{"id":14782,"date":"2025-06-04T10:25:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T08:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.atamya.com\/?p=14782"},"modified":"2025-11-14T16:39:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T15:39:12","slug":"data-onboarding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atamya.com\/en\/blog\/data-onboarding\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes Good Data Onboarding Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Where product data (and its onboarding) really begins<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sooner or later, PIM<\/a> users encounter a frequently underestimated topic: data onboarding<\/strong>. This term refers to importing external data into one\u2019s own systems \u2013 for example, into an ATAMYA<\/a> instance. Depending on the context, it\u2019s also called \u201csupplier data onboarding\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Merchants and wholesalers typically receive product data from various sources such as manufacturers, suppliers, or data pools. Each data supplier manages their data differently \u2014 some use Excel spreadsheets, others use a PIM. In addition, there are many data exchange formats like CSV, XLSX, XML, JSON, and data standards such as BMEcat or ETIM xChange.<\/p>\n

What works for the individual supplier often poses challenges for the data recipient. So, how can different datasets be consistently and accurately imported into ATAMYA serving as the central platform for managing structured product information? The answer lies in a clearly structured, efficient data onboarding process supported by middleware acting as a \u201ctranslator\u201d between data supplier and recipient.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This article explores why data onboarding is more just than a technical necessity, and how to optimize it within your product data management.<\/p>\n

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The role of data onboarding in the product data chain<\/span><\/h3>\n

Admittedly, data onboarding isn\u2019t exactly a hot topic for small talk. But why is this part of product data management often treated as secondary? Data onboarding is often dismissed as a minor preliminary step before PIM maintenance. However, considering the entire product data journey \u2014 from creation to presentation and marketing \u2014 data onboarding actually plays a crucial role throughout the content supply chain, from manufacturer to end user.<\/p>\n

However, when you consider the entire journey that product data takes from its initial creation to the final product presentation and marketing, this assessment is put into perspective. It quickly becomes clear that data onboarding actually plays a key role along the entire “content supply chain”<\/strong>. This refers to the complete flow of data from the manufacturer to the retailer and finally to the customer or end user.<\/p>\n

One reason is the quality assurance function of data onboarding: it ensures that low-quality external data can\u2019t even be imported into internal systems and cause further issues. The reality is: product data management processes in a PIM are only as effective as the quality of the data they rely on.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The takeaway: Those who import high-quality, standardized, and clean data into their PIM system lay the foundation for automated workflows, omnichannel syndication, and sustainable data quality \u2013 within the PIM and beyond. Product visibility in search engines, online shops, and marketplaces depends heavily on the freshness, completeness, clarity, and overall presentation quality of products. Essentially, high quality product data helps reduce return rates and increase sales potential.<\/p>\n

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The PIM as the central hub for internal and external product data<\/span><\/h3>\n

The need for high-quality product data in the context of data onboarding is closely tied to the very nature of PIM systems. Systems like ATAYMA serve as what is known as a \u201cSingle Point of Truth\u201d<\/strong> (SPOT) \u2013 a central and consistent source of product information. A cross-departmental use of the PIM also helps prevent the formation of data silos \u2013 isolated, disconnected datasets that may contain inconsistent information about the same products. In short: where data silos exist, confusion follows.<\/strong> And PIM systems are designed to prevent exactly that.<\/p>\n

Everyone accesses the same centralized data pool, ensuring a uniform and reliable data foundation across the company. Product manufacturers can create data for new items directly in their own manufacturer PIM system. Wholesalers then receive this data and import it into their own PIM environment. Once stored in the system, the data can be continuously updated, enriched, and published. Sales and marketing teams, for example, use PIM data to create compelling product descriptions and promotional campaigns. However, this requires active data management: all product data must be kept up to date, complete, and informative at all times.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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How does external product data get seamlessly imported into your ATAMYA system?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The key question is: How can different external product data be consistently and efficiently imported into ATAMYA? To achieve this, companies often rely on intermediary software solutions<\/strong> \u2013 so-called \u201cmiddleware\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

These specialized supplier management tools (e.g. in the form of a supplier portal) enable distributors to define clear specifications for how they accept product data deliveries. Each supplier can align their data with the required data structure (e.g. the field structure in ATAMYA). This can be achieved using a data mapping process that matches the supplier\u2019s source fields to the defined target format.<\/p>\n

Versatile data onboarding software also allows distributors to configure how supplier roles are managed \u2013 whether suppliers are permitted to manage their data themselves, whether the distributor takes over this task on behalf of the supplier, or whether a hybrid role is preferred.<\/p>\n

Before supplier data is transferred into the ATAMYA system via interface integration, middleware users can set up and manage various data management processes, including the<\/p>\n