In the case of most medium-sized businesses and almost every enterprise project, it’s a challenge to manage all of the content flawlessly. Most of the current eCommerce platforms are capable of storing basic information about the products and using them as a data source. Nonetheless, it rarely meets the needs and expectations of the aforementioned businesses.
In such cases, Product Information Management (PIM) software can save the day (and the project). One of them is Ergonode, which we are happy to introduce to you today. First, let’s see how it all started…
About Ergonode
The idea behind Ergonode‘s creation was to develop a PIM with aspects that revolve around „human-centric design.” Due to that fact, Ergonode is simple, ergonomic, and efficient. In other words, designed for people.
At the start, Ergonode was developed by a small team of developers, which gradually grew over time. Then, Ergonode was further developed and tested internally for about two years. Initially, it was an open-source product, so it had many open-source interactions and external contributions. At the end of 2021, Ergonode became an independent company which coincided with the investment in Ergonode by Marcin Grzymkowski as the result of searching for a PIM for his new project.
From this moment, work on Ergonode picked up the pace, and the development of the commercial part of the team and partner network started. Also, Ergonode changed its business model from open-source to cloud product. There is also a self-hosted option, which means that a client has access to the framework; nonetheless, there is no access to the product’s core, like in the case of the on-premise model. Simply speaking, there is room for customization but in a little bit different architectural framework.
Development plans for Ergonode
Ergonode’s roadmap is divided into two parts. The first part refers to the product itself and its development. Ergonode’s team is currently working on things like Access Control List (ACL), AI functionalities, and various integrations, which will be launched along with other systems. What’s more, the goal for the end of 2022 and the following years is to introduce an Advanced XML/CSV exporter and Advanced XML/CSV importer, an integrations app for web-to-print solutions, and many more.
Here is the full list of what Egonode’s team is currently working on >>
Speaking of the organizational part, the aim is to acquire new clients and new partners due to the team’s growth. Currently, there are 26 partners, including, for example, Shopware, in which Ergonode is a tested solution (check official integration).
It is crucial to develop a partnership network as their help in implementing this product to clients’ projects is vital. Moreover, Ergonode put a strong focus on globalization by opening to the American, Benelux, and Asia Pacific markets in the future.
When and for whom is Ergonode most useful?
First of all, Ergonode is great for companies that operate in sectors where detailed product descriptions, attributes, and parameters are essential, e.g., fashion, retail, or home deco.
Secondly, this PIM software is very useful when many people are responsible for content management. In each platform, product management is possible; however, when using PIM, it is very simplified. If the company and team grow, the need and necessity for accurate product management and descriptions increases.
Additionally, PIM is very useful for managing several platforms at once, as it gathers all the important information in one place.
When is Ergonode not advisable?
A product information management system like Ergonode is not advisable in the case of small-scale eCommerce businesses, especially when it’s run by one person. Then, PIM can complicate the information management process.
Another example of when there is no need for advanced PIM tools is a product base that rarely or never is changed or when types of products are excluded from discounts and the price is fixed.
Ergonode implementation
This process depends on the project’s size and the client’s approach. Usually, a partner is present during the implementation, for example, a given agency that does the client’s eCommerce. In such cases, Ergonode is rather in the role of support than in a role of a leader in the implementation. It also happens that clients want to handle the implementation themselves, and Ergonode acts in an advisory role.
- The implementation starts with the workshop session concerning the assortment, where Ergonode is involved as well as the client’s partner and client’s team. They discuss the database structure in Ergonode, what assortment, product groups, and attributes a client has, and Ergonode’s team to put it all together and come out with a created idea of how the customer’s product groups will be reflected in this system.
- Ergonode’s team, in this phase, also comes up with ideas based on experience, and a first draft is created of how Ergonode should be configured; for example, attribute groups, what people are working with the content, or how the product sections are divided.
These workshops are also a great time to rethink the structure of the products which may have caused problems in the past and fix them. At the end of implementation, planned integrations and customizations are discussed.
Why is Ergonode a great fit for BitBag customers?
In the case of mid-sized businesses and enterprise projects on Sylius, Ergonode works very well as a place where products and their descriptions can be managed as well as their language versions.
In the case of Shopware, the tendency is rather shifted towards Enterprise clients where needs are much higher than Shopware basic PIM can provide. Nonetheless, if the client uses various marketplaces or has other places where these products are displayed, Ergonode is the ideal place that collects all this information and allows you to easily manage them.
In the future, Ergonode will be especially useful both for Sylius and Shopware customers with its AI functionalities like automatic description creation and many more. If you think this solution is an excellent choice for your business, contact us, and we will discuss the possibilities.