The whole online channel business generated additional sales with Perfion
“In Product Data Management, the Single Source of Truth approach is the only thing that makes sense to us. The Perfion PIM system supports our B2B and B2C e-commerce and has become a real game changer in the online channel business. The investment in PIM is really paying off." Christoph Luginbühl, CDO / New Business, CHRIS sports AG
CHRIS sports is a Swiss distributor of high quality and innovative sporting goods. Since 2016, the company has been managing product information for 100,000 articles in two languages using the Perfion PIM system.
Challenge
CHRIS sports originally handled product information in the Dynamics NAV ERP system, but there were several challenges: The whole editing was slow and not intuitive. There were not enough options. The system was “misused” and often reached its limits. For example, it was impractical to add new features.
When creating a new B2B web shop based on Sana Commerce, CHRIS sports consequently had two options: Either manage the product data directly in the Sana shop system or centrally in a suitable Product Information Management system.
Solution & Benefits
CHRIS sports opted for the Single Source of Truth approach, and because of Perfion’s seamless integration with Dynamics NAV and the Sana Commerce Shop System, the quick and flexible addition of new features, the import and export functions and the many options for output channels, this PIM solution was convincing from the very first presentation.
Today, CHRIS sports maintains all product information and images in Perfion and publishes them in:
- B2B and B2C webshops like newbalance.ch and keenfootwear.ch.
- Sales and offer sheets created directly in Perfion with the built-in Report Designer.
- The CHRISmag catalog, which is designed in InDesign and automatically filled with all product information from Perfion via the EasyCatalog module.
- Training material.
- Analysis tools (e.g., we sold this quantity of these items) and in the Power BI Business Intelligence Tool.
All product data and images in the CHRISmag catalog, in data sheets and in brand shops are managed only in the Perfion PIM system.
In addition, CHRIS sports delivers structured product information and images, including availability (is the product in stock or not), directly to online retailers via Perfion and Channable, using various product feeds. Not every wholesaler can offer this much appreciated service.
The whole online channel business generated additional sales, and Perfion has become a real game changer in this new area. In general, the PIM system is a very central and important tool that will also prove to be valuable in future business areas.
Christoph Luginbühl, CDO/New Business, shares his experience:
“The entire Product Information Management is very decisive and important today - and it is also time-consuming. It must always be further developed and improved."
And he continues:
My recommendations to others facing a PIM project are as follows:
-
Create a clean product data
structure. -
Motivate your employees to always record product data in a qualitatively clean manner.
-
Make sure to have a Quality Manager continuously check the quality of your product data.
In 2020, CHRIS sports launched a B2C online shop based on Shopware. CHRIS sports and a Perfion partner built a connector through which the product data and the entire product structure flow seamlessly from Perfion into the Shopware shop - just like they do into the Sana Commerce B2B shop. The Channable interface was also built in cooperation with the Perfion partner.
A planned migration from Dynamics NAV to Dynamics 365 BC will be carried out easily with regard to Product Information Management, as the Perfion PIM system also integrates 100% into Dynamics 365.
About CHRIS sports AG
The 80-strong team of the B2B wholesaling company CHRIS sports consists of sports-loving specialists with different backgrounds and lots of know-how. CHRIS sports distributes 25 high-quality sports brands to small and large sports retailers, department stores and online retailers in Switzerland and Austria.
