Hyva's Product Information Management process worldwide in motion

Improving the product information management process

The product information with which Hyva is involved can vary greatly by country, product group, and usage situation. The information was stored in various systems; in ERP, intranet, website software, Excel sheets, and other databases. As more and more questions arose from the market, such as the request to display the own product portfolio on a specific country's website, it became increasingly clear that the process around product information management could be significantly improved. The information was there, but there was a lack of a central point where the information was stored. With the growing need to provide e-commerce channels with the correct and complete product information, the orientation on a Product Information Management (PIM) solution was started.

One data source

The goal set by Hyva before the orientation began was clear: there must be one data source that is always available and accessible and usable by everyone, so that the correct product information can be automatically presented on all platforms. The main requirements:

• Improve data quality: for operational and analytical processes
• Improve data integration: connection to a single 'source of truth'
• Reduce system maintenance costs: ability to link to different systems
• Reduce operational costs: spend less time searching for information, fewer errors, fewer people involved
• Increase revenue: faster time-to-market and better presentation of product information
• Provide flexibility: adaptable to new situations

In addition, it was important for Hyva that the new system is a SaaS solution because of its future-proofing, scalability, and flexibility. There were also two functional requirements that the solution had to meet: the possibility of inheritance and a bulk editing functionality.

With the Product Experience Management (PXM) SaaS solution from Contentserv, Hyva felt most confident. John van Diemen, Digital Marketing Manager at Hyva, says about this: "The structure used within Contentserv fits well with a B2B environment like ours. Every product information situation is different for us, and a PIM solution must be able to handle that."

From the selection of various Contentserv implementation partners, XSARUS emerged as the best, partly due to their proven PIM track record.

Smooth roll-out and setup

Hyva is one of the first organisations where the SaaS environment of Contentserv was implemented. The roll-out and setup went very smoothly, with the team on Hyva's side able to do a lot themselves. As with all PIM implementation projects carried out by XSARUS, three phases are completed from kick-off to go-live:

1. Preparation and workshops
2. Setup, initial data import, and development
3. Go-Live and aftercare

Hyva is now in a further development phase, where the system is being further shaped, filled, and optimised.

Within Hyva, the Contentserv PIM system is currently used as an engine to accelerate other processes. Employees from, for example, the R&D department at Hyva now see Contentserv as a significant added value in this. Now that the foundation is in place, it can be further expanded with the nice-to-haves. For example, it is becoming possible to automate datasheets for more and more product groups using Contentserv, and a connection with the e-commerce platform will be established in the very near term. The entire product portfolio on the website will then be directly driven by Contentserv, allowing for better and faster responses to market demand.

Collaboration

The collaboration within the project also went well. Through regular consultations and keeping the priorities sharp, the first phase of the project was delivered smoothly. When it comes to collaboration, John wants to share something with organisations facing such a project: “You won’t solve the situation by simply implementing a tool. But you can enormously accelerate the change process if you handle it well. Involve your colleagues and offer them concrete added value by really delivering something to them. More than just structure, advice and a system. Help them on their way, provide hands-on support and import the available data in advance. Show colleagues an automated datasheet that saves them time. That ensures a more enjoyable, easier and faster adoption of the system and the new process.”