catalog automation need software recommendations

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Sturz

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#233503 18-Apr-2018 17:49

currently using Microsoft publisher to make a catalog.

problem is the catalog is over 40 pages long. say I want to add a new product on page 5 I have to make space which means moving items on every page from 5 through to 40.

The descriptions are all different sizes I want a program which you can add a new product and everything gets shuffled down.

Any recommendations?

LesF

176 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 25

#1998908 18-Apr-2018 19:29

What is your end purpose for this data? As in, how do you use it and what formats do you need it in?

Does you data consist of text and numbers only, or are there images or other files related to cataloged items?

Can it be loaded into a database using OpenOffice or LibreOffice, where you can create forms and reports for updating and retrieving the data? (I don't have experience with these tools, I just know they exist and are free).

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Les

Sturz

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1998955 18-Apr-2018 20:26

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply,

It is for a product catalog for end users at a retail business, has text, numbers and images, all difference sized descriptions, in total around 3K products.

LesF

176 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 25

#1999502 19-Apr-2018 20:20

So it's distributed as a single file document of some kind?

Would it be suitable to provide an internally hosted web site for your users instead?

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Les

Sturz

6 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1999507 19-Apr-2018 20:28

Yes we have a website, but companies with thousands of skus which have catalogs must be using a software to automate it?

LesF

176 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 25

#1999601 19-Apr-2018 22:06

Yes, the core data should be in a database, with tools for updating and exporting in different formats. Once your data is well defined you can then provide many views into it, e.g. sorting by different criteria and extracting specific subsets.

Have you looked at any PIM (product information management) software?

Personally I would try out some of the open source PIM software and see what suits me, but that can take a fair amount of time getting down to the nuts and bolts of installing and configuring the software to suit. Open source may be free but it still needs plenty of IT support resources.

I haven't used any of these, but this looks promising: https://pimcore.com/en/products/data-manager/product-information-management/introduction (and I'm not basing that just on their arty intro video).

Reviews of others: https://www.opensource-it.com/open_source_pim_software/

Of course these are probably mostly web-based solutions, but that is probably the best way to go in the modern IT environment, everybody has a web browser in their pocket.

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Les