Bridge the Product Information Gap: How a Digital Catalog Ensures Every Stakeholder Is on the Same Page

Work grinds to a halt when you can’t find the right product data or discover that the data you’re looking at differs from what your colleague sees. 

Instead of focusing on the task at hand, you’re now figuring out what the data should be and how it got so muddled in the first place.

These hassles are often seen as inevitable in an organization handling a lot of SKUs across multiple teams and locations. But they don’t have to be. The root causes of data mix-ups can be addressed with the right systems and software, including digital catalogs that maintain organized, accessible records of all product data.

Here’s how a digital catalog addresses common sources of confusion and closes an organization’s product information gap.

The Consequences of Inconsistent Data

When there’s no single source of truth for product data, chaos is almost inevitable.

If every team takes its own approach to product data management, their data will likely become inaccurate or inconsistent.

When issues of data accuracy and consistency arise, knock-on complications will follow that ultimately result in lost time, lost productivity, and possibly even lost revenue. They could cause projects to slow down, supply chains to stall, or customers to walk away.

The mere possibility of inconsistency also contributes to slower workflows because extra data verification steps need to be taken. Teams that don’t typically have access to the original data from a product information management (PIM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, such as marketing, sales, or customer service, need to take extra time to confirm that the data they’re working from is accurate.  

It can also result in poorer cross-functional alignment. When everyone is working from different data repositories, teams need to take time out of their day to clarify which set of information is correct. Instead of collaborating and supporting each other, teams find themselves inadvertently holding each other back or growing frustrated.

Digital Product Catalogs Close the Product Information Gap

The obvious solution is to keep information aligned in a PIM system that connects to a broader product experience management (PXM) platform. These types of software are foundational to any company’s ecommerce efforts.

However, not everyone can (or should) access an organization’s PIM. Yet, consistent product information needs to be available to everyone, regardless of whether they have PIM access. 

Marketing teams need accurate data to help them design and target their promotions, for example. Customer service needs it to give customers correct information, and sales needs it to help prospective customers understand what’s available.

This is where a digital product catalog comes in. A digital catalog closes this information gap by providing a widely accessible and easily understandable repository of all product data.

How a Digital Product Catalog Closes the Gap 

Traditionally, organizations relied on print catalogs for accessible product information, but even the most frequently updated print catalog can never be up-to-the-minute accurate. Digital catalogs, however, can be updated continuously. Even more conveniently, they’re often synced with an organization’s PIM, so data only needs to be updated once.

Digital product catalogs also let users easily search for products and filter their results so they can find exactly what they’re interested in in seconds.

Catalogs are often thought of as sales enablement tools, but they’re essential for internal processes, as well. A digital catalog can make an entire organization more efficient and productive.

How Digital Product Catalogs Improve Internal Processes 

With access to a digital product catalog, teams no longer have to stop what they’re doing to hunt down data or fix mistakes. They can stay focused on their work, knowing the data they need will always be accessible and accurate.  

Workflows can also move quickly because fewer verification steps are needed. This means new marketing campaigns can launch faster, customer service can resolve issues more quickly, and sales can answer customers’ questions instantly (and then impress those customers by walking them through an attractive digital catalog on their phone or tablet).   

Finally, digital catalogs give cross-functional collaboration a boost. When every team has the same source of truth in front of them, they can focus on working together instead of questioning each other’s sources of information.

Enjoy Improved Collaboration and Data Consistency

Data mismatches between teams have long been the norm, but digital catalogs allow for a better way. With a fully developed digital catalog, brands and manufacturers can guarantee that every team can collaborate with the exact same data at their fingertips.

This consistency has compounding benefits, making everyone faster, more productive, and less frustrated with their work. Given the ease of use of many digital catalogs, including out-of-the-box configuration features and easy connections to a PIM, adopting a digital catalog makes sense.