This case study outlines their success in achieving global simultaneous product launches, correct information for catalogs and advertising, faster price change notifications and better Point of Sale (POS) integration.
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BBuussiinneessss NNeeeeddPanasonic required a more effec-tive way to create consistent andcomplete information about itsproducts for customers, dealersand Websites.
Panasonic is a leader in consumer electronics with world wide operations. DueSSoolluuttiioonn to intense competition in Europe, they were looking at ways to increase salesA Product Information Management and lower operating costs. One area where they expect to get quick returns issolution to streamline information by streamlining their data and processes to get new products and modifica-gathering and distribution and elimi- tions out to their e-Commerce sites and print catalogs. Using IBM'snate the existing manual processes. WebSphere Product Center they were able to meet these objectives and alsoachieve a significant return on their investment.
BBeenneeffiittssPanasonic has now achievedglobal simultaneous productlaunches, correct informationfor catalogs and advertising,faster price change notifications CCuussttoommeerr BBaacckkggrroouunnddand better Point of Sale (POS)integration. Panasonic is one of the world's leading consumerelectronics manufacturers with presence in everymajor country. The company began its Europeanoperations in 1962 in Hamburg, Germany. Today,Panasonic employs 13,000 people in Europe inmanufacturing, sales research, development andsupport functions. About 60 percent of Panasonicproducts sold in Europe are also manufacturedthere. Sales in Europe are in excess of $10B.IIBBMM WWeebbSSpphheerree PPrroodduucctt CCeenntteerr CCuussttoommeerr CCaassee SSttuuddyy
BBuussiinneessss NNeeeeddIn Europe's consumer electronics market, Europe needed to find a more effective wayPanasonic Europe and its competitors are to create consistent and complete informa-constantly updating product offerings due tion about its products and a better way toto changing technologies. With such fierce distribute product information to customers,competition and short product lifecycles, dealers and Web sites.Panasonic's level of success greatlydepends on how quickly it can market new SSoolluuttiioonnproducts. New product information must be To address this need, Panasonic Europequickly and accurately distributed to teamed with IBM Global Services -regional sales and marketing teams located Application Management Services to imple-in every country in Europe, with transla- ment a solution based on IBM WebSpheretions in every European language. However, Product Center V5.0 software running onthe company was manually collecting prod- an IBM WebSphere Application Server -uct specifications from the factory and Express V5.0 platform. The solution runssending them out for translation and vali- on IBM AIX hardware. With the WebSpheredation by e-mail, slowing the distribution Product Center soft-process. To remain com- ware, Panasonicpetitive, Panasonic need- Europe can stream-ed to speed the distribu- line its informationtion of product data to its gathering and distri-regional sales and mar- bution process. keting teams. The WebSphereHistorically, when one of Product Center soft-Panasonic's global facto- ware, a productries began manufacturing information manage-a new product, the relat- ment solution, man-ed product information - ages the process ofincluding low-resolution creating, enhancing,and high-resolution pic- and distributingtures and manuals in dif- product informationferent languages - was to Panasonic's cus-sent to European market- tomers, dealers, Webing departments as sites and other appli-Microsoft Excel data. The cations. This hasmarketing people would removed a lot of the manual element of thethen have to enrich, translate and distrib- product information management process.ute this information to the sales force man-ually. There were a number of issues with With the new solution, manufacturingthis scenario. The translating process, for plants input information directly intoexample, was extremely cumbersome. For WebSphere Product Center or it can beeach new product, marketing staff would imported from SAP, i2 and other Panasonichave to send product information to trans- applications. Product Managers have finallation companies via e-mai... [download for more]
