Future-proofing the data flows
Stronger, a well established D2C brand known for their expressive and fun workout clothes, realized the importance of data structure and system optimization in order to establish new strategic initiatives and reach future goals. Stronger turned to NOOS to get a holistic understanding of their system set-up, product master data and data flows. The focus was on highlighting current pain points and potential changes in the current set-up to support scalable growth, optimized data flows, and improved overall system efficiency.
The aim of the project was to enable the right data & tech structure to reach product effectiveness by creating the right master data structure. As well as ensuring the right system for the right purpose, to enable agile production & e-commerce excellence. In relation to this the project was divided into three main focus areas, systems, processes and data structure.
The holistic approach
The project followed our established tech advisory model, starting with a Discovery phase, with a screening of current situation followed by a Detailing phase, covering in-depth research of potential changes.
Discovery: The discovery began with creating a deep understanding of the current system landscape, product data flow and workflows connected to each systems. An analysis of current pain points made it clear that there was an opportunity to automate workflows and optimize product data structure. At NOOS we believe in the importance of understanding the end-end flow and have a holistic approach when looking into optimizing data flows and system use. This means understanding the full product cycle, from creation in a PLM in the back office to marketing and sales in digital channels, and what implications any changes on an attribute level can have for each system.
The scope covered all systems affected by product data, from creation in the Product Lifecycle Management system (PLM) to the Enterprise Resource Planning system (ERP) and the E-commerce platform. The discovery phase was concluded by highlighting strategic and operational actions going forward.
Detailing: Based on the findings and actions highlighted in the discovery phase, the detailing phase focused on formulating a master data dictionary serving as the master document for product related data, simplifying the understanding of current set-up and clarified ownership and workflows for each attribute.
The data dictionary is a great tool to use in order to understand:
- Source of truth and how product attributes are inherited across the system landscape.
- If and how product information is duplicated in several systems.
- Potential risk for manual error.
- How manual workflows can be optimized.
Optimizing the end-to-end flow
This project emphazied on the importance of understanding your data structure and how it can be optimized in order to be technically ready for new strategic initatives. The project highlighted several areas where Stronger could benefit from automated workflows and streamlining the cross-functional efforts through out the product life cycle. Making them ready for new sales initatives with a more stable and scalable set-up.
Expected results based on suggested actions:
- Improved efficiency with automated flows.
- Less manual processes and therefore more available time internally for business prioritized initiatives.
- A more stable and scalable product data structure to enable new growth initatives.
- Cross-functional process improvements.
- Major improvements in internal ownersships and organizational understanding.
At NOOS we see this as a key factor for successful digital growth and addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach that includes investing in the right technology solutions, adopting robust data governance policies, and fostering a culture of data literacy across the organization.
