Häfele transforms customer interactions – connecting digital and physical touchpoints

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.

Key objectives included:

• Centralizing all product information in one location for easy access.
• Ensuring quick and convenient maintenance of product data.
• Digitally mapping the entire product information lifecycle from start to finish.
• Providing authorized access to data anytime, anywhere.
• Linking adjacent processes directly to the PIM.
• Achieving smooth integration with SAP.
• Connecting all Häfele stores without exception.
• Efficiently managing publications for both online and print formats.

After an extensive evaluation of eight PIM providers, Häfele selected Contentserv at the end of 2017. Following this decision, they partnered with Laudert, a specialist in product and brand communication, to implement the software in early 2018. The project involved multiple teams, including IT Projects for technical management and Sales Publications as the business lead.

The implementation unfolded in three main phases:

• Business release 1: Setting up the system, performance testing, data model creation, SAP integration, legacy PIM migration, and activation of OpenSearch.
• Business release 2: Implementing the article creation process, establishing MAM workflows, basic print templates, store interface expansion, and translation management.
• Business release 3: Completing full migration, enrichment workflows, print template finalization, store interface completion, and additional SAP export interfaces.

Comprehensive training was provided to Häfele's core team, followed by e-learning and webinars for subsidiaries in early 2021. The onboarding of specific product ranges and the conversion of 32 Häfele online stores took place over six months, from October 2021 to April 2022.

Today, Häfele’s Contentserv system hosts approximately 200,000 documented articles and around 500,000 media assets in 23 languages. By leveraging various modules such as ImportStage and priint, Häfele successfully serves multiple use cases and formats, driving efficiency and enhancing customer engagement.

With the new solution, Häfele can effortlessly create and document articles in Contentserv, easily translate product data into various target languages, and publish this information across stores and print materials.

Key advantages of the upgraded system include:

• Centralized data access: All relevant product data is stored in Contentserv, accessible at any time for various applications, such as creating product brochures, displaying articles in Häfele stores, and preparing marketing campaigns.
• Smart Documents: This flexible tool allows users to quickly generate data sheets, providing an overview of available product information.
• Dashboards: Tailored dashboards create role-specific entry points for employees, facilitating quick access to jobs, products, and assets.
• Efficient data management: String functions enable Häfele to manage data flexibly, helping to eliminate redundancies.

Following the upgrade from Contentserv version CS17 to CS21, the teams aim to further integrate and develop the platform alongside internal stakeholders and external partners. Upcoming initiatives are focused on addressing the digitalization challenges faced by Häfele and its customers, including a proof of concept for supplier onboarding. This will enhance the use of supplier data in Häfele’s processes while reducing the effort needed for product documentation. Ultimately, Contentserv is evolving into the “single source of truth” for Häfele’s global product range.

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.