From Product Catalogue to Interactive Product Experience
Product data is particularly valuable when it is not only managed correctly but also presented in the right context.
PFISTERER develops solutions for the safe and reliable connection of electrical conductors, from power generation and transmission to distribution. The company has relied on myview solutions since 2005. This partnership has grown over more than two decades, during which the requirements for digital communication have continued to evolve.
With PFISTERER Landscape, a new application has now been developed that deliberately goes beyond the traditional online product catalogue.
Rethinking a Strong Data Foundation.
PFISTERER was already managing its product portfolio directly within the application before the project began.
Over the years, however, the existing solution had evolved into a largely closed system. Changes to content, structure or presentation were difficult to implement. It had become a traditional monolithic system that required considerable effort to modify or extend.
At the same time, the technological foundation for a different approach was already in place.
PFISTERER was already using myview solutions: xmedia for the central management of product information and xom to make this data available to digital applications.
The key question was therefore not how to build yet another product catalogue, but rather:
Moving Beyond Traditional Product Data
The new Landscape is designed to provide users with a more intuitive way to explore the product portfolio.
Central entry points allow visitors to navigate through different application scenarios. Within the interactive Landscape, they can then select specific areas to explore. This reveals exactly the solutions PFISTERER offers for each application.
From the Landscape, users can navigate directly to the products themselves: individual items or product groups can be viewed in the online product catalogue with just one click.
The completed Landscape.
Product Data in Context.
Behind the scenes, xmedia plays a key role. All product information was already maintained in the system.
For the interactive Landscape, an additional Landscape classification was created in xmedia. The implementation demonstrated that no complex new data structure was required. The classification was set up within just a few days, quickly creating an entirely new way to explore the product portfolio using the existing data.
xom is responsible for providing the relevant information directly from the database to the Landscape. This allows product data and interactive visualisations to work together seamlessly rather than existing as two separate systems.
Our partner medienreaktor was responsible for the technical and visual implementation. This included mapping the individual hotspots using a coordinate-based or grid-based system, as well as the visual design of the Landscape.
This structure allows new products, classifications or application areas to be added at any time, while existing information can easily be updated.
At a Glance:
How the three components work together:
xmedia
The central source and management system for product data, classifications and assignments.
xom
Delivers the required product data from xmedia directly to the digital application.
medienreaktor
Handles the technical implementation and visual design.
Presenting Products Creatively and Intuitively
Users discover relevant solutions directly in the context in which they are used and can navigate straight to the product catalogue.
Thanks to the existing data structures, implementation was straightforward. This demonstrates the value of a solid PIM foundation.
The online catalogue and the Landscape use the same central product database but offer different ways to explore the portfolio. The project demonstrates how PIM data can go beyond the traditional product catalogue and serve as the foundation for new digital applications.
It's Not About More Data, but Making More of It.
The PFISTERER Landscape demonstrates that innovation doesn't always have to start with new technology or an entirely new data structure.
Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective on what is already there.
This transforms existing product information into a new way of exploring the portfolio: visual, application-oriented, intuitive and focused on the user.
What makes this project particularly exciting is the idea behind it: rethinking existing structures to unlock entirely new areas of application.
Our key takeaway:
Your Path to a Better Product Experience
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