the combination of Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Product Information Management (PIM) solutions represents a strategic synergy within the product experience ecosystem. While PIM excels in managing comprehensive product data, DAM specializes in the efficient storage, organization, and retrieval of visual assets. 

Together, these complementary technologies empower organizations to deliver a unified and seamless combination of rich media assets and comprehensive product information.

1. Discovery Phase 

The PIM functional & technical requirements design phase is typically held through working sessions to assess the needs of the client and ensure that all potential discrepancies are covered by existing processes; and if not, how these discrepancies can be addressed.

2. Implementation Phase 

The second adoption phase focuses on the “Minimum Viable PXM Foundation” (MVPF), which typically starts with just one channel and one market in order to secure adoption of the key PXM champions to facilitate development of other markets and channels.

3. Hypercare Phase 

In the final phase of adoption, partners like us here at Valtech provide executive coaching, training sessions, and check-ins from implementation to adoption – and this is just the gate to validate the final adoption.​

The goal is to integrate the adoption all along those phases – this is the secret ingredient of adoption success! And for Valtech, we like to say that adoption happens on day one so that we have ample time to ensure that:

• PIM features are demoed to project team as they are developed and deployed.
• Users are provided access to test and provide feedback on configurations and system settings.
• We identify any gaps in desired functionality, workflows, user types and permissions.
• Collaborate with the PX experts at Akeneo to find the right recommendation and expertise.
• Build documentation for all configurations, permissions, and integrations. We here at Valtech like to create a user guide which can include cheat sheets, tutorials, and step-by-step process outlines customized for each client.

The Sooner the Better: Adoption Starts at Day One

Find your champions and “train the trainers”

Once a project is signed, you will work with a team of champions! First but not least, you will have to train the key users because the main strategy is to, “Train the trainers”. Find the right champions who will lead and implement the project with you but also ensure the adoption with the end users.

Every business is different – the first step includes us partners analyzing the clients’ needs, objectives, architecture, catalog and product structure in order to better understand how implementing a PIM solution, like Akeneo, will best address the client’s needs. To do so, your champions will need to understand first what a PIM solution like Akeneo is to understand how to make the most of it.

With Akeneo, there are many resources available to “train the trainers”, including:

• Akeneo Akademy – Self-guided lessons and tutorials, but supported by the entire Akeneo Akademy and the Valtech expertise.
• Project Success Assistance (PSA) – An Akeneo program with weekly workshops focused on leading PIM and PX concepts and Akeneo workflow tutorials with a Customer Success Manager dedicated to your project. As an Akeneo partner, Valtech would optimize these workshops by collaboratively working with Akeneo to do the discovery phase in parallel. For example, we will let Akeneo introduce the basic concepts and then we will surf on the knowledge waves to start digging into the client’s structure in terms of product structure and data: different possible channels, category trees, product types, product associations, etc. Then, we would contextualize these basics into a real product structure to make it more understandable and allowing the client to visualize how the product structure would actually look. 
• Partner Training – Ongoing series of sessions with Akeneo partners to highlight successful joint use cases and partner best practices.
• A combination of all three!

Along the Implementation and Hypercare Phases

Stay on course, let the client steer the ship

Once we finish the discovery phase, we implement the recommendations and improved processes previously identified.

As mentioned, we walk through some product type examples during the discovery phase with the clients. Then, we will move forward with what we defined and we will encourage the client to do so on their own as well. The client can model an easy product type to start(family, attributes, product structure…), and the partner will guide and support the client with expert knowledge of the product experience industry and the Akeneo solution. This process allows us to analyze the current adoption processes and identify any misunderstood concepts early on. Then it’s time to refresh these concepts by using other product types we need to implement! 

Don’t forget to document the entire process

During the implementation, documentation will be very important. Akeneo has many links that can help the client during the entire implementation:

• Akeneo Help Center
• Akeneo API

As a partner, it’s Valtech’s responsibility to always support and guide the client toward all the support documentation already available, but sometimes this is not enough and that is fine! We will also provide user-friendly documentation and guides based on best practices recommended on catalog and product structure definitions, creating unique and thorough documentation for the entire process for every Valtech client. During implementation and hypercare phases, we also typically set some Q&A (questions/answers) sessions and then gather all the questions into a customized glossary. 

