What's in a Name? The Headache of Harmonising Product Attributes Across the Supply Chain

As if navigating the data format minefield wasn't enough, vendors also face the challenge of aligning their product attribute nomenclature with the requirements of their retail and wholesale customers.

What one company calls a "size," another may refer to as a "dimension." And the headaches don't stop there - even within a single customer's organisation, there may be inconsistent use of attribute names and formats.

This lack of standardisation across the supply chain creates significant inefficiencies and frustrations for vendors. Onboarding new products or updating existing ones becomes an exercise in translation, as vendors must carefully map their internal attribute names and structures to match those used by each individual customer.

Imagine a vendor with a product that has a "length," "width," and "height" attribute. One retailer may want this information provided as individual fields, while another demands a combined "dimensions" attribute. And let's not forget the customer who insists on using arcane abbreviations like "Lg" instead of the more common "Large." Keeping track of these nuanced requirements is a Sisyphean task.

Beyond the initial onboarding hurdles, the challenge of harmonising attributes also impacts vendors' ability to maintain accurate and up-to-date product information across their sales channels. Slight changes to attribute names or formats at the customer level can quickly lead to data discrepancies, making it difficult for vendors to ensure the consistency and accuracy of their product listings.

The solution lies in a centralised product data management platform that can normalise attribute naming conventions and formats across the vendor-retailer ecosystem.

VendorSauce, for example, allows vendors to define their own attribute structures and then map them to the specific requirements of each customer. This ensures that product data is consistently represented, regardless of the idiosyncrasies of individual sales channels.

By eliminating the headache of harmonising product attributes, vendors can focus their efforts on more strategic initiatives, such as enhancing their product offerings and delivering exceptional customer experiences.