Client Profile
The client is a prominent e-commerce player operating in 16 European markets, offering a vast selection of over 140,000 products from more than 560 brands in shoes, bags, and accessories. They are renowned for their innovative technological solutions such as a revolutionary shoe-fitting service based on 3D scans and an unconventional brick-and-mortar store concept where products are viewed and ordered through tablets. The client also manages its own premium clothing sales platform.
Challenge
In order to uphold the high standards of customer service, maintain sales levels across individual markets, and sustain its development momentum, the client needed a centralized and efficient product information management system to cater to different e-commerce channels. As part of its ongoing international expansion, the solution was required to support multiple languages. After a thorough analysis of available solutions, the client chose the Akeneo PIM Enterprise Edition solution, and entrusted Exorigo-Upos with its implementation.
Solution
A Proof of Concept (POC) was completed to ascertain that Akeneo PIM met the client’s requirements. The POC phase involved a close partnership between the client, Akeneo, and Exorigo-Upos, focusing on both business and technical validation of the solution.
Exorigo-Upos, with extensive e-commerce knowledge and experience, executed the project implementation. As an Adobe partner, Exorigo-Upos demonstrated proven prowess in Magento platform shop implementations and PIM integrations. Furthermore, the company has been providing complex technological solutions for the retail sector for over two decades, gaining a profound understanding of the industry’s needs.
The implementation process spanned several months, starting from the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), then adjusting the solution to the client’s business needs, and finally launching the final version. The Agile methodology was employed in both development and project management areas. Regular consultations with Akeneo, the solution provider, bolstered the teams on both the client and supplier side.
Results
The Akeneo PIM system is now fully utilized by all of the client’s sites. The implementation contributed to a remarkable 52% increase in the client’s sales value in 2020 compared to the previous year, rising to 2.2 billion PLN with an EBITDA margin of 9.0%. The client continues to work with Exorigo-Upos and Akeneo for ongoing maintenance and further development of the solution.
Conclusion
Despite the massive scale of implementation, including the size and diversity of product catalogs and markets, the integration of various systems, and the tight project timelines, the project was a resounding success. The right solutions were chosen to ensure high performance of the PIM platform, allowing for dynamic development. This project testifies to the significant role of an effective product information management system in supporting business growth and customer satisfaction in e-commerce.