The benefit of this process is that if the client loses internal key users who were there from the beginning, it won’t be a problem as the process does not rely on the knowledge of one single individual. 

By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive plan to get your team ready for user adoption, fostering a positive and collaborative environment for the integration of your new PIM solution.

Once adoption is in place, you will be safe for a soft and clear PIM integration.

Looking for more PIM implementation support? Check out some of our other Valtech featured articles diving into the people-first approach to product experiences, how to maximize the ROI of your PXM organization, or the steps to perfecting your PIM selection process.

This article is a guest post by Akeneo partner, Valtech.

1. The Power of Bundling to Maximize Sales This Holiday Season and Beyond

2. Managing Green with Green: How Sustainability and Profitability Go Hand in Hand

3. Future Retail: Pioneering Phygital Shopping Experience

4. Why Focusing on the Manufacturer-Retailer Relationship is a Winning Strategy

5. Leveraging PIM to Boost Customer Experience

6. Bridging the Gap Between Online Perception and Offline Reality for Retail Success

7. Maximize ERP Software to Elevate Your Sales

8. The Convergence of AI and Composable Architecture in eCommerce

9. Retail Metaverse: Brands’ Key to Success in Digital Shopping

10. The Price Retailers Pay for Flawed Product Information

11. How Amazon sellers can seamlessly diversify their sales channels

12. Navigating the Future: How Composable Architectures Are Powering the Next Generation of Retail

12 Days of PXMas

During our annual PX conference, Unlock, last year, we sat down with eleven of our most valued partners to discuss their takes on all things eCommerce, retail, and more. So, for day eleven, we’ve compiled all eleven interviews into one list, curated just for you!

1. Shopify

Lara Rosquet, Head of New Channel Partnerships EMEA at Shopify, explains how brands can simplify their product information so that they can focus on strategy and growth and not maintaining their tech stack. Plus, she discuss how organizations can activate global commerce channels like social media and D2C sites with the Akeneo x Shopify integration, and how the Akeneo and Shopify partner ecosystem enables local teams across EMEA to provide personalized, optimized customer experiences.

2. Valtech

Raphael Iscar, Director of PXM Product Strategy at Valtech, discusses:

• How Akeneo’s composable framework makes integrating different tech partners easy and scaling feasible
• Centralizing product information into Akeneo PIM to enable global selling and a faster time-to-market, helping one organization launch hundreds of products in just 3 weeks, a process that previously took up to a year
• Enabling truly compelling and consistent omnichannel experiences, with a focus not just on digital but in-person experiences as well

3. Constructor

Eli Finkelshteyn, Founder and CEO of Constructor, discusses:

• aligning customer and retailer expectations to provide exceptional customer experiences
• why best-of-breed, MACH-certified technology enables organizations to streamline internal processes and reach new markets with more agility
• how the newly released Attribute Enrichments works to reduce incorrect and missing product data across all channels and markets

4. Accenture

Helene Lefebvre, Senior Manager at Accenture sat down to speak with us about easing integration processes for both B2B and B2C customers, as well as sharing how to prepare your data and teams for a successful and sustainable PIM implementation.

5. AND Digital

James Sharpe, Chief of Strategic Alliances for AND Digital discusses delivering rich customer, employee, and product experiences, and how one organization reached new marketplaces, expanded globally, and tripled in business size with Akeneo technology. Plus, discover the three key tips to a successful PIM implementation!

6. Adesso

Haitse Wiersma, Principal Software Engineer & Consultant at Adesso, discusses Akeneo’s cloud-based technology, supporting key retail partnerships for enterprise customers, and planning for a successful PIM implementation.

