Catbuilder has its own database but our philosophy is to avoid double encoding of data.
If your data is already encoded in your management system, we will make every effort to organize the replication of this data in Catbuilder.
Over the years we have developed tools that allow this replication to be implemented in a completely transparent manner.
The import module is one of those tools that allows you to easily configure the synchronization of changes to your data in the Catbuilder database.
If your data structure differs from Catbuilder's, this is not a problem because the import flow can be transformed to ensure compatibility between the two structures. Therefore, you do not need to adapt your database structure; Catbuilder will adapt automatically.
If your database is not accessible or if you do not have a database, the import module is capable of working with many other data sources. For example, the module is capable of importing XSLX, XML, JSON, CSV, TXT files or connecting directly to the web service of Prestashop, Magento, Odoo , or even to a PIM/DAM like Akeneo and Keepeek to retrieve photos... and many more.
Our great strength is being able to adapt to all data sources by avoiding custom development but by integrating a new feature into the module, which means that what you need is probably already developed.
Imported data is not always sufficient to produce a quality catalog; most of the time it needs to be enriched.
Enriching means supplementing them. Data from an ERP system is generally intended for invoicing and often lacks descriptive attributes when a catalog needs to be created. Catbuilder allows you to enrich imported data without breaking the replication process.
Enriching also means structuring. The family/subfamily structure retrieved by the ERP replication process isn't always the one you want for a catalog. Here again, Catbuilder can manage multiple structures thanks to a unique shortcut mechanism that allows you to structure catalogs infinitely without affecting replication.
Catbuilder offers many functions to enrich data such as very powerful mass copy/paste to add features or batch import of images locally or from the internet.
Catbuilder's interface is simple and intuitive and is used like a classic office program.
In Catbuilder, you can easily define the layout of your catalog yourself. The application allows you to create various graphic objects (presentation templates, headers, footers, backgrounds, chapter headings, etc.) that act as layout plans where you indicate the placement of your data (labels, descriptions, lists, tables, images, etc.) that should appear in your marketing materials.
These graphic objects can be applied to all the products contained in your materials (catalogs, price lists, product sheets, etc.) and allow you to produce them in record time.
You can also create different objects per chapter, per product range or per product and adapt your graphic charter according to the target audience and/or the media used.
Contrary to common misconceptions about automated publishing, Catbuilder is not limited to standardized or “industrial-looking” outputs. Thanks to its intelligent templates and automated layout generation, it is possible to produce catalogs and commercial materials with a modern, creative, and professional design.
No graphic design expertise is required to achieve a high-quality result. Catbuilder automates page composition while ensuring layouts remain visually appealing, consistent, and well-balanced.
Catbuilder has advanced functions for managing text, images and table definitions.
The result is very dynamic; if you insert products or advertisements, or if you change the order of products and chapters, Catbuilder will be able to reformat everything without any manual intervention, including adjusting the table cutouts.
Catbuilder also allows you to automatically generate different types of indexes and tables of contents.
In fact, you can manage everything in Catbuilder, including the front and back covers of your catalog.
Catbuilder allows language management, enabling you to publish your marketing materials in any language you choose, creating monolingual or multilingual documents without losing your desired layouts.
Do you want to implement the "language change in the dark" printing technique for texts to save on printing costs? Nothing could be easier with Catbuilder, which is able to take into account the language that takes up the most space in order to fix the position of colored objects.
It is also very easy to manage a variable display of prices (with or without prices, in multiple currencies). Furthermore, it is possible to use calculation formulas with Catbuilder.
Printing, in the end, is a mere formality.
With Catbuilder it is possible to generate the catalog every day, send it for review to product managers, correct it and then regenerate it for a new reading/correction cycle.
If this cycle is put in place a few weeks before the big day, the final impression will inevitably be good and without surprises.
At most, Catbuilder requires some additional processing if the document is to be printed in four colors, but only on the final version, the one that will be sent for approval.
Catbuilder generates a PDF file, which can be sent to the printer or printed in-house. This PDF can also be enhanced with hyperlinks and bookmarks to facilitate internal browsing or create links to a downloadable product sheet or the item in the online store. Such an enhanced PDF is an ideal basis for a flip book or a mobile application.
Publishing is handled by the Catsite module. This is a configurable module that allows data to be published via HTTP(S) or FTP, encapsulated in languages as varied as HTML, Javascript, PHP, ASP, or simply in file formats such as XML, JSON, CSV, TXT...
In fact, there is no limit to the formatting of the publication because it is based on user-defined structures into which data will be inserted, a bit like mail merge when addresses are merged with an envelope template.
Whatever form you want to give your publication, it's possible.
The publication is by default adapted to publishing data on the online catalog Catbuilder Showcase with a SOAP type protocol.
Catbuilder Showcase is the ideal solution for setting up a B2B intranet/extranet catalog and distributing all product information internally or to your professional partners and clients. This solution offers users access to products and optimized, rapid replenishment. It also allows them to create a customized offer for their own clients, including a technical dossier in the form of a catalog.
If you have your own online catalog and your own protocol, it is possible to develop plugins that allow it to be integrated into the publishing process.