Walk into any construction materials distributor, and you’ll still see it: teams chasing product specs buried in PDFs, emailing manufacturers for safety sheets, or phoning a supplier to check whether something is CE marked.
It’s 2025, but the supply chain still runs on manual processes—and it’s costing you time, accuracy, and sales.
PDFs and Phone Calls: Why the Industry Still Struggles with Supplier Data
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Old Habits Die Hard
Here’s the typical process:
A supplier sends over a new product line. It comes with a spreadsheet, a product brochure, and a few scattered PDFs with technical specs. Your team tries to make sense of it, enter the data into your ERP, and manually upload something to the website.
It’s slow. It’s error-prone. And it’s holding back your ability to sell.
You want to offer a professional digital experience—but the input is messy and inconsistent.
The Midnight Job-Quoting Problem
One of our customers put it best:
“Our trade customers use our website at night to price up jobs. Branches are closed, phones are off—they rely completely on the data we’ve got online.”
That’s the reality of modern trade buying. If your product pages don’t include pack sizes, technical specs, compliance info, or up-to-date pricing, you’re not just creating a poor experience—you’re making it harder for them to come back and place the order the next day.
The impact is invisible but significant: fewer quotes completed, fewer orders placed.
Why This Keeps Happening
There are a few root causes:
- Suppliers aren’t standardised. Every supplier sends data in a different format—and some still rely on hard copy brochures or static PDFs.
- Distributors are understaffed. Product data teams are small, and manually converting content takes time.
- ERP systems can’t handle rich content. Most systems weren’t designed to store datasheets, multiple images, or detailed technical fields.
- There’s no single source of truth. Sales teams, web teams, and branch staff each build their own workarounds.
The result? Disconnected, incomplete product data—and frustrated customers.
Fixing the Flow: How PIM Can Help
The answer isn’t more people—it’s a better process. That’s where Product Information Management (PIM) comes in.
A PIM system:
- Centralises product data from all suppliers in one platform
- Structures and validates content so it’s accurate and complete
- Automates data onboarding using templates or AI tools
- Pushes enriched data to your website, eCommerce, POS, and printed materials
Most importantly—it turns scattered PDFs and phone-call follow-ups into searchable, reliable product information available 24/7.
Benefits Beyond the Website
Yes, your product pages will improve. But the impact goes deeper:
- Branch staff can trust the data when advising customers
- Your eCommerce site converts better after hours
- Sales teams can quote faster and more accurately
- Customers can self-serve with confidence
And your internal teams? They’ll spend less time fixing bad data—and more time growing your catalogue and onboarding new lines.
Start with the Suppliers You Use Most
You don’t need to solve everything overnight. Begin with your top suppliers—the ones whose products generate the most queries or sales. Standardise their data. Get it into a PIM. Roll it out to your channels.
The faster you break free from PDFs and phone calls, the faster you can serve today’s buyers on their terms.
Ready to stop firefighting supplier data?
Learn how a structured approach to onboarding and enrichment can save your team time—and convert more late-night customers.