Creating catalogues of mass data can get expensive and time consuming. So instead of having to wait for the production of these catalogues and reports to be compiled by hand, we have created dynamic software to do this for you. Now, your catalogues can be automatically regenerated nightly and be ready by the time you wake up in the morning. This way, you, your sales team, customers and websites have the latest and most current information ready to roll whenever you need it!
HOW WE DO IT
We have many dynamic ways to compile your catalogue for you. Simply put, you share a folder with us on DropBox where you edit an Excel spreadsheet (or other data source) with your data. The images you need are placed in a folder alongside this. And that's it... On a shedule you specify (weekly, daily, etc.), we will recompile this for you and replace the current PDF with the new one. And there you go!
STEP 1 - INPUT
The data you input can be any standard recognised file format or server we can reach over the internet. Most of the time it's in Microsoft Excel format since this is the easiest to change and manipulate from the clients side. Your average office worker or sales team member normally has knowledge of this. But we can also use more advanced formats, such as Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, mySQL Server, MariaDB Server, etc. We are flexible and can even do strange and unpopular formats if it can be added to our software.
The images that are needed are simply saved in a folder under a name that can be calculated or deduced from your data. For instance, if you have a unique ID field or SKU number, then you save the image as a JPEG file using that number (like 123.jpg). If needed, you can always add a "filename" field where you enter the image name.
STEP 2 - OUTPUT
Now that we have the data (and images) you want to use, we can compile the new PDF file for you on any schedule you need. This can be anything from hourly to monthly if needed and anything inbetween. Generally people ask for midnight every night or midnight once a week. The regeneration is relatively fast, even for a lot of information but the time taken depends on the amount of content in the catalogue.
STEP 3 - DELIVERY
The completed PDF file can be delivered in multiple ways, depending on what you need. Generally it's replaced in the same folder as the data you supply (DropBox is easiest) but you can arrange with us to deliver it another way if needed.
PRIVATE
Your data is safe from prying eyes and will never be shared with anyone else. We're not Microsoft, so we take privacy seriously! And since our servers are behind multiple industry standard firewalls and anti-virus filters, your data is completely safe.
RELIABLE
Once the system is set up, this runs automatically on a scheduled server, so it's unlikely that it's forgotten.
EFFICIENT
Converting your data to PDF is fast, effective and efficient. Since you edit your own database, changes can be instant and there's nobody that can mess up your data since the server does not have a screen or keyboard.
BAR GRAPHS
Bar graphs are possible though they can only have 1 series and there are limited options for colours, etc.
LINE GRAPHS
Line graphs are possible though they too can only have 1 series and there are limited options for colours, etc.
PIE CHART
Guess what.... same thing. It's usefull but a little limited.
QR CODES
We can generate QR codes on the fly. Though we don't really use them here in SA and they're not popular, the option is there.
We do plan to add other types of barcodes in the future as well as other features. Let us know if there's something you need and we will see if we can write it into the software for you.
LIMITS
The limits of your catalogue depend on the amount of data and images you're going to use. Images pose a far higher limit than text, just because they're so much bigger by nature. So far we have been able to produce a catalogue thats over 1020 pages long and displays 16,000 products without issue. It's not the best idea to have so many items in a single catalog since it's a lot of effort for somebody to have to go through and the file size can get impractical.
16,000
ITEMS WITH IMAGES
12 / 7
CATEGORIES / SUBCATEGORIES
1024
PAGES
2.246 MB
FILE SIZE
If you have too many products for a single catalogue, then we can always split them into multiple PDF documents! Also, we can make different versions that have variations in what fields are displayed. So your sales team can see prices, while your customers can see bigger descriptions, etc.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT...
This service is not for doing illegal things! While we generally don't interfere or monitor the documents being generated, we do have standards and a reputation to uphold. This means if we find anything illegal or sensitive (like child abuse, inciting violence, political rhetoric, religious hatred, etc.) then your account will be shut down without refund. We expect a certain level of respect and human decency - and that level is up to us to determine.
On the flip side, we do not align ourselves with any other organisation or movement in any manner whatsoever. We endorse nobody and this is not the place for politics, sex, religion, or any other polarising viewpoints.