7. Wunderman Thompson

Ilse Goverts-van Kesteren, PIM/PXM Lead Consultant at Wunderman Thompson, discusses how Akeneo is working with Wunderman Thompson to pave a new future for PXM. Plus, she covers the three key drivers for a successful PIM implementation and why listening to customer needs enables the best possible product experience strategy.

8. Sitation

George Dzuricsko, Senior Director of Solution Architecture from Sitation, discusses Akeneo’s composable framework, and how it enables organizations to create the tech stack of their dreams. Plus, he covers how to migrate data from outdated systems into Akeneo PIM to optimize, enrich, and syndicate product information, and how streamlined and efficient internal workflows can improve the implementation process.

9. Translations.com

Joe Swaffield, Partner Manager at Translations.com discusses how we enable global selling and entering new markets faster for our customers with reduced time-to-market and increased agility, and why he’s excited to work with the PXM community to further develop what’s available on the Akeneo App Store.

10. BigCommerce

Iris Schiefer, Large Enterprise AE at BigCommerce, discusses Akeneo’s and BigCommerce’s participation in the MACH Alliance, personalizing your composable tech architecture to fit your needs, and creating consistent and compelling customer experiences across both physical and digital channels.

11. Adobe

Regis Quintin, Head of Adobe Commerce for West Europe, discusses:

• How Akeneo x Adobe Commerce is enabling brands to provide real-time, personalized digital customer experiences
• Why a composable, best-of-breed commerce architecture unlocks scalability and growth
• A real life example of how a brand utilized Adobe Commerce and Akeneo to reduce time-to-market and optimize product content, including 3D and virtual reality assets

12 Days of PXMas

The 11th (and second to last!) day of PXMas has allowed us to shed light on insights provided from our valued partners during the Unlock 2023 conference. From eCommerce platforms to AI to translations, each partner provides a unique perspective on streamlining processes, enhancing customer experiences, and optimizing product content.

We’d like to take a moment and express our gratitude to our partners for their invaluable contributions! 2023 was a great year as the Akeneo partner network expanded and matured, and we can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for all of us.

If you’d like to learn more about any of the partners featured today, or if you’d like to hear about any of our many lovely partners that weren’t mentioned here, you can explore the Akeneo Partner ecosystem, or simply reach out to a PX expert today.

In the spirit of gratitude and learning, we thought we’d present a compilation of ten customer case studies that highlight different aspects of Akeneo’s technology. These narratives not only showcase the diversity of industries we touch but also exemplify the power of exceptional product experiences (PX) in transforming businesses worldwide.

All of these case studies are available for download if you’d like to dig deeper into the use case – and as always, if you’d like to reach out to a PX expert directly, we’re always here to help!

1. Staples

As a world-renowned brand, Staples is the go-to office retailer for businesses of all sizes, offering products and services designed to support working and learning. From printers to office furniture to technology and more, Staples is a one-stop-shop for corporate headquarters and home offices alike.

But this hasn’t always been the case – with more and more folks working from home, Staples realized that while their B2B offering was still strong, their B2C digital commerce offering needed some support. So they turned to Akeneo to help.

With our modern PIM technology, Staples was able to:

• Manage twice as many products in less time without increasing the size of their team
• Enhance teamwork and collaboration through easily shareable dashboards and quick product data insights
• Improve data quality, consistency, and accuracy while reducing time-to-market

2. ASSA ABLOY

You may not recognize the name, but chances are you’ve interacted with their brand a number of times. ASSA ABLOY is a global leader in innovative access solutions and security technologies, offering a comprehensive range of products and services including door locks, access control systems, entrance automation, secure identity solutions, and mobile access technologies.

ASSA ABLOY utilized Akeneo PIM and Shared Catalogs to:

• Introduce a mobile app that provided customers with a digital place to research, compare, and purchase products, empowering customers to better themselves in their field of expertise
• Reduce employee workload by over 40 hours a week  and decreased incoming support calls by 20%, enabling teammates to focus on high value activities
• Rapidly pivot to meet new market challenges by creating a single source of truth for customers and internal teams alike to access product data, increasing page views by 27% and reducing the number of users leaving the site by 16%.
• Improve upsell and cross-sell opportunities with an improved customer and product data record

3. Leatherman

For 40+ years, Leatherman Tools has been providing multitools for consumers around the world. From everyday essentials to knives, accessories, and apparel, Leatherman is committed to providing consumers with the best multipurpose products to help them solve expected and unexpected problems in everyday life.

