The key to an efficient supply chain in the housing industry? Good and reliable article data. Only when a home improvement shop has correct product information is it possible to make quotations quickly and error-free, convert them into an order at the push of a button and order from the supplier completely digitally. So a streamlined and error-free chain starts at the basis: article data. LogicTrade states that.
© LogicTrade
An old wish, a tough problem
For at least 15 years, this has been a big wish in the home furnishing industry. Yet the reality is stubborn, according to LogicTrade. Despite countless initiatives, real chain optimisation is still not happening. Why does it work in industries like supermarkets, fashion or DIY, but not in the home furnishing sector? According to the software company, the answer is simple: complexity.
'In almost every other industry, every product has a unique SKU or barcode. Think of a bottle of cola or a pot of paint: one item, one barcode. In the home furnishing industry, it is completely different. A 'simple' chair can soon be available in: 100 colours 5 types of legs 3 heights 5 types of armrests That's 7500 variations of one chair model. And this is still a simple product,' says LogicTrade. 'With brands like Leolux, the variations run to well over a million. It is simply not feasible to give each of these variants a unique barcode. This is why in the home furnishing industry, we talk about configurable products - products that only get their exact specification at the moment the customer makes a choice.'
The lack of a standard
For these configurable products, there is no standard for data exchange. This is exactly the reason why chain optimisation in the residential sector is so difficult. LogicTrade has been working intensively on this since its inception. 'We have participated in several initiatives, but each time they failed due to the complexity of the data. Nevertheless, there have been successes.'
The breakthrough
After 15 years of thinking, building, testing and improving, LogicTrade has succeeded. With LogicTrade Live Articles, the company brings supplier article data to the shop in real-time. No more export or import files. No Excel lists or data exchanges. Just: working on the supplier's own data.
What this means in concrete terms:
- The shop sees the supplier's catalogue directly in LogicTrade
- Configurable products are also supported
- Any stock indications are directly visible
- The quotation is based on exact data
- Upon approval, the order is sent fully digital (UBL)
- Whether it's a dining chair, a configured sofa or a customised curtain fabric, everything works.
Too good to be true?
You would think so. But it is reality. And it works. With a team of experienced people from the industry - such as Hendrik Bloemert, Gerjan Konterman, Sven Andriessen, Mark Vedder and Matthijs Zegers - LogicTrade has combined the technical and content expertise to make this possible. 'Because we understand the problem from the inside, we were able to build a solution that really fits the practice.'
With LogicTrade Live Articles, the dream of chain optimisation suddenly comes a lot closer. No more complex data standards, no more unreliable files. But direct cooperation between shop and supplier based on live article data. 'We are convinced: this is the way to future-proof the home furnishing industry.'
Want to know more about how Live articles make your shop processes smarter? Contact LogicTrade or request a demo right away.
More information:
LogicTrade
(088) 240 01 80
info@logictrade.nl
www.logictrade.nl