Data management from country to country

Central master data management can become something of a challenge, particularly for DIY retailers that are involved in several different countries. For instance at Baumax, the Austrian DIY market leader, decentralized data storage and systems discontinuity were leading to high auditing costs. The introduction of a central master data platform has put an end to this. The trading company produces all printed promotional material in-house – for nine countries in nine languages. Especially the production of advertising media for the 147 stores was becoming increasingly time-consuming. On the one hand was the historic growth of data management, decentralized and scattered over different systems and data carriers. No central access was possible. Media-neutral filing was not used for the product data, so they were not available for reuse. This means that they always had to be repro-cessed by the graphics team for every publication and for the internet. On the other hand, media clashes slowed down the processes of data storage and maintenance. This resulted in many proof-reading loops for flyers and catalogues. The long throughput was a disadvantage for the buying department, which ideally needs to get into gear closer to the promotional period to achieve optimum product planning. That is why the company wanted to bring its product data up to a new level. Precisely because of its international presence, Baumax had to be able to handle the production of promotional material quickly and flexibly via the company’s intranet system between the central graphics production unit and the decentralized marketing and buying departments in the individual countries. Project manager Andrea Neurauter sums up the two goals the company set itself: “On the one hand the introduction of a new master data and production system for our print media, which is fully integrated with all upstream and downstream systems such as the ERP merchandise information system, the graphics system and the internet platform; on the other hand the introduction of a new, streamlined production process throughout the group of companies.” The project got underway in the early summer of 2008 with the introduction of the “Step” master data system from Stibo Systems. This central and media-independent basis for more than a million product data also offers a tried and tested application for the production of online advertising media. The system was docked onto the merchandise information system and the…