Pneumat System is one of the leading Polish manufacturers of pneumatic actuators and a distributor of Italian brand Aignep products in Poland. The offering includes several series of actuators and numerous custom solutions tailored to individual client needs, totaling over 100,000 items divided into 4,700 product groups. The database is continuously expanding.
Requirements and needs
The scope and nature of the implementation addressed the brand’s key needs. The product database had to enable the management of all product data, control over multiple technical attributes, and support for product configurators. The content of online and printed publications needed to remain identical, of course. Our responsibilities also included populating the database with product data and integrating it with the existing ERP system.
Applied solutions
Since multiple users with specific permissions needed the ability to edit data, we based the implementation on the SEPIA Alterra PIM system. This system enables efficient product information management through a web browser and automatic publishing across selected media.
We automated DTP composition using Adobe InDesign, enhanced with the EasyCatalog plugin by 65bit. This solution allowed us to create a product catalog, while PDF product data sheets were generated using PHP libraries, with their production triggered directly from the GUI of the product database.
Product database
We distinguished two data structures in the database: those exported to the B2B platform and those for the product catalog. An essential part of the implementation involved importing core data from the ERP system, which we completed in collaboration with the company responsible for deploying the B2B platform available at www.pneumat.com.pl.
Product database:
- Enables the creation of custom classifications for advanced management of various attributes (PIM system with custom classification in use)
- Uses an object-linking mechanism to eliminate data duplication and ensure consistency across all information
- Includes dynamic connections between objects (e.g. product-to-product, product-to-accessories, product-to-specialist services)
- Integrates Digital Asset Management (DAM) software for automatic file format conversion
- Allows system customization based on UDF (User Defined Functions) in areas such as:
- selecting attributes for filtering
- automatically matching accessories based on predefined relationships
- adjusting displayed columns in product tables according to the medium
Integration with the B2B system
All information presented on www.pneumat.com.pl is automatically synchronized daily with the product database we developed. This ensures that any changes made in one location are immediately reflected in the other. High-resolution files are also automatically converted into formats suitable for online publication while maintaining appropriate dimensions.
An essential aspect of product presentation in the e-store is accurately reproducing its colors. By utilizing ICC profiles, the conversion of color systems from CMYK to RGB does not result in a loss of quality.
Product data in the PIM database is synchronized through export to a consolidated XML file and supplemented with additional web services using SOAP.
Product catalog
For a company offering thousands of products, each with potentially hundreds of variations, product catalogs are invaluable sales tools. They present all the essential information a client needs to make a purchasing decision in a clear and comprehensive way.
The Pneumat catalog was designed using Adobe InDesign, supported by the EasyCatalog plug-in from 65bit. Data exchange between the product database and the catalog is carried out using .xml files. To construct complex tables, we utilized XSLT transforms (XML document transformation language), reducing the number of required templates to just two. This approach simplifies template management and enables quick adjustments to the catalog layout.
The result is a professional, multi-hundred-page publication featuring technical data, photos, and drawings that collectively provide a complete overview of each product. The DTP process can be fully or partially automated, ensuring efficiency and consistency.
PDF data sheet
The product data sheets were designed using PHP libraries, with their content generated directly from the graphical user interface (GUI) of the product database.
A total of over 3,500 product data sheets were created.
Summary
The implementation commissioned by Pneumat System was one of the most demanding and comprehensive projects we have undertaken. It required creating a product database containing over 80,000 items, integrating it with an e-commerce platform developed by an external company, and preparing sales materials that clearly presented the brand’s complex offering. Thanks to the solutions applied, we achieved the desired outcome for both us and the client. The product database is designed to allow unrestricted management by any number of internal company users.