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+ Growth
  • Expanded global reach with consistent product data across regions
  • Enhanced customer trust through precise, localized product information
  • Improved product visibility on eCommerce and retail channels
  • Strengthened brand presence by aligning content with market needs
+ Effiency
  • Centralized data management for faster, easier updates across channels
  • Automated workflows reduced manual tasks, accelerating time-to-market
  • Simplified localization with direct integration of translation tools
  • Streamlined product launches with efficient data consolidation

"The integration capability of the Contentserv Cloud solution is a big plus. We can integrate it with 15 different systems and thus benefit from the advantages of the flexible configuration and user-friendliness of the Product Experience Hub module. At Electrolux Group, we want to rely on a holistic and future-proof solution worldwide to create a central basis for our product information for all organizational units."

Aline de Faccio
IT Project Portfolio Manager at Electrolux AB

About Electrolux

With its three core brands Electrolux, AEG, and Frigidaire, and around 60 million products sold each year, the Swedish company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances. Its portfolio includes large appliances such as stoves and ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers, which can be found in numerous households. But the extensive product range also includes small devices such as vacuum cleaners, coffee makers, and irons. In addition to the official brands, the company also supplies appliances to IKEA under a private label.

The Electrolux Group is represented in around 120 countries and employs approximately 51,000 people. Group sales most recently (2022) amounted to the equivalent of about 12.07 billion euros.

electrolux-case-study-couple-in-kitchen
Pain

From fragmented systems to a foundation for growth

During a global IT reorganization, Electrolux recognized an urgent need to harmonize and centralize its fragmented product information systems across Europe. The existing landscape relied heavily on outdated PIM software, isolated systems, and countless Excel spreadsheets, which created a maze of inefficiencies. Teams faced time-consuming manual processes, error-prone data management, and a lack of cohesive data quality checks, leading to recurring issues and even costly supply chain disruptions.

After evaluating multiple solutions, Electrolux selected Contentserv’s cloud platform for its powerful integration capabilities and the potential to streamline their complex system landscape. The goal was clear: establish a single, reliable source of product data to eliminate silos, reduce operational workloads by at least 20%, and build a standardized foundation for consistent, high-quality information. With Contentserv, Electrolux aimed to not only improve daily processes but also set the stage for a scalable, future-ready approach to product information management..

However, with a fast-moving ready-to-wear market, the colossal manual entry of different product data (6,000 color references per season, assortment tracking, product feature updates in different languages, etc.) became extremely challenging. Furthermore, primarily using spreadsheets for this purpose was very time-consuming and error-prone. These files quickly became archaic in the context of Lacoste’s digital transformation and they would often contain numerous data entry errors, which resulted in a slow time-to-market that was harmful to sales. Another major challenge involved variable data such as collections, which must be renewed every six months and had to take into account the difference between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Therefore Lacoste needed to adopt a tool that would streamline the creation and distribution of its product catalogs on both its merchant and marketplace sites. This made it clear that Product Information Management (PIM) was the right solution to quickly enrich databases, accurately aggregate content, and shorten time-to-market, all while increasing agility and flexibility.

Aim

Laying the groundwork for scalable data transformation

Electrolux sought a robust, cloud-based Product Information Management (PIM) solution to maximize optimization and ensure long-term scalability. The goal was to achieve flexible integration with all existing systems, supporting seamless and standardized data exchange across platforms while securely connecting legacy systems until they could be replaced. Harmonizing data models and processes based on proven standards was crucial, as Electrolux wanted to avoid custom, in-house developments and foster consistency.

Additionally, an unbiased third-party perspective was essential to challenge entrenched, inefficient processes and introduce fresh, effective approaches. A primary objective was to reduce the workload and costs associated with product data management by 20%, alongside a focus on improving data quality through centralized, automated control mechanisms. This forward-looking approach would create a streamlined, efficient, and accurate foundation for product information management across the organization.

In addition to these initial objectives, there were two other quantified objectives: the implementation of the PIM solution should make it possible to increase the average value of orders and reduce product returns.

