With two stores, two professional workshops, and two rental departments, control is important at Bike Totaal Jan de Jonge Fietsen. Both stores are well-automated, with product information playing a crucial role for both offline and online usage.
“Our two stores are located in Zeeland. This means we experience enormous seasonal peaks,” explains owner Marco Kristallijn. “Even then, you want everything to run as smoothly as possible. Regarding product data, this specifically means we do not have to look up descriptions, that our webshop is current, and that we have a current price for all products. DST plays an important role in this, although it may not always be visible. It is simply there.”
DST: both a standard and a conduit
On one hand, DST is a standard: an agreement on how products are described. Black is black and an inner tube is an inner tube. On the other hand, DST is a digital ‘conduit’ where suppliers distribute their data via a central point to the point-of-sale system providers, and thus to the end user. DST is therefore an agreement on how this is done and with which technology. Marco Kristallijn: “This allows us to manage our stock well and very easily generate restock suggestions. Stockouts or having to say ‘no’ to customers is thus minimized.”
Fast and reliable scanning
The product data is provided to DST by suppliers in a unified manner. Retailers can access this via point-of-sale systems. “Because most products are in the system, we can scan and process transactions quickly. It is so common that it is not even noticed anymore,” says Marco Kristallijn enthusiastically. “It is only when you deal with an OEM product or a new product that has not yet been entered by the supplier that you notice what you are missing.” The DST product data also forms the basis for the products found in the Bike Totaal store's webshop. “Our organization enriches these and adds specific information, which also makes us easy to find online.”
A wish: also on the supplier side
Due to the convenience and reliability of current product data, he calls on suppliers to provide mutations or changes more quickly. “And we have become so accustomed to unified commercial descriptions, such as on the receipt and in our webshop, that it would be great if that were also unified on the supplier side. Currently, you often still have to search for the correct term in the ordering systems and portals.”