At the core of Leatherman’s strategy lies the aspiration to foster closer bonds with consumers and elevate their experiences at every interaction point. Their journey towards direct-to-consumer (D2C) excellence has primarily revolved around their in-house eCommerce platform and Amazon FBA, with ambitious plans to expand their presence in marketplaces and international eCommerce domains.

However, Leatherman found itself shackled by a legacy Product Information Management (PIM) system that had outlived its usefulness. Designed to meet their needs a decade ago, the PIM solution had grown into an impediment as Leatherman’s product portfolio, sales channels, teams, processes, and technology had evolved.

After comparing several PIM solutions against over 100 stringent requirements, only one solution rose to the top: Akeneo PIM.

Leatherman Tools implemented Akeneo technology into their tech stack in just under 5 months, and was immediately able to:

• Save time for team members, enabling them to focus on complex, critical tasks
• Enhance confidence in data integrity
• Increase speed to market
• Empower team members to effectively utilize the tool in just a few months
• Streamline efficiency through features like Product Models, rule creation, and product families

4. INTERSPORT

In 2016, INTERSPORT embarked on a digitalization journey, recognizing the need to adapt to the evolving retail landscape. 

As part of this transformation, they established their own eCommerce platform, envisioning it as a dynamic platform that would effectively showcase their extensive range of in-store offerings. The primary goal was to leverage the digital medium to emphasize the breadth and quality of their product portfolio, however the available product data primarily catered to the in-store experience and was not suited for an effective eCommerce strategy.

While the in-store product information served its purpose within the brick-and-mortar environment, it fell short in meeting the demands and requirements of a thriving online retail presence. Recognizing the importance of a comprehensive and tailored approach to eCommerce, INTERSPORT realized the need for a more robust solution that would bridge the gap between their physical stores and their digital platform. This realization set the stage for the exploration and adoption of a suitable PIM system to enable a successful digital transformation and align their offerings with the evolving expectations of online customers.

With Akeneo and Unifai technology, INTERSPORT was able to achieve:

• 50% Reduction in Classification Time: INTERSPORT cut the time it took to classify new products in half, allowing their teams to focus on more strategic tasks.
• 95% Improved Classification Accuracy: Unifai’s AI technology provided unmatched precision, ensuring that INTERSPORT’s product data was as accurate and up-to-date as ever.
• 18 Hours Saved Per Week: The freed-up time equated to 18 extra hours per week for the data integration team and buyers to dedicate to higher-value activities.
• 30% Efficiency Boost: The product classification process became 30% more efficient, leading to faster decision-making and product placement.
• Data Accuracy for Business Operations: Accurate data is the backbone of any retail operation, particularly for budget tracking and sell-out/stock tracking. The accuracy of Unifai’s AI model ensured Intersport’s business ran smoothly.

5. Smallable

Globally renowned Family Concept Store, Smallable embarked on a remarkable journey to redefine its product management and content enrichment strategies. With an extensive inventory boasting over 1 million products from 1,000 international designer brands, Smallable grappled with the challenge of efficiently overseeing this vast catalog and localizing product content to different markets and geographies.

Smallable surmounted these obstacles and ushered in a new era of operational efficiency, reduced production timelines, and elevated customer experiences with the aid of Akeneo technology.

In particular, Smallable utilized Akeneo’s best-of-breed technology to:

• Streamline product information management across millions of SKUs, expanding their product catalog offering without investing in a larger team
• Automatically create product attributes to enrich the customer experience and reduce return rates
• Improve production times and time-to-market due to improved team communication, publishing anywhere from 50 to 500 products a day.
• Integrate and communicate seamlessly with Smallable’s existing technology stack

6. Rexel

In a market where information is power, Rexel, a leading electrical supplies distributor, was looking for cutting-edge technology that would elevate their customer experience. With a staggering 2.5 million products in their catalog, the challenge was to ensure each item’s data met the highest standards.

