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Specialized streamlines operations and enhances data integrity

Specialized boosts product launches and saves thousands of hours with leaner operations and enhanced data integrity

The global leader in the cycling industry, revolutionized its product information management by implementing Contentserv, resulting in significant efficiency improvements and streamlined operations.

Specialized boosts product launches and saves thousands of hours with streamlined operations and enhanced data integrity case-study-specialized-header

About Specialized

Founded in 1974, Specialized Bicycle Components, designs, manufactures, and sells high-quality bikes, accessories, and apparel for all types of riders. Known for innovative designs and cutting-edge technology, Specialized has remained a leader in the cycling industry. The product range includes mountain bikes, road bikes, transport bikes, fitness bikes, turbo e-bikes, path and gravel bikes, and kids’ bikes. Additionally, Specialized offers a wide array of clothing, shoes, helmets, and accessories. The company serves cycling enthusiasts through its vast network of retailers and partners worldwide, offering products both online and in stores. Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, Specialized employs 1,500 people and continues to set the standard for excellence in the cycling world.

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The challenge

Specialized faced significant challenges with its homegrown Product Information Management (PIM), which was used for storing and enriching product data for around 15 years. Over time, this system became increasingly rigid and unable to adapt to the company’s expanding product range and evolving market needs. As the diversity of sales channels grew — from B2C and B2B platforms to numerous retailers and international markets — the lack of efficient catalog segmentation and management led to manual data updates. These manual processes were labor-intensive, prone to errors, and lacked the flexibility needed to maintain consistency across different platforms.

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The inefficiencies of the homegrown PIM system also extended to the challenges in integrating with upstream and downstream systems. Specialized needed a streamlined and automated way to handle the data flow between its product line management systems and various sales platforms. The existing system's limitations made it difficult to maintain data integrity and consistency, leading to significant time and resource inefficiencies. Overall, the combination of these challenges underscored the need for a more robust, flexible, and efficient PIM solution, prompting Specialized to seek a new system that could better meet their growing and evolving needs.

Requirements

To overcome these challenges, Specialized needed a PIM solution that could:

  • Provide flexibility in managing product catalogs and segmenting data for different channels.
  • Automate and streamline data updates and transfers to downstream systems.
  • Offer robust version control and audit trail capabilities to track changes and ensure transparency in product data management.
  • Provide advanced search and filtering functionalities to quickly retrieve and manipulate large volumes of product data.
  • Support real-time synchronization of product information across all channels to minimize discrepancies and improve operational efficiency.
  • Enable customizable workflows and approval processes to optimize collaboration and ensure efficient product data management.
  • Include scalability features to handle increasing data volumes, product lines, and business complexities as Specialized continues to grow globally.
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Implementation

Specialized began searching for a robust solution to its product information management challenges in 2019 and ultimately adopted Contentserv in early 2021. Contentserv’s flexible yet structured platform provided the perfect fit, allowing Specialized to centralize and efficiently manage its extensive product data. The implementation process was comprehensive, involving the migration of vast amounts of data from its old PIM system to the new platform. Plus, transitioning to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model presented significant challenges, requiring careful planning to ensure compatibility and optimize performance.

Moreover, automated processes were established for data updates and transfers, significantly reducing manual labor. Integration efforts included connecting Contentserv with both upstream and downstream systems, encompassing B2B and B2C sites, retailer systems, and the company’s app team. By effectively segmenting channels, Specialized achieved a unified approach and seamless flow of accurate and up-to-date information across all distribution channels.

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"We now have the flexibility to have a high-level product catalog that we can split out into channels and all of the changes that we make to the products in that product catalog, trickle down to those channels. So we can manage everything in one place and then send it out to a bunch of different places and we can be confident that our data integrity is good."

Results that matter

Since implementing Contentserv, Specialized has experienced remarkable improvements across various aspects of its operations. Employees have saved thousands of hours annually, previously spent on manual data management and updates, thanks to automated processes. The ability to manage product data in a centralized system and segment catalogs has greatly streamlined operations, enhancing overall efficiency.

Consistent and accurate product data across all channels has significantly improved data integrity, boosting the quality and reliability of information. This has led to faster product launches and reduced lead times, with continuous improvements observed each year. Additionally, the system’s flexibility supports future growth and integration plans, including initiatives for comprehensive translation management and consolidated data feeds, ensuring that Specialized remains agile and ready to meet evolving business needs.

The adoption of Contentserv has not only addressed critical pain points for Specialized but has also positioned the company for future growth and success in the competitive bicycle industry. By optimizing its data management processes and embracing new technologies, Specialized is poised to drive further efficiencies, expand its market presence, and deliver superior customer experiences globally.

Looking ahead, Specialized has plans to further leverage Contentserv's capabilities by expanding its translation management efforts to cover more than 20 languages, thereby enhancing its global reach and accessibility. The company is also looking forward to potentially integrating with ShoppingFeed, Contentserv's marketplace and feed management solution, to optimize its ecommerce capabilities.

"Our product launches have [seen] lower and lower lead times. So, we're getting products into our system and getting them out to our downstream systems much, much more quickly and that quickness is only increasing every year."

Adam Newton, Associate Product Manager, Specialized

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