The crossbase PIM, MAM and cross-media solution in use at Gebr. Kemper GmbH + Co. KG
Olpe, 2014-01-23: KEMPER is an independent, standalone family-owned company rich in tradition, which since its founding in 1864 has grown to become a modern brand with high international esteem. KEMPER is one of the world's most respected specialists for precise and high-quality non-ferrous metal products and semi-finished metal products. Approximately 750 employees work in the three business areas of building technology, casting technology and semi-finished non-ferrous metal products.
Gebr. Kemper GmbH + Co. KG decided to use the PIM, MAM and cross-media solution from crossbase for the automation of print publications (gross price list, main catalog etc.), data provision for the online catalog (web interface), and data provision for online portals (including SHK-Branchenportal and www.ausschreiben.de).
Central functions of the solution
Initial data import and data maintenance
The initial importing of data for all sale items into the PIM system was followed by manual maintenance. The data in the PIM system is enriched with marketing-relevant product data, such as product features, product relationships, images and texts.
Much attention is given here to the inheritance concept, whereby the product features and texts from the product group are inherited by the products. This ensures comprehensive and uniform data maintenance and minimises the maintenance effort many times over.
A continuous interface to the ERP system ensures that the PIM system is continuously filled with product features. The inflow and outflow of products also runs through this interface.
Automatic text generation based on product features and text modules
Additional product texts are automatically generated in multiple languages via text templates based on the granular maintenance of product features. The predefined text templates describe how the product texts structurally merged from individually created texts and generate a finished product text. In this way, texts are generated for entire product groups as well as for individual products. The generated texts are used in the online catalog, print publications and in electronic catalogs.
Automation of print production and translation
Publications include the gross price list and main catalog. These publications are produced automatically using crossbase and Adobe InDesign. A complete and media-neutral RGB workflow (intermediate binding) is used for this. The produced InDesign documents are used to generate the print data for B/W printing as well as for downloaded PDF documents with hyperlinks and PDF bookmarks.
Provision of data for online catalog
- Data is exported to the online catalog using XML files in the standard format BMEcat, which was configured in crossbase and dynamically generates the electronic catalog for the online catalog.
- The navigation tree is transferred in addition to the product data.
- Each product is accompanied by a product photo, product drawing, description, standards and certifications, technical data and downloadable documents. Available accessory items are also shown.
Provision of data for dealer portals, tender documents, planners/architects
- An electronic exchange format is used to provide product data and tender data for dealer portals or to provide product data for file downloads.
- Portals and formats include:
- SHK-Branchenportal (ARGE Neue Medien)
- www.ausschreiben.de (GAEB)
- VDI 3805 WebSelektor
- Download area of Kemper website
- Datanorm
The application modules and further information
Download reference report