Enter the collaboration of Unifai and Akeneo PIM. Leveraging the prowess of Unifai’s AI technology, Rexel embarked on a mission to enrich 800,000 products to the international classification standard for technical standards, ETIM. The result was not just compliance but a mastery of precision.

Unifai’s AI technology not only achieved a remarkable 98% accuracy in suggesting content gaps or missing data, but also defied expectations by benchmarking 12,000 ETIM classifications in just three months.

Rexel’s utilization of our two solutions stands as a testament that shows that when forward-thinking distributors embrace technology, the customer experience reaches new heights. Rexel’s journey with Unifai and Akeneo PIM exemplifies the power of AI in transforming challenges into triumphs and solidifying their position as leaders in the ever-evolving landscape of electrical supplies distribution.

7. Bath Depot

After seeing a 400% increase in online transactions during the pandemic, Canadian retailer of bathroom and kitchen renovation products Bath Depot turned to Akeneo and Valtech to focus on improving their eCommerce offering. 

This investment enabled the company to:

• Provide enhanced digital shopping experiences to its customers, with detailed descriptions, visuals, and specifications to help inform purchasing decisions. 
• Offer exciting hybrid and custom shopping journeys for customers such as in-store demos and stock availability for every product across every channel, as well as a range of shipping options, including ship-to-store, in-store pick-up, and curbside options, which allows customers to choose the option that best suited their needs. 
•  Automatically localize country, language, and pricing information for all of their products
• Enrich and launch more than 500 products online in less than three weeks, easily managing and distributing product information to all their sales channels, including their eCommerce website and physical stores.

8. Verkkokauppa.com

As their name literally translates to “eCommerce”, it’s no surprise that Verkkokauppa.com has been a retail powerhouse in Finland since 1992. With a unique blend of physical stores and a bustling eCommerce shopping experience, Verkkokauppa.com offers a diverse range of products, including computers, home electronics, toys, gaming, and navigation products, and boasts an extensive catalog of over 60,000 products, selling both directly to consumers and to other businesses.

Verkkokauppa.com sought out a PIM solution that would support their vast catalog of products, integrate seamlessly with their existing technology stack, and provide a more compelling experience for their customers.

This eCommerce powerhouse harnessed Akeneo technology to unlock the next level of customer experiences with smarter cross-sell and upsell opportunities, enhanced internal efficiency, and scalable product experience management.

9. Shop Apotheke

Today, Shop Apotheke Europe operates online pharmacies in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Shop Apotheke Europe delivers a wide range of over 120,000 original products to over 4.5 million active customers quickly and at attractive prices. The company’s goals are to drive growth, optimize processes, streamline the organization, and enable their consumers to receive the same experience online as in the local pharmacy.

However, this only works when customers in the online pharmacy shop find comprehensive product information such as applications, dosage, side effects, interactions, reviews, and more. The interaction between the ERP and Shop Apotheke Europe’s home-grown PIM development soon became unmanageable due to its lack of flexibility, requiring repeated programming efforts for adjustments. Additionally, the system was not stable, and outages became frequent.

Due to the time-consuming data preparation and maintenance, the product lead times were long – too long to respond quickly. Furthermore, product data quality suffered from a lack of transparency, making it difficult to expand the product range. The goal was to replace the home-grown system with a new, stable, and flexible PIM, streamline workflows, simplify data maintenance, and generate transparency so that international expansion could be advanced on solid foundations.

Akeneo’s open-source PIM technology and built-in community of product experience (PX) experts enabled Shop Apotheke Europe to enhance their digital presence across seven countries and manage over 500,000 SKUs with efficiency and speed.

