Etex is a global manufacturer of sustainable building materials and a pioneer in lightweight building solutions. With operations across multiple countries and brands, the company manages large volumes of product data that need to be consistent, accurate and available when needed for internal and external applications.

When Etex was migrating product data from its existing PIM platform, inriver, to Stibo STEP as its new MDM platform, the project was already well underway. The timeline was ambitious and the migration covered multiple brands and countries. To meet the planned deadlines, Etex needed additional PIM/MDM expertise and capacity.

YellowGround strengthened the existing project team with an experienced consultant who could step in quickly, understand the project context and contribute operationally to the preparation, validation and migration of product data.

The challenge

Migrating data to a new MDM platform involves more than moving data from one system to another. Product data has to be prepared, checked, loaded and validated again, without compromising data quality.

At Etex, that challenge was especially concrete. The migration was already in progress, which meant any new support had to get up to speed quickly. At the same time, several migration phases were tied to strict deadlines and a defined scope of brands and countries had to be processed correctly.

Etex needed extra operational capacity, expertise in preparing and checking product data, support in loading data into Stibo STEP and someone who could flexibly join an ongoing international project.

Any delay in the migration could have affected the continued rollout of Stibo STEP and the availability of reliable product information. Timely and accurate execution was therefore critical.

Our approach

YellowGround was brought in to provide targeted support to the existing project team. The assignment was clearly defined: support the migration of product data from inriver to Stibo STEP, within the existing migration strategy and planning.

YellowGround was not responsible for the implementation of Stibo STEP in this project. Its role focused on operational support for the ongoing migration: preparing, checking and loading product data, while helping ensure that the agreed quality standards were met.

For Etex, this support mainly meant additional PIM/MDM expertise and capacity at a moment when timing, data quality and project capacity were all critical.

Quickly joining an ongoing project
Because the project was already underway, there was little room for a long onboarding period. The value was not just in additional capacity, but in capacity that could be deployed immediately within a complex PIM/MDM context.

The YellowGround consultant aligned with the existing way of working, planning and project structure. This helped relieve pressure on the project team without reorganizing the project.

Preparing, checking and loading product data
The focus was on the practical execution of the migration. YellowGround supported Etex in preparing and validating product data before migration, loading data into Stibo STEP and checking the quality of migrated data.

In a project involving multiple brands and countries, that detailed work matters. Data should not only be transferred technically, but also remain usable and reliable in the new MDM platform.

Working across teams and languages
The collaboration took place in close alignment with the Etex team and other project contributors. On an operational level, there was daily collaboration with a French-speaking colleague, while English was used as the general project language.

That international context required clear communication and fast knowledge sharing.

Results and impact

With YellowGround’s additional support, Etex was able to continue the planned migration activities within the agreed scope and timeline.

Extra capacity without a long onboarding period
The YellowGround consultant could quickly join the ongoing project and work within the existing migration strategy and project structure. This gave the project team additional support without a lengthy ramp-up period.

Support for multiple brands and countries
The brands and countries within scope could be transferred to Stibo STEP according to plan. This was important to support the continued rollout of the new MDM platform.

Product data prepared and checked
Product data was prepared, validated, loaded and checked according to the agreed way of working. This kept data quality in focus throughout the migration, instead of only addressing it afterwards.

For Etex, the value of YellowGround was not in a full implementation, but in targeted support at the right moment. In large PIM and MDM projects, strategy and technology set the direction, but product data still has to be prepared, checked and loaded correctly.

That is where YellowGround can also make a difference in ongoing projects: by joining quickly, understanding the project context and contributing practically within the existing planning and way of working.

Need extra support for a PIM or MDM migration? YellowGround helps organizations with targeted expertise in product data, data quality and migration to platforms such as Stibo STEP.