From spreadsheets to a modern PIM. Huge time savings.
The decision to implement Akeneo was driven by the need to organize the product database, which had previously been managed through spreadsheets. The client needed greater control over product data, automation of internal processes, and a significant reduction in the manual work required to create and update product information.
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clientMerida Polska sp. z o.o.
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addressmerida-bikes.com/pl-pl
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projectPIM implementation
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industrysport
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technologyAkeneo PIM
times faster product management
people in the Satisfly team
% of product data completed
Client
Merida is one of the oldest and most recognized bicycle manufacturers in the world and in Poland. With over 50 years of history, the brand is known for its achievements, innovative technologies, and collaborations with cycling champions.
Project goal
The main challenge was to analyze the complex structure of storing product information in spreadsheets and, together with the Product Owner, translate it into a product structure and functional layout in Akeneo PIM — all to streamline business processes.
The project began with a pre-implementation analysis during which we gathered all necessary project requirements. After this two-month phase, we built the Akeneo architecture and imported the product database.
We then moved on to the implementation phase, which lasted eight months and stayed within the client’s planned budget. The project team included a Project Manager/Analyst, a Frontend Developer for Akeneo, and three Backend Developers working in rotation to maintain a steady pace.
We imported products into Akeneo and categorized them by appropriate: categories, channels, attribute groups, attributes, families, and family variants.
We designed and implemented a custom export file profile — a feature allowing generation of a personalized export file from Akeneo that meets Merida’s business requirements. The file includes all product information stored in the system.
We also developed and implemented a changelog validation feature. It enables an administrator to review and approve all product data edits made by users — providing full control over the data’s consistency and correctness.
We added a feature to generate CSV file download links. It allows the export file to be shared externally through a public URL.
Additionally, we implemented automatic generation of public image URLs for all images added to Akeneo.
Finally, we introduced a product rollout status attribute. It allows users to mark the current rollout phase of a given product in the store.
Tangible outcomes
Radical work optimization
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Structured data
Akeneo PIM enabled Merida to organize its product data input – it is now structured and consistent. Managing large datasets has become easier, faster, and more transparent. Additional features made it possible to synchronize with current systems without having to rebuild the entire infrastructure and internal processes.
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Significant time savings
Product data entry accelerated dramatically – from around two to three months down to just one day. Simply: “click save and it’s everywhere it needs to be.” Transferring data or building catalogs also sped up – from one to three weeks down to just a few days for base files.
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Concrete results
The number of errors in product data dropped to nearly zero. Meanwhile, the percentage of completed product data increased from around 70% to 95% (the remaining 5% includes products still waiting for supplier data).
Everything was delivered as it should be – on time and within budget. Minor inconsistencies did appear, but that’s to be expected in any implementation or even in day-to-day operations. To sum it up: 100% quality, 100% cooperation, 100% communication, 100% transparency, 1% bugs (fixed immediately).
Piotr Celej, Product Owner @Merida
