TORONTO – April 19, 2013 – Visual SKUs, a leading provider of Digital Asset Management software and high-volume still and 360 product photography services, today announced that Visual SKUs DAM software integrates directly with OptiCat, a supplier-owned data cooperative.
Aftermarket manufacturers send product images to numerous customers, electronic catalog and data providers, and data receivers (trading partners) on a regular basis. This process involves formatting product images according to trading partners’ unique requirements, which could include variations in file type, height and width dimensions, dpi, and naming convention. Once images are formatted they are delivered to trading partners via FTP or physical media.
Many of these manufacturers send product images to their trading partners using the OptiCat data repository. This may involve formatting and uploading a separate set of product images for each trading partner to accommodate product assortments and image specifications. Once the images have been received by OptiCat the manufacturer’s trading partners can access the image files for download. This process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive depending on the number of images sets the manufacturer or distributor needs to create and upload.
With Visual SKUs Digital Asset Management software, aftermarket manufacturers create detailed ‘digital asset’ profiles of each of their trading partners including those that use OptiCat. These profiles include a product list, image formatting specifications, and image delivery method and frequency. Visual SKUs DAM formats the images associated with the trading partner’s profile and sends them to OptiCat. This process is fully automated without requiring any human interaction.
“Having the Visual SKUs DAM system integrate directly with OptiCat is a time saver” said Rick Raveau, Catalog Analyst, Continental Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket. “The Visual SKUs DAM system formats product images and sends them directly to OptiCat, thus saving several time consuming steps. As a result, Continental saves on resource time and our images are available faster in the OptiCat repository.”
Todd Campau, Catalog Manager, Gates Corporation said, “We are currently implementing Visual SKUs Digital Asset Management software and are excited about the efficiencies we expect to realize when managing and sharing our digital assets. The news that Visual SKUs DAM integrates directly with OptiCat adds to this excitement.”
“We are pleased to have Visual SKUs DAM integrate directly to OptiCat,” said Bryan Thueson, OptiCat, Vice President, Operations. “Sending product images to OptiCat from Visual SKUs DAM is now totally seamless; this will reduce the time to market for products images significantly benefiting both data creators and receivers.”
About OptiCat, LLC
OptiCat provides the premier supplier-managed data repository, using a do-it-once methodology that includes consolidation, validation and distribution of data to all authorized receivers. Their products have easy to use interfaces with a robust access control system that puts automotive aftermarket catalog teams in the driving seat. OptiCat together with TecDoc also offers vehicle information to access Global Markets. OptiCat is majority-owned by AASA/MEMA and TecDoc Informations System Gmbh. For more information visit www.opticat.net.
