PIM for Industrial Products: Dynabrade

How Catsy PIM + DAM solved it

Dynabrade chose Catsy because it brought PIM and DAM together into a single platform. That meant no more dealing with the integration issues that caused problems in their previous PIM system. It also came with built-in channel mapping, so they didn't need custom development to support different sales channels.

The setup was simple to use. A single spreadsheet-style interface lets both American and European teams manage product data in a single place. They could work with the same product information, digital assets, and product specifications without needing extra training or switching between systems.

Data modeling and taxonomy

Catsy's implementation team started by setting up taxonomy, attribute groups, and import structures before moving any product data. That way, product records came in clean and organized, instead of needing cleanup later. Their setup also included extended templates built for industrial use, which handled Dynabrade's technical specifications, such as RPM, CFM, air consumption, sound level, weight, and regulatory certifications. Managing product specifications this way helps ensure product data is accurate, complete, and consistent across teams, supporting both operational efficiency and the customer experience.

Normalization and automated data validation were major parts of the process. These steps helped maintain accurate data, support regulatory compliance, and ensure all product information met industry standards. With centralized product data management in place, data validation became automatic, and product specifications stayed consistent across the business.

Fractional measurement handling

Dynabrade's catalog includes many products with fractional dimensions, like 11⅝ in or ½ in. To handle that, Catsy extended its measurement data type to store, validate, and normalize those values consistently. That means product data stays accurate without extra manual work.

Now, Dynabrade can import fraction-based dimensions directly, without needing to clean them up first. The system automatically handles data validation, ensuring product specifications remain consistent across the website, sales channels, and compliance documentation.

Metric and standard units are managed in one place and converted automatically when needed. This keeps product data aligned, improves data accuracy, and supports a consistent customer experience across multiple channels.

Centralized product data management, DAM, and access governance

All regional image libraries, exploded-view diagrams, certification PDFs, and video assets were brought into a single digital asset management system. This created a centralized repository for digital assets, so everything is easier to find, manage, and keep up to date.

Role-based permissions were set up so the USA and European teams can work in the same system without stepping on each other's work. Each group has the appropriate level of access and control, helping protect product data and digital assets while improving data management.

This setup finally put an end to the back-and-forth overwrites between regions and made it much easier to manage product data and digital assets across multiple channels.

Distributor channel syndication

Each distributor channel is set up just once in the PIM system. Each has its own SKU naming rules, image requirements, and tech specs. This all makes managing complex data product catalogs much easier, and it helps keep product data accurate across multiple sales channels.

With centralized product data management in place, Catsy can generate and update feeds automatically. This eliminates the need for manual work in Excel, which previously caused errors during quarterly updates. Now, the product information flows right from the system. That improves data accuracy and overall operational efficiency.

The website connects to the PIM system through an API, so it always pulls the latest validated product data. In practice, the live site serves as a single source of truth with no extra steps.

Catsy also supports supplier data as a part of a broader product data management setup. Teams can work more closely with partners while keeping all of the product data consistent. Product info is automatically formatted and shared across websites and mobile apps. This speeds time-to-market and improves how data is delivered everywhere it needs to go.

Validation, data accuracy, and data quality

Custom data validation rules were set up to catch issues such as unit mismatches, invalid value ranges, conflicting attributes, and missing compliance documentation before any product data is sent to a sales channel. This helps protect data accuracy and keeps bad data from spreading across systems.

The completeness engine gives real-time visibility into product data, showing which records are ready to go and which still need work. That makes managing product data much easier and helps teams stay on track without guessing.

Keeping consistent product data and high-quality product data is critical for building trust. A strong PIM system improves data accuracy by helping eliminate data silos and making sure every sales channel delivers reliable, consistent product information.