Current data in the Weyland Steiner online store

Thanks to the flexible data provision and transfer of the PIM data via API server into the Shopify system, we were able to implement the e-commerce project in the shortest possible time. In addition, the provision of product information of the highest quality and up-to-dateness optimally supports our customers in their product selection.

Dominik Fimberger
Marketing / advertising / e-Commerce, Weyland Steiner Handwerks- & Industriebedarf GmbH & Co KG

Weyland Steiner has implemented a new online store with a seamless API connection to the crossbase PIM system. This solution makes it possible to integrate product information directly and efficiently into the store, ensuring that the data is up-to-date and consistent.

Initial situation

As product features were sometimes maintained in both systems or only on one side, the first challenge in data maintenance was to keep the data up to date and consistent.

After the merger of Weyland Steiner and Schmidt's, the product information was to be provided from a joint system, as the product range largely overlapped. The requirement to always provide up-to-date and consistent product information from two systems was to be met by introducing a central PIM system.

Procedure

Shopify was chosen as the e-commerce platform to provide the product data in the best possible way. The product data - from XML texts and attributes to images and documents - is transferred from the crossbase PIM system via the existing Shopify API and automatically updated twice a day. A delta check is used to check in advance which data has changed. Only the changed product information is transferred again. This means that customers always receive up-to-date information directly from the PIM system when selecting products in the online store.

Two separate stores were created for the different target groups: one for Weyland Steiner and one for Schmidt's, each with specific product ranges. The data export, which comprises around 100,000 articles, takes around 90 minutes.

Inherited product data (e.g. attribute assignments) is combined for data transfer. The attribute assignments that are the same for all items in an item group are output as list text for the item group. The different assignments, on the other hand, are listed as "options" for the matching items in the group.

The navigation structure of the online store is set up manually in the Shopify system. Keywords are used to dynamically sort the products from the PIM system into the navigation.

Result

With the crossbase solution, Weyland Steiner can always offer its customers up-to-date and reliable product data in the Shopify store. The smooth integration ensures improved data consistency and a user-friendly shopping experience.

Advantages

• Centralized data management
• Reduced likelihood of errors as data comes directly from the PIM system
• Standardized crossbase API interface tailored to Shopify
• Large, sophisticated range of functions in the online shop
• Target group-specific product range
• Up-to-date and consistent product information thanks to daily transfer and data synchronization
• Only changed data is transferred
• Time saving