Considering the COVID-19 situation in the US and around the globe, the Content Services team at AQ was unsure of what to expect given the difficult times facing the manufacturer channel of the FES industry. Were companies able to operate as normal? Would we see a significant reduction in the number of customers updating their AQ product data?
We were surprised to see that given a reduction in daily users logging into AQ CPQ, our Kitchen Police program never saw a decline in the amount of honorary deputies helping us keep our AQ content accurate and up to date. Many manufacturers also took this time to focus on their product lists, and provided a steady stream of updates to enrich many aspects of their product data. So much so, that our backlog never decreased for the months of March through July.
The majority of those updates were related to customers adding new products - many items in demand due to COVID-19 - and also updating product assets such as images, spec sheets, catalog pages, and doc links. These types of updates are also the most time consuming, so I wanted to share with you some tips on how we can work together to simplify your AQ content submission process.
Submit requests to content@AQ-FES.com
Send your requests to content@AQ-FES.com. As of September 1, 2020, we are no longer accepting requests sent to a personal AQ email address. All requests sent to content@AQ-FES.com will automatically be routed to your single point of contact responsible for your AQ product listing(s). You’ll also receive an automated notification informing you that we’ve received your request. You can use these e-mail notifications to keep track of what you’ve requested from us until we notify you that they are complete.
Use AQ's Template when Updating Products
Are you going to be updating a large number of products? If so, it’s helpful to reach out to us and request a data template which you can fill out and we can leverage to batch load your new / updated product data into AQ. This minimizes the amount of manual entry to complete on our part and enables us to focus on the most important aspects of your data, such as building enhanced product configurations to offer your customers exactly what they need.
Name Your Image Files
Are you updating a large amount of product assets such as images, spec sheets, catalog pages, CAD, Revit, and / or doc links? If so, naming your files to include the model number is a great time saver and will help our team expedite the update process. Using special symbols such as a dash (-) or an underscore (_) is particularly helpful when we utilize Excel to create media cross-reference reports which identify which media goes to which model.
Provide a Summary with Spec Sheets
If you're sending batches of spec sheets, it’s always helpful to include some type of summary as to what has changed. We’ll be comparing old spec sheets to the new versions, but a tip from you will help us focus on what’s most important. Also, please utilize a file sharing service as often as possible. If you do not have access to one, we can provide you a link to share your assets at no additional cost.
Include the Manufacturer Name in the Subject Line
If you manage multiple product lists in AQ, include the MFR name in the subject line of your e-mail so we can ensure we’re updating the appropriate products. For example, if you manage a U.S. and a Canadian listing for the same manufacturer, are updates for one or both?
Considering the above will help us ensure we’re able to reduce friction during the update process. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to your AQ content contact at content@AQ-FES.com. Stay safe and be well.
Jim Starr
Director – Content Services
Related Links:
It’s Price Update Season!, New Normal Leads to New Innovation in FES, A Simplified Content Submission Process for Manufacturers is Here