10. Kolmi Hopen

After the COVID-19 Pandemic, leading manufacturer of protective equipment Kolmi Hopen had to meet an unprecedented level of demand at an unprecedented speed. Meeting this demand would require a faster enrichment process and increased productivity, however, the company had historically relied heavily on Excel for data management. Finding product information involved coordinating with different teams and cross-checking data on their ERP system, a process that was time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Internally, employees had to dedicate significant hours and resources to find the necessary product information. The process was also difficult for external stakeholders, with distributors struggling to access updated, centralized information that is translated and localized to their specific regions.

With products that must meet very specific and demanding standards, product information management became a strategic element in Kolmi Hopen’s plan to differentiate itself in the market, as well as to provide added value to its customers. And so they turned to Akeneo.

12 Days of PXMas

As we wrap up and tie a bow around our 10th day of PXMas, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the power of exceptional customer experiences transcends industries and borders. These ten case studies are not just success stories; they are testaments to the transformative impact that a focus on customer and product experience can have.

As we celebrate these milestones, we’re reminded that each brand and retailer has its unique tale of innovation and customer-centricity. From personalized AI-driven recommendations to sustainable practices enhancing brand loyalty, these stories underscore the diverse ways brands can elevate themselves in the eyes of their customers.

We wanted to express our heartfelt gratitude to the customers who entrusted us with their narratives. Their success is our motivation to continue championing excellence in the realm of customer experiences. Here’s to a new year filled with more stories, innovations, and partnerships that redefine the possibilities of retail!

Without further ado, let’s delve into the details of each achievement!

1. Ventana Research Value Index Leader in PXM Research

Akeneo’s prowess in PXM has been acknowledged by Ventana Research in their 2023 Market Perspective as an overall Value Index Leader, solidifying its position in the field. This recognition reflects Akeneo’s dedication to providing unparalleled value in the realm of product experience. 

The PXM Value Index is a measure of a vendor’s ability to fulfill a buyer’s PXM needs using their software. By incorporating customer expectations and demands for vendor selection, Ventana Research generates a complete report, helping organizations evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of PIM tools in delivering engaging digital experiences through PXM best practices. This quantitative, research-based index assessed Akeneo and 15 other PIM vendors across seven categories, comprising five Product Experience categories and two Customer Experience categories: Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability, and Usability were related to product experience, while Validation and TCO/ROI pertained to customer experience.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can read further here. 

2. Globee Awards for American Business Company of the Year – Retail

Akeneo stands tall as the GOLD GLOBEE® WINNER Company of the Year – Retail, as honored by the prestigious Globee Awards for American Business. This award underlines Akeneo’s impact and influence in shaping the retail landscape. 

Akeneo secured the coveted title in recognition of the impact that Akeneo Product Cloud has on the retail industry. The category-defining Akeneo Product Cloud is a composable solution that centralizes, enriches and activates every element of the complete product record in order to optimize the product experiences that appear on any customer touch point. It provides retailers, distributors and brands with this centralized system of record for all product information, for every team and every sales channel that collects and activates data to create high-quality product descriptions and information that deliver consistent, compelling and comprehensive product experiences to customers.

3. Stevie® Award Silver Medalist Winner

A Silver Medal from the esteemed Stevie® Awards for Most Innovative Tech Company of the Year – Up to 2,500 Employees further cements Akeneo’s excellence. This recognition acknowledges Akeneo’s outstanding achievements, innovation, and dedication to customer success. 

According to the judges, “Akeneo has demonstrated outstanding progress as a leading player in the Product Experience Management (PXM) space. Offering a comprehensive and composable SaaS-based solution, Akeneo Product Cloud, the company facilitates seamless product experiences across various channels, empowering businesses to drive growth. Their open platform and innovative product information management (PIM) solution have made them a trusted partner for leading brands and retailers globally.”

4. SoftwareReviews 2023 PIM Software Awards Gold Medalist Winner

The Gold Medalist accolade from SoftwareReviews 2023 PIM Software Awards places Akeneo at the forefront of Product Information Management. It signifies Akeneo’s commitment to delivering top-notch PIM solutions.

