“In today’s world of interconnectivity, DATA is KING and that is why we partnered with PDM” interview with PDM’s newest automotive aftermarket partner – Data-Driver
Data-Driver is one of PDM Automotive newest electronic catalog partners. Paige Johan, Principal Data Manager, has spent the last couple of years in search of the perfect automotive product data management platform to power her company’s already robust electronic catalog solutions. PDM helps Data-Driver achieve their goals. With the ability to provide an ACES & PIES platform, easy to use interface and digital asset management, PDM offers a solution for their most complex needs.
I asked Paige to share her product data management journey and her experience as a data solution partner with PDM Automotive.
Laurel Dasher (LD) #1: How did you hear about PDM?
Paige: At Data-Driver, we love to network at industry events, that’s how we meet new people and find the latest and greatest automotive data technology advancements. That’s how we met, PDM founder, Johannes Crepon, at the Automotive Content Professional’s Network (ACPN) annual conference, where he was presenting the 2019 ACPN ACES & PIES Data Excellence Award.
After spending time talking to Johannes, you can immediately understand why ACPN asked him if PDM would be the volunteer judging partner for ACPN’s ACES & PIES Data Excellence awards. Johannes understands that technology helps to drive good data. The PDM platform is perfect to assist the ACPN judges with the scoring criteria.
LD #2: How did you manage your electronic catalog data previously? What were your challenges?
Paige: Over the last couple of years we have worked with two other data companies and they were unable to provide the technology that PDM offers. We wanted to be able to provide our customers with access to their data, PDM’s cloud-based solution for our product data management is a powerful tool, ensuring we have access to real-time information 24/7 and 365 days a year.
We also had challenges with validation issues not being identified and developers were not able to fix the issues in a timely manner. PDM’s Quality Validation Tool allows us to configure our validations, run and export reports to improve the overall quality of our customer’s product data.
LD #3: Switching data solution providers can be a difficult decision. What helped you decide to choose PDM to power your data?
Paige: After we took PDM for a test-run last year, we provided Johannes a review of the platform, including some suggestions on how he could make the platform more user friendly and features/tools we would REQUIRE as service providers. We were incredibly happy to find that most everything on the list was addressed in stellar fashion. We need a data provider that provides excellent customer service and quick solutions, PDM met this goal and the Data-Driver team unanimously agreed that PDM is the right choice for the company.
LD #4: How has working with PDM helped you achieve your goals?
Paige: When we decided to transition to a cloud-based platform, we wanted to develop a partnership with our product data solution provider, and work as a team to help make the partner’s platform the automotive industry’s preferred platform, especially with the use of ACES & PIES industry standards, PDM is the perfect partner to achieve our goals.
LD #5: Now that you have been using the PDM product data platform what have been some of the most useful tools?
Paige:
- ACES data building tool/feature – The ability to see every available option without having to switch windows.
- Private Label tool/option – This is incredibly valuable for our customers who white-box for their customers.
- Ability to easily link digital assets to external URLs since we host most of our customers’ digital assets on our own site.
LD #6: How have you benefited from the PDM platform?
Paige: Working with PDM has been a continuous evolution of improved data management solutions. Together we are working on a few exciting new tools and features that we think will benefit all PDM users. Additionally, PDM’s validation tools have made it extremely easy for us to identify errors, overlaps, and missing data and correct it.
LD #7: How has PDM helped you to improve your customer’s electronic cataloging needs?
Paige: With PDM’s User Management feature, we can now provide our customers with 24/7 viewing access to all their catalog data, including data that is in development and has not been published to the receiver database. With our previous data partners, we could not provide our customers with access to their data in development, without granting them editing access to their data.
LD #8: Anything else you would like to share about your experience with the PDM Platform and/or the PDM team?
Paige: Every question, concern, or comment we have had for the PDM team has been responded to/addressed very quickly, which we really appreciate.
About Data-Driver:
In today’s world of interconnectivity, DATA is KING. It is more important than ever that companies provide the public with complete and accurate information on the products they sell. If a customer cannot find the information on a product from one company, they will go to the company that does provide that information.
Data-Driver was created to provide automotive aftermarket companies with a reliable resource that could fill any of their electronic cataloging needs at any time; from short-term assistance to the occasional auditing/cleaning, or ongoing complete catalog management, Data-Driver offers it all.
Data-Driver’s most popular services include complete catalog development, Amazon ACES submission (preferred ACES provider), attributes audit, overlap cleanup, research, custom database development, and our monthly maintenance services which include monthly revalidations, digital asset hosting, and data distribution. For more information about Data-Driver please visit our Partners page.
