Bringing Order to the Chaos: How We Untangled hib.’s Product Data to Banish Spreadsheets and Automate Packaging​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‍‍​‍​‍​‌‌​‍​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‍​‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‍‌‍‌​‌​‌​‌‍‍‌‍​‌‍‍‍‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍​‌​​‍‌‌‍‍‍‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‍​‌‌‍‍​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍‌‌

Getting a new product into their main ordering system (SAP) just to request a physical sample meant staff were spending days manually "crowbarring" data into place. It was stressful, prone to human error, and required a lot of late nights.

But the biggest bottleneck was in the creative department. hib.’s talented product designers were losing days of their time manually copying and pasting data to create barcodes, instruction leaflets, and packaging specs in InDesign. They needed a way to stop relying on endless workarounds and get back to doing what they do best: designing great products.

We implemented Akeneo PIM (Product Information Management) to act as a single, highly organised hub for all their product data. As a product moves through its development lifecycle, the system automatically tracks it through its various stages and enables different workflows at different points. Early-stage product concepts automatically build in their ERP system so purchase orders can be raised instantly for samples. Later in the cycle, when a product is officially approved for mass manufacturing, the system triggers the next phase, automatically alerting the marketing and CAD teams to start preparing photos and descriptions.

To make sure all these different systems could talk to each other without someone having to click "export," we used Patchworks to seamlessly connect Akeneo to their SAP ordering system and their reporting software, Phocas.

The real magic, however, happened in the design department. We set up an automation that pulls product data straight from Akeneo directly into their design templates. Now, barcodes, packaging specs, and instruction PDFs are generated autonomously - without a designer having to manually build the artwork.