<img src="https://secure.leadforensics.com/176401.png" style="display:none;">
+ Growth
  • Accelerated market expansion through precise data onboarding
  • Improved customer experience with consistent product information
  • Enhanced brand visibility across diverse channels
  • Strengthened market position with reliable, quality data distribution
+ Effiency
  • Reduced time spent on data entry with centralized platform
  • Faster product launches by consolidating data workflows
  • Lower error rates with automated data validation
  • Increased team productivity through simplified data management

"By automating processes, the amount of manual labor required to keep the system going was greatly reduced. The chosen workflow in the Contentserv solution dramatically improved the quality of their product data and positively impacted their information supply chain."

Rebekka van der Kooi
Product Owner, Zijerveld

zijerveld-Screen Shot 2021-05-19 at 3.55.23 PM

About Zijerveld

Zijerveld, founded by the Zijerveld family from the Netherlands, is an established supplier, wholesaler, and retailer of assorted local and international cheese in Europe for more than a century. The company is composed of four market units – Classic Retail Benelux & Out of Home, Modern Retail Benelux & Online, Wholesale & Packaging, and International Markets – and has an annual turnover of over 500 million euros.

In 1989, the company merged with foreign cheese specialist Gebroeders Veldhuyzen and operated under the name Zijerveld & Veldhuyzen. Mostly known for providing top-quality cheeses, the company also takes pride in offering innovative concepts, custom packaging, and logistics services.

In 2013, FrieslandCampina acquired Zijerveld & Veldhuyzen. Today, Zijerveld, which employs over 450 people and owns ripening warehouses and packaging and logistics plants, retains its identity and continues to operate independently.

zijerveld-Screen Shot 2021-05-19 at 3.53.54 PM
Pain

Turning data challenges into opportunities for growth

Zijerveld faced a pressing need to modernize its operations to stay competitive in a digitally evolving market. Their existing systems were fragmented, relying on manual, error-prone processes that hindered efficiency and accuracy. Lacking a centralized data source, Zijerveld struggled to gather complete product and ingredient information from local and international suppliers, particularly smaller producers with limited infrastructure. This lack of standardized data not only affected operational efficiency but also created challenges in meeting food safety laws and syndication standards, crucial for accurate allergen and ingredient information across all consumer touchpoints. Moreover, the company aimed to enhance its B2B sales portal, requiring product information to be robust, reliable, and web-ready.

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

Empowering excellence with accessible, accurate data

To overcome operational challenges, Zijerveld needed a comprehensive, end-to-end platform that would streamline the onboarding and consolidation of product data from an array of local and international suppliers. This solution had to not only improve data quality but also ensure the accuracy and completeness of product information to support critical business needs. Key to their goals was the ability to seamlessly translate and localize content, ensuring that consistent and accurate product information was published across all digital and physical channels, from labels to in-store displays.

Additionally, Zijerveld required robust configuration options to define specific attributes, assign roles to different users, and create tailored workflows and business rules to meet compliance standards, including food safety and syndication protocols. Since a broad range of employees would rely on this data for day-to-day tasks, the system needed to be highly accessible and intuitive, offering 24/7 availability and easy navigation to empower teams at every level to access and utilize critical product information effectively.

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

Crafting the future of cheese with data-driven precision

In late 2017, Zijerveld chose Contentserv to drive their digital transformation, with implementation completed in partnership with XSARUS by October 2018. The Contentserv Product Experience Cloud enabled Zijerveld’s data management team to unify their data on a single platform, creating centralized workflows, optimizing standards, and integrating essential systems, including their ERP. This comprehensive solution streamlined onboarding processes for suppliers, ensuring data quality through robust error checks and real-time alerts for data inconsistencies.

With centralized product data, every department, from commerce to specifications, gained immediate access to accurate, updated information, accelerating product-to-market timelines and greatly enhancing efficiency. The specifications department, managing vital data, saw significant benefits in reducing time spent on data entry and improving data accuracy, allowing faster, more reliable product releases.

Through enhanced data governance and stewardship, Zijerveld now meets compliance with food safety laws and GS1 standards, critical for both consumer safety and retailer-specific requirements. Automation within Contentserv has cut down manual work, raising data quality and supporting Zijerveld’s information supply chain.

Additionally, the Digital Asset Management (DAM) component of Contentserv empowers Zijerveld to store, retrieve, organize, and edit digital assets in a single, organized location, making it easy to respond to changing consumer demands. Equipped with this digital backbone, Zijerveld is set to lead the industry as a global innovator in cheese production.

Read more

Why (How) Zijerveld uses Contentserv

  • Product Experience Cloud ensures accurate, compliant product data across channels
  • Digital Asset Management (DAM) centralizes images and documents for easy access
  • Data Governance & Stewardship supports food safety compliance with automated checks
  • PIM workflows streamline onboarding and optimize supplier data quality

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.