KAFKAS reduces manual workloads by 50%, centralizes 460,000+ products, and boosts data accuracy

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At a glance:

• Industrial
• B2B2C
• Enterprise
• Paiania, Greece

50%

Efficiency saving

460,000+

SKUs

$111.4M

Revenue

Summary

KAFKAS, a leading electrical and energy solutions provider in Greece and Cyprus, modernized its product data management with Inriver PIM, cutting manual workloads by 50% and centralizing more than 460,000 products into one unified system.

Previously, KAFKAS relied on fragmented processes and manual catalog updates that slowed operations and created inconsistencies across online and offline channels. By integrating Inriver with SAP S/4HANA through partner Ctac, the company automated data validation, accelerated product launches, and improved collaboration across every sales and supplier channel.

Outcomes: 

• Centralized 460,000+ products in a single PIM platform
• Reduced manual workloads by 50% through automation
• Integrated seamlessly with SAP S/4HANA

The challenge

Before partnering with Ctac and Inriver, KAFKAS encountered several critical challenges in its product data management:

• Managing an extensive and growing product range: KAFKAS handled over 400,000 products, with a rapidly increasing number of “long-tail” items, making data management increasingly complex.
• Inefficient manual processes: Existing methods for handling product data were cumbersome and resource-intensive, highlighting a need for a more streamlined and scalable approach. KAFKAS relied on “heavily customized ERP systems and manual processes to handle product data.”
• Maintaining a “Clean Core” ERP: KAFKAS aimed to shift product data management functions out of their SAP ERP system to keep the core system clean and implement a dedicated PIM system.
• Lack of data standardization: There was a recognized need to standardize product specifications to ensure a common language among all stakeholders, including ETIM, suppliers, wholesalers, and customers. KAFKAS aimed to follow the ETIM standard, an international classification standard for technical product specifications.

The solution

KAFKAS chose to implement the Inriver PIM solution and partnered with Ctac, leveraging their expertise in ETIM, PIM, and SAP integrations.

Inriver is a leading SaaS-based Product Information Management (PIM) platform designed to help companies create, manage, and distribute product information across channels quickly and efficiently. It provides a single, centralized hub for all product data, enabling collaborative workflows, automated data enrichment, and easy syndication to internal systems, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, and print. For manufacturers, distributors, and retailers like KAFKAS, Inriver offers advanced capabilities for managing massive product catalogs and ensuring accurate, consistent product information across the entire value chain.

The solution involved a seamless integration between Inriver PIM and SAP S/4HANA using a smart, standardized connector.

The implementation process included:

• KAFKAS initially replaced their pre-PIM SAP ERP system with SAP S/4HANA RISE, with IBM handling the initial S/4HANA implementation.
• Ctac then executed the crucial step of moving product data management functions into the Inriver PIM system.
• Inriver’s flexible data modeling allowed KAFKAS to structure and categorize product data precisely as needed, including support for ETIM standards and other taxonomies relevant to electrical products and technical goods.
• The Inriver PIM system was configured to adhere to the ETIM standard, ensuring a consistent data language across the ecosystem.

The results

The integration of Inriver PIM and SAP S/4HANA yielded significant and measurable benefits for KAFKAS:

• Centralized single source of truth: Inriver now acts as KAFKAS’s single source of truth for all product data, reducing duplication and inconsistencies across systems and channels.
• Automated product data updates: 90% to 95% of product information is now automatically updated via a single data pool integration.
• Seamless data synchronization: Product data is automatically synchronized between Inriver PIM and SAP S/4HANA, achieving 100% fully seamless integration. This was achieved through a “specially developed, standardized Inriver PIM/SAP connector.”
• Reduced manual workload: The manual workload for product creation, encompassing marketing, logistics, purchasing, and sales organization data, has been significantly reduced, leading to fewer errors.
• Enhanced product accessibility: KAFKAS now efficiently manages over 400,000 regular products and over 900,000 long-tail products directly via the PIM system. This real-time availability of over 900,000 long-tail products has sped up quoting processes.
• Standardized communication: The adoption of the ETIM standard ensures that all parties—suppliers, wholesalers, and customers—”speak the same language” when discussing product data, improving clarity and reducing ambiguity.

Inriver in partnership with CTAC and KAFKAS

This successful implementation highlights the power of a strategic partnership for comprehensive digital transformation. Ctac provided more than just technical integration; they offered strategic guidance that considered the entire product data chain.

Inriver’s modular architecture and user-friendly interface allowed KAFKAS teams to quickly adopt new processes and manage complex data relationships without requiring deep technical expertise. The platform’s out-of-the-box connectors and flexible APIs simplified the integration with SAP S/4HANA and other business systems.

“The standardized connection between Inriver PIM and SAP S/4HANA that we implemented for KAFKAS serves as a solid blueprint. We can use this as a foundation for future projects.”

– Christ Nikolos Platis

Director at KAFKAS

The collaboration further involved Ctac acting as an intermediary between KAFKAS and the platform providers, enabling faster and more efficient decision-making and providing a clear point of contact throughout the entire process.

The standardized connection between Inriver PIM and SAP S/4HANA established by Ctac serves as a “solid blueprint” for KAFKAS’s future projects, providing a robust foundation for continued growth and innovation. This partnership has positioned KAFKAS to maintain its market leadership with a highly efficient and accurate product data management system.

Inriver and KAFKAS

Inriver has provided KAFKAS with a powerful, future-ready platform that transforms how product information is handled, enabling operational efficiency, market responsiveness, and improved customer experiences.