Product Data Quality highlighted as key concern at Ovum conference

Stibo Systems and Datactics expose ‘spreadsheet slavery’ as a major challenge

Businesses and IT teams still lack confidence in the quality of their product information, and many still rely on manual systems and spreadsheets to manage product data. This is according to a recent keynote presentation given by Stibo Systems and Datactics at the Data Quality and Integration strategy briefing, hosted by analyst firm Ovum in central London.

The event attracted over 100 attendees from the data management industry across the UK. In addition to the presentation from Stibo Systems, Ovum senior analyst Sarah Burnett addressed the importance of planning a strategy for data quality and integration.

“Research has revealed that 44 percent of companies use spreadsheets to manage and share product data, and 78 percent of firms have more than five business systems containing product data,” said Simon Walker, director of product management at Stibo Systems, who gave the presentation at the event. “That’s an impossible amount of information to manage successfully using manual efforts.”

“All too often we see examples of poorly managed data and its impact on revenues and customer service – no one wants a high-profile product return story. Businesses must take responsibility to ensure data is adaptable to changing company needs and build data quality into their overall product information management (PIM) and master data management (MDM) strategy,” Walker continued.

About Stibo Systems
Stibo Systems helps companies of all sizes streamline multichannel marketing efforts, improve time to market, enhance partner collaboration, create efficiencies throughout their information supply chain and comply with complex regulatory requirements by providing software solutions to gather, manage, publish and share product information and digital assets. With global operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, India and Singapore, it is part of the privately held Stibo A/S group of companies.

Stibo Systems customers include GE, Sony, Siemens, Fujitsu, Sears, Harbor Freight Tools, Mothercare, Premier Farnell, Millipore, Conrad Electronic, RS Components, MSC Industrial Supply Company, Patterson Companies, Thomas Cook, Henry Schein, Figleaves.com and many others.