Page 15 - BOSS Today Issue 26

“Any dealer needs to be able to offer a wide range

and the capability for their customers to quickly
find the products they are interested in.”

Iain Howarth, Open Range

Of course, if the product data quality of the data.” interchangeable.” industry – we already cover
that is available to the site is This requires the web Open Range then PPS and janitorial supplies, for
not rich enough, then even the store to be populated with approaches c20 key example.”
most intelligent systems is not ‘rich’ product data in which manufacturers supplying Open Range now claims
going to know where to search products are classified correctly each category and designs to be supplying its product
for those upsell and cross sell in a standard format that also a product template for that data database to ‘several
opportunities, which brings us contains sufficient meaningful category. The actual number hundred’ OP dealers, in
to our sixth and last tip… attributes (eg colour, size etc) of attribute variables in each return for a quarterly
for each product category. category depends of course subscription payment. “We
6. Get Rich Data In short, it is easier to find on the category: paper, for serve a real mixture of dealer
As White sees it, one of the a needle in a haystack if example, will have fewer sizes,” says Howarth, “from
main barriers to dealers you know exactly what a attributes than a desk, printer companies with one or two
optimising the e-commerce needle looks like and how it or shredder, which will have e-commerce-savvy staff, up to
opportunity is getting good differs from hay. However, as many more. the very largest distributors.
product data, which not Howarth points out, “Original Having designed the Furthermore, most of the
only provides the ability to manufacturer product data product template, the software houses also recognise
upsell and cross sell, but also is supplied in a multitude company’s specialist software the value of what we are doing
helps with search engine of formats, so there is no then takes product data and are committed to working
optimisation. Unsurprisingly, way that an OP dealer can from manufacturers’ closed with us.”
Open Range’s Iain Howarth collect and put all of this into partner resources in each Brown is also keen to
agrees: “Any dealer needs to a standardised format – and category – including attributes emphasise that usage
be able to offer a wide range keep it updated – themselves.” and images – and uses it of Fusion’s data is now
and the capability for their However, such rich data is now to populate the database. becoming widespread:
customers to quickly find the obtainable from a number of Admits Howarth, “We gather “Fusion has big data across
products they are interested sources, including both Open the data in, translate and all of the dealer group and
in.”, as does David Brown, Head Range and Fusion. transform it into a highly major wholesaler catalogues,
of E-Content, UK and Ireland Open Range takes the consistent standard format: and we are working with
for Fusion: “The two most UNSPSC standard product it’s a huge job! We cover all some dealer groups and some
important things are the ability classifications, which are used the OP manufacturers and wholesalers in order to help
to find a product in a web store across the world by virtually now feature some 60-70,000 then refine their data further.
– preferably within three clicks every industry, and harmonises products.” There are now over 200 web
– and then having found the these with the BOSS product In addition, with distributors stores in the UK that are
products, that the information categories: “Where there is in OP actively widening their currently being served with
is right and pertinent for that one single UNSPSC code but product ranges into entirely data from Fusion.”
consumer to make a confident multiple BOSS codes, we can new areas, such as FM supplies,
buying decision there and get additional UNSPSC codes Howarth is aware that the Martin Wilde – the author of this
then. The ability for a web store added to the international company needs to keep pace: article - is Managing Director of
to be able to return pertinent standard to create a proper “We are actively looking at OP market research specialists
results is not based upon the one-to-one relationship and all of the ‘new’ product areas Martin Wilde Associates Ltd (
search engine as much as the vice versa, so that they are being investigated by the OP www.martinwildeassociates.com).

February/March 2015 | BOSS TODAY 15

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