Lacoste evaluated five PIM solutions, and at the end of 2016, they selected Contentserv. Contentserv allows data to be quickly onboarded and adjusted via user-friendly, intuitive interfaces, and for information to be distributed across all sales media. A pioneer in the PIM industry and a leader for 20 years with an international customer portfolio, Contentserv has extensive experience in product information management.

Gain

Empowering global harmony through scalable innovation

Contentserv’s cloud solution united all crucial functions for Electrolux, offering extensive integration capabilities to seamlessly connect a network of over 15 systems across their intricate infrastructure. This holistic approach enabled the brand to create a single, cohesive system, allowing streamlined data flow and efficient communication across departments.

Partnering with Parsionate was key to this transformation, as they delivered a proactive consulting approach, offering innovative solutions that went beyond simply fulfilling requirements. By choosing a partner that actively contributed to reimagining processes, Electrolux benefited from fresh perspectives that aligned perfectly with their digital ambitions.

With Contentserv already in use within Electrolux US, the deployment was a strategic step toward global data harmony, leveraging previous successes to bring consistency and clarity across regions. The SaaS model also aligned with Electrolux’s IT strategy, providing a scalable, maintenance-free, and risk-free cloud-based solution that’s perfectly suited to meet the brand’s long-term growth and efficiency goals.

The Contentserv PIM solution provides great flexibility in data generation, with users managing an impressive amount of data (2,400,000 attributes, 24,000 references, and 172,000 ean/UPC barcodes). Export procedures integrated into the solution speed up the automatic creation and editing of catalogs and web pages, allowing Lacoste to export up to 40,000 items daily. Users can then assemble images, technical attributes, and prices by simply dragging and dropping them onto dynamic models subject to pre-established rules.

Other significant advances include the ease of creating new attributes such as information that allows consumers to refine their choices and maximize their shopping experience. This process used to take several months and now takes only 2 or 3 weeks. Furthermore, as fashion is governed by seasons, it is necessary to reconfigure entire offerings every six months. The Contentserv PIM solution allows Lacoste to maintain the attributes (about 300 per product) of the models that remain on sale, and thus, avoids rebuilding the catalog from scratch.

Facts and figures

Industry: Electrical household appliances


Type of products: Electrical appliances for kitchen and household


Target market: Worldwide (present in approx. 120 countries)


Target customers: B2B/B2C

Facts and figures

Annual sales: ~134.9 billion SEK ~12.07 billion EUR (2022)


Number of trading products: 60 million


Sales and marketing channels: Retail, e-shops, online marketplaces

Facts and figures

Contentserv solution used: PIM


Usage model: SaaS


Implementation partner: Parsionate

Why (How) Electrolux uses Contentserv

  • Cloud-based PIM and DAM to centralize and streamline data across 15+ systems
  • Scalable SaaS model aligned with Electrolux’s IT strategy for maintenance-free, secure growth
  • Advanced integration capabilities for seamless connection with legacy systems and ERP
  • Automated workflows and role-based views to reduce data management workload by 20%

However, with a fast-moving ready-to-wear market, the colossal manual entry of different product data (6,000 color references per season, assortment tracking, product feature updates in different languages, etc.) became extremely challenging. Furthermore, primarily using spreadsheets for this purpose was very time-consuming and error-prone. These files quickly became archaic in the context of Lacoste’s digital transformation and they would often contain numerous data entry errors, which resulted in a slow time-to-market that was harmful to sales. Another major challenge involved variable data such as collections, which must be renewed every six months and had to take into account the difference between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Therefore Lacoste needed to adopt a tool that would streamline the creation and distribution of its product catalogs on both its merchant and marketplace sites. This made it clear that Product Information Management (PIM) was the right solution to quickly enrich databases, accurately aggregate content, and shorten time-to-market, all while increasing agility and flexibility.

Ready? Here you grow.

Get in touch with one of our Contentserv experts to discover the Product Experience Cloud.