Full transparency: Systrion develops a Product Information Hub for the consumer goods and food industries based on Microsoft Azure

The challenge: Repetitive data input in a sea of heterogenous system environments

“Our observations have shown us that consumers want to know exactly what goes into the products they buy,” says Wolfram Koller, Founder and CEO of Systrion AG. Information about ingredients, expiration dates, and logistics data can all be found in a food’s product master data. “This might sound like a dry topic at first,” Koller says, “but product master data is extremely complex and important for the companies that make and sell consumer goods – food products in particular.”

To supply this data, manufacturers manually input the same information into all kinds of applications again and again. This is done either in product factsheets, usually as an Excel file, or in the system environments used by their customers, which range from e-commerce platforms to the usual retail chains. It is this information that ends up on the product labels that consumers will read. “Any mistakes made at the compilation stage can have serious consequences later on. For example, if the product is falsely marketed as ‘free from allergens,’ the product distributor – e.g., the supermarket – would then be responsible”, Koller says.

“Digital transformation is a catalyst for the creation of an increasing number of different platforms. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 health crisis has led to an explosion in e-commerce,” Koller says. He founded Systrion in 2000 with the idea of interlinking heterogenous system environments. “Since then, we’ve been asking ourselves: How can we improve the way product master data and data quality are managed?” Koller says. His goal was to establish a single point of truth and the right interfaces.

The solution: One-time compilation of product master data and quick access to the global data pool

At the heart of Systrion’s technology is the synfoxx® product information management (PIM) system: all master data is entered just once via a straightforward and intuitive data template. Review functions flag any errors or inconsistencies and ensure data quality. “Say you select ‘fish,’ you also have to specify the catch area,” Koller explains. New or customer-specific attributes can be added as required. Even product images and certificates such as IFS or Demeter can be stored.

Generic product factsheets or factsheets based on custom templates can be created at the click of a button. And interfaces are provided that also enable master data to link directly to the retailer systems. As a Product Information Hub, synfoxx® makes it easier to collect, process, and distribute product master data. “What we were missing was our own, GS1-certified data pool,” Koller says. GS1 is a non-profit network that sets global standards for efficient cross-company processes. Only around 50 data pools in the world are GS1 certified; together, they make up the Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN). Innovative technology is used to exchange master data quickly and globally through this network of data pools. “Put simply: the GS1 GDSN is like an international information highway. And our prootec® data pool was to become our very own on-ramp,” Koller says.

Obtaining GS1 certification for prootec® turned out to be a race against time: “When we first started looking into it, we found out that the next certification round was just three months away. We decided to give it our all and just go for it,” Koller says. “I contacted Microsoft right away.” Together with the Microsoft team, Systrion quickly got to work developing the data pool. “We collaborated with Microsoft on everything from coding in Visual Studio to hosting in Microsoft Azure. Just like synfoxx®, we offer prootec® as an entirely cloud-based SaaS solution,” Koller says. For example, customers can obtain synfoxx® and prootec® via Microsoft AppSource.

Importance was placed on making sure that no one but the intended recipients could access the data entered. “This is ensured by a sophisticated authorization structure and the software that is programmed to fit the data pool,” Koller says. “Microsoft delivers a level of data security that no medium-sized company could achieve on its own.” Systrion customers were already on board with the cloud – after all, synfoxx® has operated in the cloud since 2012 and has been based on Azure since 2016. The moment of truth finally came at the end of May 2021: Systrion had to show GS1 that prootec® could handle the entire spectrum of business transactions – i.e., it could respond to any information request. And it did exactly that. Today, prootec® counts among the 50 or so data pools that boast GS1 certification, which means Systrion can offer its customers a complete portfolio from a single source for the master data process. “In the past, some other providers have experienced prolonged periods of unavailability that have prevented manufacturers from being able to publicize their products. But at certain times of year, such as in the run-up to Christmas, fixed deadlines must be met. If a manufacturer misses these deadlines, they have no way of getting their products onto the shelves. This leads to huge losses,” Koller says.

The Product Information Hub with the synfoxx® PIM system and prootec® data pool is proving popular: “The first data recipient has been using prootec® since the start of the year – and their feedback has been positive. Other data recipients as well as data suppliers will be added gradually going forward. “We’re so pleased that we’ve been able to keep evolving, thanks in part to Microsoft technologies. In the future, we want to be active on a more global level and continue establishing ourselves in the areas of fast-moving consumer goods, food products, and beyond”, Koller says.