In order to communicate its unique expertise in an appropriate manner across all channels in the market, KERMI has relied on INFOLOX as its partner in the areas of PIM (product information management) and DAM (digital asset management) for many years. Digital assets and audiovisual media are playing an increasingly important role in this context.
KERMI, an innovative company with a long tradition based in Plattling, Lower Bavaria, has been combining comfort and design in its climate control and bathroom products for many decades. In order to communicate this unique expertise, pioneering solutions and inventive spirit in an appropriate form across all channels, KERMI has relied on INFOLOX as its partner in the areas of PIM (product information management) and DAM (digital asset management) for many years. Digital assets such as audiovisual media are playing an increasingly important role in this context.
It was therefore time for KERMI to replace its existing digital media asset management (DAM) system with a more powerful and modern solution. This new solution needed to be integrated with additional product information from KERMI's product information management (PIM) system. After an intensive selection process, KERMI opted for the state-of-the-art DAM system Picturepark from Switzerland. As a headless and API-first system, Picturepark offers a modern architecture that optimally meets KERMI's integration requirements.
Following the selection process, INFOLOX developed the concept and carried out the integration into the existing environment. When making its selection, KERMI's top priority was the usability of the new DAM system. Naturally, the DAM system had to cover all typical use cases and be ideally integrated with the PIM system. Dedicated DAM systems are the right choice when the focus is on distributing media in many forms, formats, sizes, colours and resolutions to many different users. If both a PIM and a DAM system are in use, the type of integration becomes a decisive factor for success. And that is precisely the core competence of infolox!
PIM/DAM versus PIM and DAM
In the first integration option, "full integration of metadata", the DAM system is the leading system for asset management: all assets are first created, managed, categorised and tagged there. The metadata for product-related assets is then regularly synchronised with the PIM via the API and linked there with products, variants and product groups. This link information is written back to the DAM so that it is also possible to search there to find out which media match which products. The actual assets remain in the DAM; only metadata and possibly a thumbnail are synchronised with the PIM. When exporting from the PIM for print publications, for example, the DAM is triggered and the required asset is exported to the publication process in the appropriate resolution. For online publications, on the other hand, the assets are not exported; only the link information is used and the assets are accessed directly from the DAM by the online platform. This solution is particularly suitable if, in addition to product-oriented media, many other media are to be managed and media often only receive product references in a second step.
In the second integration option, "Leading PIM with fusion in DAM", the PIM system is the leading system for maintaining product-related assets: in this scenario, these assets (product images, operating instructions, assembly instructions, product drawings, etc.) are maintained in the PIM and then regularly exported to the DAM. Both the metadata and the original asset are transferred. Non-product-related assets, on the other hand, are managed directly in the DAM. The fusion of all assets thus takes place in the DAM. However, depending on process requirements, product-relevant channels/publications can be supplied from both the PIM and the DAM. This solution is particularly suitable when dedicated product-oriented assets dominate, are to be created directly for products first, and additional product-neutral media are managed as a supplement.
After a brief but intensive analysis – based not least on existing processes – KERMI opted for the first option, and INFOLOX immediately began implementation and integration. Thanks to Picturepark's clean system architecture and API-first strategy, as well as infolox's extensive experience with PIM and DAM in highly integrated MACH architectures, the system was quickly and efficiently implemented and integrated with viamedici EPIM.
Peter Leipold, Head of Digital Product Data Management & B2B Application Services at KERMI, describes the project as follows: "Even though we had been using a DAM system for many years and had also integrated it with the PIM system, this was a quantum leap for us. Both Picturepark's DAM system with its modern and powerful interface and the new integration possibilities offered by infolox's API-first approach are far superior to the old system in terms of usability, efficiency, stability and performance."
If you have any questions about PIM & DAM or are specifically interested in integrating viamedici EPIM and Picturepark from a single source, please do not hesitate to contact us: Contact
