Choosing the right catalogue automation tool for your business

Businesses that embrace catalogue automation are ahead of the curve, achieving greater accuracy, faster responsiveness to stock changes, and stronger retailer relationships. Rightly so, you want to be one of these forward-thinking businesses. But how do you decide on the right automation solution for your needs?

This blog explores the use of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) technologies and how to make the right choice for your business needs.

Your business may already use data automation tools to simplify some internal workflows and administration. However, when it comes to managing product catalogue data, many still rely on manual updates – rekeying data into spreadsheets or emails for each retail partner.

Typically, without an integrated catalogue automation tool, your team is bogged down with the mammoth task of data entry, ensuring product information is distributed accurately to all retail partners. This approach is error-prone and drains resources. Thankfully, there is a significant opportunity to remove inefficient manual tasks from your team’s workload.

Implementing an automated system to manage catalogue data distribution optimises revenue generation. These solutions ensure that all product information is distributed across the retail network accurately and in real-time. It means that any orders can be fulfilled without delay, and therefore, supplier-retailer relationships can be strengthened. For example, a manufacturer with this technology can automatically update product names, descriptions, SKUs, minimum order quantities, and unit price etc., specifically tailored for each retail channel. Therefore, any variations in this data between a wholesaler, reseller, or ecommerce channel can also be managed and distributed automatically. It removes the need for repetitive data entry and ensures every trading partner receives timely, tailored updates.

When comparing different digital catalogue management systems, it is important to understand the technology underpinning the solution to make an informed decision for your business.

Below, we explain the two main technologies for automating product data distribution and their specific use cases:

At the most basic level, EDI is a B2B technology which facilitates the exchange of messages between trading businesses (e.g. supplier and buyer). It extracts the required data from a company’s system, standardises the format and sends it via a secure network to the recipient party.

APIs are a type of technology used to create integrated links between differing systems and business entities. This means that data inputs in one internal business system are populated instantly within another. This technology can be implemented across most business applications, e.g. ERPs and Accounting software platforms, as well as product catalogues.

When considering which method is the best approach to automate your digital product catalogues there are some key indicators;

At Transalis, we have worked with clients to automate the distribution of product catalogue data across their networks. We have experience in both EDI and API setups. Below are some examples of solutions we have implemented:

Before: A global electronics manufacturer frequently struggled with pricing changes and stock updates across its vast retail network. Pricing errors went unnoticed, and out-of-stock items remained listed online due to the manual management of product catalogues. This led to frustrated customers unable to purchase products and retailers struggling with inaccurate stock information. As a result, the company faced lost sales and damaged relationships with key retail partners.

After: The manufacturer benefited from real-time updates thanks to an API integration. This ensured that retailers always had accurate pricing and stock levels. The solution reduced stock discrepancies by 40%, restored retailer trust, and improved the customer buying experience.

Before: A pet product supplier selling through major retailers and eCommerce platforms found its team spending hours every day manually updating product details and stock levels. These inefficient processes led to frequent delays, inconsistent pricing, and miscommunication with retail partners. With each pricing mistake or outdated stock count, the company faced customer complaints and lost revenue.

After: In this case, Transalis recommended and implemented an EDI-based solution. As a result, the supplier cut manual processing time by 80%, which freed up valuable team resources. The company saved over £45,000 annually and achieved a 2.5X Return On Investment (ROI). This catalogue automation tool also ensured retailers always had up-to-date product information, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.