Case Study:
Catalog AutomationDesigning and implementing an effective catalogue management system to benefit multiple stakeholders.
THE CHALLENGE
Smarter Catalogue Management
PREDICTABLE. EFFICIENT. COST EFFECTIVE.
As one of the world’s leading catalogue automators, Catalog Automation is focused on sharpening the delivery of product catalogues through continuous business improvement – for itself and its customers. Founder Dean Perry had his sights set on developing a software system that would make catalogue building more predictable, efficient and cost effective for his customers.
Having consulted to a range of companies, he observed something compelling – while various product information software solutions existed, there was nothing specifically designed for catalogues. What was available was fragmented, not ideal for the different teams in a company to use to manage catalogues, and often had a convoluted interface and limited layout choices. This gap was creating duplicated efforts in data management, and wasting time and money.
THE BRIEF
One System For Multiple Stakeholders
STRAIGHTFORWARD. INSIGHTFUL. KNOWLEDGEABLE.
To help Dean breathe life into his idea and take it to Minimal Viable Product stage, he needed someone who understood relational databases, as the system would require a very complex data structure. He wanted to work with someone he could get ‘a straight answer from’ on his rough wireframes. Someone Australia-based with the deep insight, expertise and integrity on multiple fronts: from coding to big-picture business strategy.
Specifically, the brief was to create a web-based system that would allow multiple stakeholders within an organisation to easily create, manage, edit and control information-rich catalogues. Choosing to partner with codeWorthy on the project was a simple decision. Dean had professionally known its Managing Director, Mike Sorel, for the better part of two decades. While it had been some time since they last worked together, he was confident Mike was the right man for the job.
THE PROCESS
Laying The Foundation
RIGOUR. AGILITY. LOGIC.
Before coding began, Dean and Mike spent two months in initial development exploring data structures and future proofing the system for growth. They pored over spreadsheets. There were countless phone calls. No corners were cut. The rigour of that process, and the way Mike very quickly tuned into his vision, impressed Dean. It was also precisely the reason he chose to work with codeWorthy in the first place
In Dean’s words:
“Before coding began, Mike and I spent two months in initial development exploring data structures and future proofing the system for growth. We pored over spreadsheets. There were countless phone calls. No corners were cut. The rigour of that process, and the way Mike very quickly tuned into my vision, impressed me. It was also precisely the reason I chose to work with codeWorthy in the first place”.
THE RESULT
Getting Value With ‘Version 0.1’
LESS EFFORT. LESS STRESS. LESS COST.
Typical of most SaaS products, Dean’s catalogue management system is not yet a fully operational solution. It’s a work in progress and one that’s ever-evolving as technology keeps changing. In the meantime, even though his catalogue management system is operating at only a fraction of his vision, ‘Version 0.1’ has already produced enormous value for Catalog Automation (most noticeably in time savings) and its customers.
- For creatives: reduced production time, better workflow management, the ability to easily revise and update complex page layouts.
- For product managers: single source product information across multiple channels, transparent reporting standards..
- For business owners: cost savings through more efficient production, increased visibility of entire product management and catalogue workflow, sales data analytics and reporting.
As Dean’s customers await new-feature releases, the journey of learning and discovery continues – with the aid of codeWorthy.
About
CodeWorthy is an Australian-based custom software development company. Our mission is to create software to help businesses streamline, simplify and systemise processes, so they can thrive in a complex marketplace.