This solution provides a catalog structure that is flexible to adopt to the changing catalog marketing needs, such as categorization or targeted catalogs. Apsiva also keeps the content granularized and centralized so the same content can be used in different markets, different media and for different audience.

Apsiva is more than a database solution. It is a full catalog publishing solution. Apsiva has a fully integrated Web Catalog, CD Catalog and Print catalog publishing tools. Apsiva's print publishing is industry's most easy to use but powerful solution that incorporates several automated steps that accelerate catalog production. The Apsiva solution removes content out of the desktop publishing documents and allows your organization to manage it in a database. When this content is centralized and managed in a form that can be used across different channels, it is easy to keep it clean and up-to-date. With up-to-date content in a database, content can be flowed back into Print, Web, CD, electronic catalogs, and search engines with ease.

Apsiva's software delivers the solution in three easy steps:

(1) Secure. Secure your existing product information and assets. Apsiva provides you with a system so you can centralize and secure your assets such as item data, marketing copy, assets and creative artwork.

(2) Streamline. With all content centralized, all constituents including product managers, merchandisers, marketing, art directors, photographers and creative directors can work on a unified basis. Our solution brings in discipline so things are done correctly the first time reducing costs downstream.

(3) Accelerate. With content and processes in place, and various levels of integration for print publishing, web publishing and styling packaged with Apsiva, you can create and maintain catalog pages in print or publish to web quickly.

The next four sections describe the apsiva solution in greater detail.

APSIVA CONTENT MANAGEMENT

The Apsiva Content Management allows you to Secure and Streamline all the below:

Item Management: You can manage your item data such as SKUs, descriptions, prices, Unit of Measures, Dimensions, Styles etc. This data can be imported and exported to simplify price updates or description updates to web, print or any other catalog media. Most enterprises only manage their SKUs in their enterprise system. However, some enterprise systems cannot accommodate long descriptions. Apsiva, being a system designed for marketing departments and catalog departments.

Image Management: Currently, print graphics and data are really "captive" within the page layout file in traditional work environments. This means that, without the ability to access and open the layout document, the name or location of the related graphics cannot be determined. If the file is being sent to a commercial printer, the linked graphics need to be "packaged" as well. Many creative users have adopted this practice when moving documents internally, because the image path is "local," (and often more reliable) rather than the "mutually accessible" network path.

This results in multiple copies of the same graphic residing in project folders and on individual desktops. If any graphic needs to be updated, it needs to be located and updated in all locations. Since effective multi-channel publication depends on identifying a single, consistent source for content, it is well worth the time to begin collecting a "master" set of graphics and begin using them in conventional production.

To begin the transition to high-impact multi-channel publication benefits, let's look at the print page layout the same as we would look at a web page. Ideally we want images (and text) linked to a reliable source so our layout document can be refreshed at will. With the Apsiva solution, you can manage all your images in an easy way so they can be reused across catalogs and output media.

Product Copy Management: Catalogs with descriptive copy require not one but several ways to author, manage and publish copy. For example, a print catalog page might not have enough room for publishing product headline, features, bullets, benefits, footnotes and disclaimers. The Apsiva solution allows you to further granularize your content so you can selectively publish content to different media. For your web catalog, you can publish all copy and for your print catalog you can publish only part of the copy. Read more about copy management in one of our newsletters: Benefits of structured copy management.

Accessory Management: Up-Selling and Cross-Selling is employed by many leading organizations. With Apsiva, product accessories can be centrally managed and used in the output media as necessary. Similarly, product cross-references such as alternates or optional products can be managed with Apsiva. You can also manage kits if your organization sells product kits.

The above mentioned features are just the beginning. There are many other features that the Apsiva Catalog Solution brings to the table such as: Parts Management, Cross Referencing, Category Management, Attribute Management, Product Document Management, Security, On Demand Catalog Production, Content Validation etc. These catalog content management features make up our product Apsiva ONEsource. Read more about Apsiva ONEsource.

Most creative departments fail to cope with the demands of print catalog production leading to delays. Though there is no silver bullet to fix all the ills, there are ways to minimize delays by using the Secure, Streamline & Accelerate methodology of Apsiva.

