Catalog Production Using TecDoc Data for Dana VICTOR REINZ

Fast spare parts search despite complex and extensive data

The fastest way to the right spare part: For Dana VICTOR Reinz, Kittelberger media solutions produced 58 interactive PDF catalogs in twelve languages featuring over 16,500 spare parts from the TecDoc vehicle database.

The biggest challenge was the volume and complexity of the connections between brands, engines, and parts – the OE numbers – and how to present these in a clear and appealing layout.

For data of this scale, importing into a layout program is out of the question. However, the advastamedia® Print Engine allows for dynamic processing, export, and presentation of complex data sets in the desired output format. The result: reduced manual workload and minimized error rate compared to manually placing content. This becomes especially valuable in exceptional cases, where a page break requires automatic repetition of the previous column’s content, potentially creating new cross-references – all of which the PDF generator handles automatically.

“We are very pleased that we were once again able to publish a PDF catalog for the aftermarket that offers our customers the best possible presentation of results, paving the way for finding the right spare part quickly and easily,” says Nermin Basic, Project Manager and Product Manager at Dana VICTOR REINZ.

Generator for creating composite images

In addition to individual spare parts, the catalog also includes numerous spare part kits. These become particularly noteworthy when understanding the technical background of the images:

At the beginning of the subproject for automated image compositing, individual product images were captured to scale using StyleShoots® equipment. A specially developed module then allows rules and variables to be defined for the size and arrangement of the referenced images, minimizing white space based on quantity. Exact image dimensions in the catalog can be determined through additional factors to reflect realistic proportions.

Many processing steps for a single table row

Using the current TecDoc exchange format TAF 2.6, an interface was initially developed to import the validated reference and product data—amounting to approximately 24 million database entries—into the advastamedia® PIM system and store them persistently in a TAF table structure.

In parallel with flexible editing of content like translations or vehicle names via the Microsoft Excel API, a condensation logic was developed together with the client to reduce catalog-relevant data for manufacturer, vehicle, and customer-specific criteria to the essentials:

• Focus on engine-specific table display
• Elimination of redundant information
• Enrichment with chassis numbers to enhance clarity
• Transformation of criteria and generic articles into pictograms to visually enhance the template

This condensation forms the basis for the granular output management of the TecDoc data model within a predefined XML schema. The export not only adheres to the specified structures and compressed vehicle content but also reflects the company's corporate identity – for example, by managing font sizes without additional programming effort.