Everyone is digitalizing. But who is still in control?

The promise of digitalization

In recent years, digitalization was the ultimate answer for wholesalers. ERP systems, PIM solutions, webshops, and countless integrations were supposed to ensure more efficiency and better service. Yet, many organizations experience the opposite: not more control, but more chaos.

It starts with the data. Product information, stock levels, and images are often scattered across different systems. A product is displayed differently in one system than in another, resulting in errors and delays. Operational teams solve this by keeping track of everything twice in Excel. This creates shadow systems that keep the daily operation running but hide the underlying problem.

Why systems fall short

The core of the issue is that systems are often introduced without clear process logic. Everything is linked, but nobody has the oversight. In many cases, wholesalers even try to cram everything into a single system. In theory, that sounds organized, but in practice, it leads to rigid structures where small adjustments have huge consequences. Digitalization without control over data does not create the promised efficiency; it creates extra complexity.

A striking example is a large bicycle wholesaler that still did its entire financial administration in Excel, despite heavy investments in software. Another example: customers providing beautiful webshop designs without the product data needed to fill them. In such situations, it becomes clear that tools alone solve nothing.

 

"Digitalization without data management is not progress, but organized chaos. You only gain control when you stop stacking systems and start building structure." - Wesley Regtuit, Product Owner at PLGGR‍

Data as the foundation for control

The difference between chaos and control lies in how you manage data. One client who organized their product information centrally and flawlessly saved three FTEs per month. Not by using more systems, but by getting the basics right.

We often use the metaphor of a ball of wool. Many wholesalers are stuck with a tangle of systems, spreadsheets, and links. The temptation is strong to add yet another tool. But the only way to gain control is by untangling it step by step. Start with the product information, connect the order flows, and then link the webshops and platforms.

Fewer tools, more structure

Digitalization only works when data is accurate. Without reliable and consistent product data, systems remain mere bandages. Growth does not require more tools, but less friction. You only achieve that by taking ownership of your data. Those who organize this well will finally fulfill the promise of digitalization.