FLEX: Data provision at the point of sale with loadbee

The fact that customers abandon a purchase due to a lack of product information cannot be in the interest of the brand manufacturer and the online retailer.

Christian Junker
Managing Director and CEO, Loadbee GmBH

FLEX-Elektrowerkzeuge GmbH made industrial history in 1954 with the first high-speed angle grinder. This established the term "flexing" for cut-off grinding. Founded over 100 years ago, the company is part of the Chervon Group and has subsidiaries and sister companies in France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and the Czech Republic. The power tool range comprises around 2,000 products.

The solution

loadbee

Loadbee GmbH, based in Echterdingen (Stuttgart), offers a cloud-based solution for the cross-channel distribution of purchase-decisive product information to different points of sale and digital end devices. loadbee has been developing exclusively in Germany since its founding in 2013, but the IT platform is used by over 400 brand manufacturers worldwide.
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API interface from crossbase to loadbee

In order to present the FLEX products optimally at the digital point of sale (POS), the company uses loadbee. In order to be able to output the data maintained in the crossbase software solution in the desired form, the API interface of crossbase is used. This was programmed to provide loadbee with the desired information.

The process can be divided into two API calls:

The first one leads to the corresponding language-specific output catalog. Here the language (German, English or French) and the desired assortment are selected. Subsequently, a separate JSON file is generated in each case, which corresponds to the loadbee specific structure. This enables a direct import.

The media files are made available via the second API call. They are combined in a ZIP file and placed in the appropriate destination directory.

The control of the features and media files to be output is done via so-called output classes, which can be extended by FLEX in the PIM system at any time.

Workflow at FLEX

When executing the API calls for the languages DE, EN and FR, a separate JSON file is created in each case (first API call) as well as a ZIP file with the matching media files (second API call). The generated files are then imported into loadbee as required at the click of a button.

Result

With loadbee, the online platforms through which FLEX GmbH sells its products are supplied with all relevant product information. A total of approx. 1,300 items in three languages with technical data, product details and images are quickly and easily added to various store portals. This partial automation leads to enormous time savings and efficiency that would hardly be feasible manually. The customer receives the information they need to make a purchase decision and has a positive shopping experience.