Snug
Digital Transformation
Client Overview
Snug, a trailblazer in modular furniture design, sought to modernize its operations by re-platforming from Squarespace to Shopify Plus, alongside implementing a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, a Product Information Management (PIM) system, and a robust Stock Management system. This transformation aimed to streamline content, product data, and inventory management, while also enhancing the scalability and flexibility offered by Shopify Plus.
The Project
In 2020, Snug embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation project. This included re-platforming their website from Squarespace to Shopify Plus, centralizing the management of digital assets, product information, and stock levels. The shift to Shopify Plus was essential in providing Snug with the enhanced functionality and scalability needed for future growth.
The Challenge
- Product data was fragmented across multiple systems, causing frequent inconsistencies and delays.
- Managing digital assets like images and videos was labor-intensive, delaying marketing campaigns and product launches.
- Snug's modular product catalogue required flexible and adaptable data structures to efficiently manage multiple configurations.
- The re-platforming process introduced new challenges related to migrating data, customizing templates, and optimizing the Shopify Plus platform for Snug's unique needs.
- The lack of centralized systems hindered cross-team collaboration, leading to delays and inefficiencies in bringing products to market.
Research & Planning
I conducted extensive stakeholder interviews across marketing, sales, product, and inventory management teams to uncover pain points and areas for improvement. The key insights included:
- Teams were spending up to 40% of their time managing fragmented product data and assets.
- Product descriptions, images, and specifications were inconsistent across channels, leading to customer confusion.
- The modular nature of Snug’s products made managing stock levels more complex, with frequent stock discrepancies.
- Re-platforming required careful data migration, ensuring that all product, customer, and order data was seamlessly transferred to Shopify Plus without disrupting ongoing business operations.
- Collaboration across departments was strained due to the lack of centralized systems and real-time access to product information.
What is a Modular Catalogue?
A modular catalogue is a product system where individual components can be combined in different ways to create customized configurations. For Snug, this meant offering customers the ability to select individual parts of furniture (e.g., arms, seats, backrests) and combine them into a final product. The significance of managing a modular catalogue is the complexity it introduces in stock management and product data. Each component must be tracked individually, and stock levels must dynamically update based on the availability of parts rather than finished products, requiring a flexible and robust system to avoid discrepancies and fulfill customer orders accurately.
Designing the Solution
Based on the research, I devised a strategy to implement a PIM, DAM, and Stock Management system to resolve the identified challenges while also ensuring a smooth transition to Shopify Plus.
Re-platforming to Shopify Plus
Moving from Squarespace to Shopify Plus allowed Snug to take advantage of enhanced eCommerce capabilities, scalability, and integrations. This transition required careful data migration, customization of templates, and the development of new workflows to ensure the Shopify Plus platform met Snug's operational needs. Shopify Plus' advanced features, such as automation tools, multi-channel selling, and personalized customer experiences, played a pivotal role in the success of the digital transformation.
Implementing the PIM System
The PIM system was configured to centralize all product data, ensuring accuracy and consistency across Snug’s multiple sales and marketing channels. The system allowed teams to update product information in real-time, improving efficiency and reducing errors.
Implementing the DAM System
The DAM system served as a centralized repository for all digital assets, streamlining the management of Snug’s images, videos, and other media across marketing, eCommerce, and sales teams.
Introducing the Stock Management System
A custom stock management system was developed to better handle the complexities of Snug's modular furniture range. The system provided real-time visibility of stock levels across multiple configurations, reducing stock discrepancies and improving inventory accuracy.
Results
- A 25% increase in marketing campaign efficiency due to quicker access to digital assets.
- Improved consistency in product descriptions and images, leading to a 20% reduction in customer service inquiries related to incorrect product information.
- A 30% reduction in time spent managing product information, allowing teams to focus on innovation and strategic projects.
- Enhanced collaboration between teams, resulting in faster product launches and improved time-to-market.
- A 20% reduction in stock discrepancies, leading to faster fulfillment and improved customer satisfaction.
- A 15% increase in conversion rates following the re-platforming to Shopify Plus, driven by an improved user experience and enhanced operational capabilities.
Conclusion
A custom stock management system was developed to better handle the complexities of Snug's modular furniture range. Snug's modular catalogue posed unique challenges, as individual components could be combined into multiple configurations, making inventory tracking and stock control difficult. The new system was designed to account for these configurations by dynamically updating stock levels based on component availability rather than just finished products.
The system provided real-time visibility of stock levels across all modular components, ensuring that any combination of products could be accurately tracked. This allowed the team to maintain more accurate stock forecasts, prevent over- or under-ordering, and quickly identify stock discrepancies before they impacted customer orders.
"Pierre is a rare talent who excels not only in User Experience design but also in driving digital transformation initiatives. I’ve had the pleasure of working with him across multiple projects where his deep understanding of UX seamlessly integrated with broader digital strategies."
Pratik Parekh / Snug
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