Building a Scalable, Central Product Data Hub for Industrial Components

Industrial Equipment
PIM, DAM
Central Data Repository, CMS Integration, E-Commerce Integration, ERP Integration, Digital Product Catalog, Workflow Automation

MWS Schneidwerkzeuge GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of precision cutting tools and industrial blades based in Schmalkalden, Thuringia. The company is part of the Mendritzki Group and specializes in producing knives and blades for applications in agriculture, forestry, municipal technology, tire production, and recycling.

MWS manages the full production process in-house, from steel strip processing to finished components, supported by modern milling, grinding, coating, and heat treatment facilities. The company’s product brands, MWS and MTV, are used worldwide in demanding industrial environments.

Building a Scalable, Central Product Data Hub for Industrial Components

Challenges

MWS faced several key challenges in managing and optimizing their growing and complex product data ecosystem:

  • Scattered Product Information: Product data was stored in multiple locations, like Excel sheets, ERP exports, and marketing documents, which made version control and data accuracy difficult.

  • Lack of a Central Source of Truth: There was no unified system to manage technical specifications, descriptions, images, and documents consistently across the organization.

  • High Manual Workload for Content Updates: Every update or addition to the product catalog required repeated manual effort across different systems. This slowed down the processes and increased errors.

  • Slow Time-to-Market: Without structured workflows for content creation and publication, launching new products or updating existing ones was inefficient.

Goals

To address these challenges, MWS set out to:

  • Implement a Central PIM System: Establish a single source of truth for all product-related data, accessible to marketing, product management, and sales teams.

  • Reduce Manual Work and Errors: Automate recurring tasks such as data updates and content exports to improve productivity and data accuracy.

  • Improve Product Data Quality: Enrich product content with consistent technical details, marketing descriptions, and visual assets for all sales channels.

  • Enable Scalable Growth: Lay the foundation for future integration with digital channels such as online stores or marketplaces.

  • Strengthen Data Governance and Traceability: Introduce structured workflows and versioning to track changes, approvals, and responsibilities for each product record.

Solution

To achieve these goals, MWS adopted a centralized Product Information Management (PIM) system, AtroPIM, to organize data and improve accuracy.

Key solution features included:

  • Central Data Repository: All product data, including technical specifications, descriptions, categories, media, and documents, was consolidated into a single system with clear versioning and access controls.

  • User-Friendly Interface and Workflows: Role-based access and intuitive editing interfaces allowed marketing and product teams to efficiently collaborate and manage content updates.

  • Bulk Import and Export Capabilities: Flexible import templates and automated export workflows reduced manual copy-pasting and sped up catalog updates across channels.

  • Data Quality Monitoring: Validation rules and completeness checks ensured each product met defined standards before publication or export, which led to fewer errors and inconsistencies.

  • Automated Workflows: Recurring tasks, such as content updates and data enrichment, were automated to save time and minimize manual errors.

  • Future-Ready Architecture: The PIM system was built to support integration with future digital sales channels, marketplaces, or e-commerce platforms without restructuring existing data.

Results

  • Improved Efficiency and Collaboration: With all product data centralized, MWS teams can manage content faster and more accurately, with reduced duplicate efforts and errors.

  • Higher Quality Product Information: Products are enriched with consistent, complete, and up-to-date technical details, descriptions, and media assets, improving both internal operations and customer experience.

  • Faster Product Launches: Streamlined workflows and centralized data management allow new products to be introduced more quickly across all channels.

  • Foundation for Digital Expansion: The PIM system provides a scalable framework for integrating future e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, or additional digital sales channels without restructuring data.

  • Enhanced Transparency and Control: Versioning and access controls made it easier to track product data changes and team responsibilities.

  • Improved Documentation and Datasheet Creation: Structured data made it easier to automatically create accurate datasheets and catalogs.

  • Support for Multilingual Content: Centralized management of translations simplified updates and provided consistent product information for other languages and regions.

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