The nature of print catalogs has changed from being the only catalog media to being the most important media and channel to market products. Even though the value of print catalogs has not diminished, the way print catalogs are published has gone through an enormous change over the years. Today's creative departments require a quick and error free way to publish catalogs without sacrificing any creativity. Apsiva Print Catalog Solution: PRINTsource is the sure-fire way for organizations to not only achieve the goal of quickly creating catalogs but also to make it easy to publish updated versions.

Apsiva PRINTsource has the following key benefits:

(a) You can be on-time and on-budget more often
(b) Eliminate dual entry of data for print catalog publishing purposes
(c) Eliminate manual ways to extract information into catalog pages
(d) Automate presentation / product / and chart styling
(e) Make it easy to keep print content in synch with web content

Apsiva PRINTsource links all content in the database to publishing pages. This linking makes way for live updates such as description changes, copy changes, images and pricing to be refreshed - making future publications fast and easy. Designers and Creative Directors can also update changes back into the database from the publishing environment so the changes can be forwarded to other channels like web and CD without manual coordination. Read more about Apsiva Print Catalog Solution: PRINTsource.

APSIVA WEB CATALOG SOLUTION

(a) organizations without a web catalog, need a way to offer a searchable catalog to their customers
(b) organizations with a web catalog, need an easy way to manage the catalog content that is on the website - hence require a catalog content management backend
(c) organization with a smoothly operating website and content management backend need a way to expose catalog content and additional product information (that is not privy to the outside customers) to their own sales reps and customer service reps. This access for sales reps and customer service reps is to give them the ability to easily troubleshoot customer queries or create on demand custom catalogs.

The Apsiva Catalog Solution offers organizations all the above benefits of effectively managing web catalogs from end to end. With Apsiva WEBsource, you can make your catalog content accessible to your customers, employees, suppliers and partners over the web in a secured form. All your catalog content can be accessible from a browser as it is being managed and updated - giving the audience access to up-to-the-minute product information.

Catalogs can be searched using a variety of criteria with WEBsource. Users can search by Part Number, by vendor, by description, by keyword or any other product attribute. Catalogs can also be accessed through an index or a category hierarchy making it easy to locate parts in a variety of ways. The included security features give privileged access to the product catalog based on user profile while giving default access to parts of the catalog. The Apsiva Web Catalog Solution is fully integrated with Apsiva ONEsource Content Management, hence makes it easy for you to manage and publish multi-channel content. Read more about Apsiva Web Catalog Solution: WEBsource.

APSIVA CD CATALOG SOLUTION

Organizations across the world are adopting electronic catalogs by distributing CD- Catalogs to customers, dealers, partners and sales agents. The Apsiva solution includes a CD publishing component. With Apsiva CDsource, you can make your catalog content accessible to your customers, employees, suppliers and partners regardless of their location and network accessibility. CDsource gives companies the ability to create CD catalogs where the cost of print catalogs is prohibitive and using a Web catalog is not possible due to the unavailability of a network. This approach also increases your control on your content such as expiring items or expiring pricing after a time lapse - giving organizations more flexibility to price products based on demand and price fluctuations.

The Apsiva CD Catalog Publishing Solution can also publishes your digital assets and documents such as MSDS sheets, installation manuals, owners manuals, repair manuals, URLs and print catalog pages can be directly presented to end users at the product level. This not only helps you in complying with the legal mandates and presenting vital information to our customers or sales reps.

With Apsiva CDsource, your customers can create requisitions or orders. The application includes a shopping cart and checkout functionality all wrapped within the CD and does not require Internet connection. Users can input billing and shipping information, add special comments and print out the orders in the format you currently use. This eliminates order-related errors while retaining your brand and streamlining the process. Read more about Apsiva CD Catalog Solution.

To Cap it, Apsiva offers a unified solution to help quickly deploy print and web catalogs. Apsiva's 3 step methodology ( Secure, Streamline & Accelerate) makes catalog publishing efficient. With Apsiva, your catalog content can be fully integrated across print, web and electronic channels, making updates singular and easy.

* Some features explained in this document require Apsiva Enterprise Edition and various modules.