Furniture chain implements Contentserv system to expand online presence

Since 1900, the name Zurbrüggen has been closely associated with comfortable, functional furniture and attractive interior design. The company operates five furniture centres in western Germany.

Zurbrüggen has delighted countless customers with a cosy design for their home – and apparently so successfully that those same customers sometimes even prefer to choose their future furnishings from the comfort of their own sofa. In response to this trend, the furniture store brought in Laudert to implement a Contenserv PIM system for central management of product and media data, in order to expand and optimise their customers’ online shopping experience.

Flexible data maintenance and high data quality

Refined data with PIM

The aspect of data quality was a particular focus of the project. Zurbrüggen was very aware of how flexible data maintenance and high data quality could positively influence their future product and brand communications and their in-house ERP system simply could not keep pace with the increasing depth of data required.

The Zurbrüggen furniture chain stocks around 150,000 items presented in around 350,000 assets. In order to refine the data for its future use in communication, especially in the online shop, the product and article information was expanded as part of the project. Additional categories, attributes and content were necessary to generate new filter options and present the required content.

First, the migration of various data from various legacy systems needed to be implemented. The Laudert team employed workflow and automation metrics and linked existing media data such as videos and product data sheets to the corresponding PIM data.

Next, focussing on the future maintenance of data and products, Laudert worked with Zurbrüggen to create smart workflows which will play a key part in the text creation process for future products. This, combined with dashboard tiles, affords Zurbrüggen an overview of the status of all articles at all times, as well as enabling the company to track which steps remain to be taken in order to successfully advertise their products across their target channels.

Direct handling with clean interfaces

Well-connected

Upon assessing the situation, Zurbrüggen and Laudert decided to connect the ERP system to the Contentserv PIM via the E2E integration platform to provide speed and flexibility when expanding the implemented interfaces or connecting additional systems. External image databases were also connected to create synergies with associated partners.

All product data maintained in Contentserv can be accessed on demand using Contentserv’s Smart Documents technology. Features include the export of product data sheets in PDF format to provide employees on the sales floor with a quick overview of additional product information.

The delivery of all product and media data to the Zurbrüggen shop system is controlled via the SAWS connector Magento. Using this interface, additional attributes can be easily configured for the shop, taking data transformation rules into account.

On-site PIM application training

Trained eyes see more

In May 2019, Laudert conducted on-site staff training to ease all future PIM users into the new system and the online shop was successfully launched that October. The number of items available online has since increased by over 20 percent.

All parties benefit from PIM

Benefits for everyone involved

Ultimately, all parties benefit from PIM implementation. Communications with Zurbrüggen and data transfer have improved for both partners and suppliers.

The furniture store itself benefits from simplified yet more detailed data maintenance through centralisation and structuring. Product information management means that it is ideally equipped not only for future marketing communications via the online shop, but far beyond.

And last but not least, the customers at home benefit from better search results and clearer product information when conducting searches in the online shop, as well as enjoy the significantly improved usability. All in all, a recipe for happy shoppers.