Yves Verharen
Business Analyst PXM
VML Shelfmaster Connect
Powering End-to-End Product Content Syndication
With The ShelfMaster Connect solution, VML has created a strong foundation of an End-to-End, cloud-agnostic syndication solution for all our clients. Our objective is to give brands a true global syndication capability that is flexible, scalable, and future-ready.
The Challenge for Brands
Marketplaces and retailers are in a race to constantly update their content requirements, putting brands at risk of content delays, errors, and missed sales opportunities if not acted in time. To win on the digital shelf, brands need to have differentiated content, that is easy to create, refresh and syndicate to every shelf.
VML aims to service the end-to-end content processes, regardless of whether we can leverage existing vendor relationships with retailers, content publication through intermediary service providers, or leveraging 3rd party syndication tools.
While many contemporary PXM systems and tools offer syndication solutions for a limited set of marketplaces and retailers, VML’s ShelfMaster Connect is purposely built to complement the overall syndication and merchandising capabilities of brands & retailers.
ShelfMaster Connect Total Solution
The ShelfMaster Connect solution is ready for every digital touchpoint and deployable as a headless cloud solution:
- Touchpoint ready: Connect all channels through the Shelfmaster Connect API
- Serverless: No big upfront technology acquisition cost for expensive servers required, hosting is included
- Low cost of ownership & maintenance: Automated features reduce ongoing maintenance and operational effort.
- Periodic updates: VML stands by for any required updates on the ShelfMaster Connect™️ solution or periodic support on custom-made connections (fees may apply)
Shelfmaster Connect in action: Bol Marketplace
While Shelfmaster Connect works with any PXM partner such as Salsify, Syndigo, Informatica or Akeneo, for this project Salsify was selected as the PXM vendor and a direct connection was created for product content publications to Bol. This would give brands that publish to Bol the following benefits:
- Take back control over your content: Manage product data efficiently in one central system and prepare & publish it directly through ShelfMaster Connect to Bol according to latest schema requirements
- Shorten Go-to-Market time: No need for manual uploading, changes in schema and updates with direct content updates to Bol
- Better online content: Fast feedback on syndication errors and leveraging Salsify’s data validation & transformation capabilities that support in creating complete and relevant product content to win on the marketplace’s digital shelf
The solution assembles the product data model and API requirements from Bol and the leverages technical capabilities from Salsify and Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructures, so that brands can deliver product content and do offer creation in Bol.
Where to use the ShelfMaster Connect offering
VML is expanding the focus of the ShelfMaster Connect solution to following key EMEA markets and players. Reach out to VML if you require a direct connection to key retailers and marketplaces in EMEA, including:
- Germany – Zalando, About You, OTTO, Kaufland.de, MediaMarkt
- Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Croatia
- Additional global marketplaces and retailers