5. The Software Report’s Top 100 Software Companies

Akeneo secures its position among the elite with inclusion in The Software Report’s Top 100 Software Companies. This acknowledgment highlights Akeneo’s significant contributions to the software industry. 

This esteemed awards publication has earned a reputation as the foremost authority on the best companies within the software industry. The process of selection involves carefully examining the feedback received from nominations and conducting in-depth research into a company’s background, which includes publicly available information as well as insights from platforms such as Glassdoor, G2, Capterra, and other sources. 

Backed by a comprehensive approach, the Software Report considers a multitude of factors, including product functionality, customer satisfaction, corporate reputation, innovative capabilities, organizational depth, ESG involvement, and long-term viability, among numerous other criteria. Irrespective of the company’s size or age, this year’s awardees, including Akeneo, are making a significant impact on the software industry within their specific domains, all while providing exceptional value to their customers.

6. BEST UX IN ECOMMERCE Bronze Award eCommerce

Akeneo’s commitment to providing an exceptional user experience in the eCommerce space is recognized with the Bronze Award for Best UX in eCommerce. This accolade reinforces Akeneo’s focus on user-centric design and functionality. 

Taking place annually, these awards bring together some of the best industry minds celebrating this dynamic and fast-paced world of eCommerce. Open to organizations of all sizes and locations, the awards recognize commitment, creativity, passion, and innovation. Awards are independently judged to the highest of standards by some of the industry’s key players, and Akeneo was fortunate enough to be recognized for our UX offering!

7. 2023 Best Customer Support Badge from Software Advice

Akeneo’s dedication to customer support is highlighted by the receipt of the 2023 Best Customer Support Badge from Software Advice. This recognition underscores Akeneo’s commitment to ensuring customer success. 

Software Advice synthesizes verified end-user reviews to recognize the most highly-rated products in a specific software category, helping software buyers make more informed purchase decisions. Akeneo Product Cloud earned an overall rating of 4.7 (out of 5). 

Big thanks to all our customers for this specific award! It would not have been possible without your constant support and feedback.

8. G2 Leader in PIM

Akeneo’s consistency as a G2 Leader in PIM for four consecutive years is a testament to its sustained excellence. This long-term recognition showcases Akeneo’s ongoing impact and leadership in the Product Information Management space. 

What sets us apart? As the leading PIM platform for four years running, we’re dedicated to building product experiences that drive growth and scalability. We’re honored to be validated by our customers’ trust and the evolving market’s demand for innovative, intelligent solutions. 

G2, one of the largest software marketplaces, represents the voice of real software users. Our rankings are a testament to our close partnership with our customers and our focus on enabling omnichannel customer experiences through amazing product experiences. We’re deeply thankful to our customers for their support, and we’d like to express our gratitude to the entire Akeneo team for their dedication to delivering exceptional outcomes!

12 Days of PXMas

While we’ve only highlighted a handful of the awards, these accolades that we’ve received as the Akeneo team this past year paint a picture of a company not just thriving but excelling in the dynamic landscape of product experiences and beyond. 

As we celebrate these victories, it’s evident that our commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and industry leadership continues to set new standards within PX Strategy and pave the way forward for exceptional customer and product experiences.With all that said and done, eight awards means that we’ve officially reached day eight of our twelve days of PXMas – stay tuned to see what’s in store for the last four! And as always, feel free to reach out to a PX expert today if you have any questions, or are interested in learning more.

What is headless commerce architecture?

• Create compelling, coherent, and consistent product experiences across every channel
• Accelerate time-to-market
• Expand into more markets and territories with ease
• Scale the tech stack as the organization grows and changes. 

Headless Commerce & PIM

The MACH Alliance

• Microservices-based: Individual pieces of business functionality that are independently developed, deployed, and managed.
• API-first: All functionality of the product is exposed through an API.
• Cloud-native: SaaS that leverages the cloud, beyond storage and hosting, including elastic scaling and automatically updating.
• Headless: Front-end presentation is decoupled from backend logic and channel, programming language, and is framework agnostic.

Akeneo & MACH