Fill-Rite’s Digital Asset Management (DAM) system was very outdated resulting in lagging product-to-market time, inconsistent product information, and inability to seamlessly share digital assets. As a result, Gorman-Rupp aimed to introduce a Product Information Management (PIM) system with DAM capabilities to improve the digital asset management for their subsidiary brand, Fill-Rite. Product data was maintained in multiple spreadsheets siloed across the organization.
Since there was no ‘single source of truth,’ cleansing, validating, sharing, and centralizing this information into one organized system took a lot of time and effort. Managing data throughout the organization required the input of various teams and contributions, with no clearly developed workflow. To enhance its customer experience, the organization aimed to shift its business model to further develop its ecommerce strategy, which required a structured system and accurate product data to achieve a successful digital transformation.
Requirements
Gorman-Rupp’s objective was to implement a PIM solution for Fill-Rite to improve product data quality and ensure product content can be syndicated to marketplaces, CPQ’s, and warehouse management systems. Fill-Rite completed a digital roadmap with PIM as a central item to incorporate within their digital ecosystem. The right solution would help accelerate deduplication efforts, reduce manual errors, simplify product updates and bulk edits, and create cleaner, consistent product data.
A key factor for Fill-Rite was to move away from the reliance on disparate product data sources and promote a more vital collaboration between IT and marketing by establishing a single source of truth.
The solution should provide the following:
- Management of approximately 3,500 products, SKUs, and associated digital assets
- Consolidation of existing systems: SAP, Magento, Pricing system
- Capturing and maintenance of all attributes and data model structures in a single central system
- Integration with publishing channels: ERP, ecommerce sites, and print
- Data quality features for reliable data at all digital touchpoints
- Automated creation and management of print catalogs and brochures
- Provision of a self-service portal for external sales partners to access relevant product content
Implementation
In 2019, prior to Gorman-Rupp’s acquisition, Tuthill chose Contentserv as the preferred PIM solution for their subsidiary, Fill-Rite. They recognized the critical role that a PIM solution would play in the standardized maintenance, management, and distribution of all product data across all channels.
During the initial phase of the project, the focus was on consolidating product information from multiple sources and databases into a single, seamless system using Contentserv’s PIM and DAM. Workflows were carefully defined to streamline existing processes and facilitate the syndication of data across various channels. The goal was to create a centralized repository of product data that was easy to share and manage, simplifying the complex task of maintaining consistent, high-quality product information. By integrating multiple data sources into one platform, Contentserv allowed for efficient management and seamless sharing of product information between their B2B and B2C channels, optimizing Fill-Rite’s operations and facilitating their growth.
In 2023, Gorman-Rupp/Fill-Rite and Contentserv agreed to migrate the existing on-premises installation to a Software as a Service (SaaS) model to ensure increased scalability, security, and support for Contentserv’s continued use in the future. The shift to SaaS will help improve integration capabilities to Gorman-Rupp/Fill-Rite’s existing and future digital ecosystem. Supported by Contentserv’s partner CSS Commerce, the migration to SaaS is expected to involve an eightweek implementation process.
Results that matter
Contentserv’s solution significantly reduced the group’s error rate in data releases across all channels. From a single source of truth, the company can now address its ecommerce and distribution needs effectively across all teams, including IT, ecommerce, marketing, and sales. Gorman-Rupp/Fill-Rite accelerated its time to-market by eliminating manual releases and instead relying on streamlined processes to automate product launches across their channels. The company can now easily share all product data and associated digital assets with relevant external users in a secure manner.
Gorman-Rupp/Fill-Rite will achieve improved scalability options via SaaS, with no significant system upgrade or restructuring costs as performance and functional demands grow in the future. The team will also be able to incorporate additional modules, functionalities, and integrations to associated systems with minimal lead time. Overall, Contentserv has helped Gorman-Rupp/Fill-Rite achieve improved efficiency, scalability, and accuracy in product information management, supporting the company’s ongoing success.
