Workflow and automatic layout templates for Alì Supermarkets

Alì S.p.A. or Alì Supermercati is an Italian supermarkets, hypermarkets and shopping centres chain, operating under the brands of Alì and Alìper in Veneto and Emilia Romagna regions.

CHALLENGE

Promotional flyers are still the most powerful marketing tool for large-scale retail trade and the consumer and are a bulletin of the opportunities of the moment. The fortnightly production of the Promotional Actions requires the security of the data and certain times of realisation. In order to fulfil these needs, four requirements are necessary:

1. A shared platform on which more people can work online
2. A well-structured workflow with processing, control and approval steps
3. An updated database of images with correct data
4. An automatic page imposition tool

SOLUTION

To satisfy Alì’s requirements, eTEAM has been configured, with its modules DAM, PIM and DMS. It has been integrated with the company's mainframe. Actually about 50 people as marketing staff and buyers have access to the platform.

During the project implementation, after a careful analysis, a workflow for processing Promotional Actions has been configured:

1. In eTEAM, from the mainframe, the data of the offers, with sometimes partial descriptions and part of the images, are updated
2. eTEAM creates or updates the product sheets and generates the publication of the offer. Afterwards Excel files are extracted for the control and the processing of the offer by data manager, using scripts/macro and the completion of correct reports and texts
3. The offer is re-uploaded in eTEAM and the graphic operator checks that the images are all current, notifying Ali of any inconsistencies or missing. Once solved these deficiencies he proceeds with the pagination
4. eTEAM, through the automatic pagination system, provide the graphic operator with a layout in which all the title blocks are present, with correct images and prices. The graphic operator completes the pages in accordance with the provisions and uploads the layout on eTEAM for the internal control
5. After verification the pages are checked by the marketing staff and the relevant buyers of Ali, and eventual amends are sent to the graphic operator
6. The graphic operator executes the request amends, re-proposes the layout for the internal control and after this is checked again by Ali for the final approval
7. When all the pages are approved the final PDF file is shared with the printer

When the printing flow is complete, it starts the processing for the WEB: images and PDFs in low resolution are generated and other required elements that Ali can use on its digital platforms.

Since the startup phase 90,000 images have been loaded and there are currently 30,000 images in use.

RESULTS

• The creation of a product database, enriched with the correct marketing content and a constantly updated image bank, leads to a considerable time saving.  Cost for shooting and colour correction of the product are strongly reduced
• The errors (of price, description...) are drastically cancelled, due to the double control steps and because there is no data manipulation by the graphic operator. Usually this exchange of information is carried out by phone or email, generating misunderstandings and copy/paste errors. With eTEAM the graphic designer has only to focus on the graphic aspect and the pleasantness of the page
• The multimedia channel output produced by eTEAM, allows the costs optimization, both for paper and WEB

MARKET / Retail, GDO