15 Jul What can be learnt from the aperitif for your supplier data onboarding

Who does not know it? The pleasure of a pleasant aperitif before dinner. While the aperitif, among other things, gets you in the mood for the evening and invites you to socialize, the digestif ensures easier digestion and the crowning finale. Both are not only indispensable components for a noble dinner, they also provide you with a lot of tips for your successful product data management, e.g. for your supplier data onboarding.

The importance of a successful aperitif for supplier data onboarding & the content supply chain

Which role plays a successful aperitif?

The aperitif sets the mood for the evening and invites you to socialize. It precedes a fine dinner and is distributed at greetings and receptions. Hosts appreciate the aperitif because it stimulates the appetite and lightens the atmosphere. Its counterpart, the digestif, is served at the end of the dinner. Digestifs ensure the perfect finish for the dinner as well as a better digestion of the preceding dishes.

The aperitif and its importance for supplier data onboarding

Supplier data onboarding describes the process of product data delivery from the data supplier (e.g., manufacturer) to the data processor (e.g., retailer). With many different data suppliers, you rarely receive data with the same structure. The quality of the data also varies enormously.

To counteract this, it is important to make data onboarding as “appetizing” as possible for your suppliers. Like an appetizer, supplier data onboarding should create a desire for more and stimulate the “hunger for data.” Namely, because data is the new gold, especially online. The more high-quality product information you have, the more visible your products are and the more confidence your customers will have in the products you offer. Reversely, that means they’ll buy more from you, too.

The aperitif: The importance for the entire content supply chain

Regarding the content supply chain, this means that the aperitif stands between suppliers and supplier data on-boarding The aperitif should incite appetite for high-quality product data delivery. As a result, your PIM system can already be fed with well-structured product information. This reduces the effort of manual product refinement significantly. Further product data processing/transfer to other channels (e.g. print or e-catalogs for marketplaces) is also easier with high-quality data. Especially if you rely here on a perfect digestif to “digest” your product data.

You now know why an aperitif is essential for the noble dinner called product data management. But what does the perfect appetizer look like and what can you derive from it for your onboarding?

3 tips you can learn from a perfect aperitif for your data onboarding

1. In gastronomy, a successful aperitif is always matched to the food. For example, a hot soup should not be accompanied by an ice-cold aperitif, otherwise it will be too “stressful” for the tongue.

Transferred to your supplier data onboarding, this means:

• Data suppliers need to adjust to you and your (PIM) menu. Therefore, start with an easily digestible data query, otherwise you will “stress” the data suppliers too much.
• Support your suppliers with onboarding, for example with template files, pre-filled files or automatable processes.

2. Small snacks such as olives, crostini or grissini with dips are also served as an aperitif.

For your supplier data management is therefore important:

• Pack your requirements into easily digestible appetizers. If you use a supplier portal, such as the Supplier Portal, provide videos and guides for use.
• Make the data request process professional and stimulating. The data supplier should have fun with it and be able to “enjoy” the data delivery.
• Also resort to gamification in the data query, e.g., through a score on data quality or open benchmarking with other suppliers.

3. Don’t spar on the aperitif and drink it with calmness

For your data onboarding this means:

• Particularly in the beginning, it is necessary to allocate resources for process setup and binding communication.
• Provide time for data onboarding! The processes must be integrated both with you and with the data suppliers. A rushed aperitif misses its mark.

A successful aperitif in supplier data onboarding ensures that the PIM system is fed with sufficient and high-quality data. Supplier portals such as our Supplier-Portal can provide perfect support here. After the successful aperitif, your product data in the PIM system is refined with further (marketing) information. Afterwards, of course, you also want to pick the fruits of your labor. Therefore, the product data should be “digested” further in feeds or eCatalogs for your sales channels (e.g. online store, marketplaces).

For the perfect conclusion in product data management, a successful digestif is essential, just as for a noble dinner (read also our article: “What can be learned from the digestif for product data syndication“).

How to create the perfect aperitif for your supplier data management

Supplier portals, such as our Supplier-Portal make a great aperitif for your supplier data onboarding. Would you like to know how and/or get an insight into our supplier portal? Then feel free to contact us and book an appointment directly here, quickly and easily.