Portwest boosts global product data and accelerates catalogue production with Akeneo retail technology
Workwear and PPE manufacturer Portwest is using Akeneo’s agentic first Product Cloud solution to centralise product data, streamline catalogue production and improve operational efficiency across its global business.
As Portwest's range expanded to tens of thousands of SKUs across more than 130 countries, the systems supporting its product information (spanning ERP, databases and separate asset libraries) were increasingly stretched by the pace of that growth. Product data was maintained across several systems, which made keeping translations and information consistent across markets more time-consuming than the business wanted. Catalogue production remained a largely manual process that could take up to 11 months, while technical datasheets were produced through a long-standing publishing process with limited flexibility to scale.
Portwest implemented Akeneo PIM as a centralised source of truth for product data, supported by integrations with the publishing solution InBetween. The new platform consolidates technical and marketing information into a single, governed environment, enabling structured data management, automated workflows and scalable content distribution.
Using Akeneo’s reference entities and advanced data modeling capabilities, Portwest can now manage certifications, compliance attributes and shared technical information across more than 46,000 SKUs. This has reduced duplication, improved data accuracy and enabled batch updates across product families.
Catalogue production time has been reduced by five months, cutting the process from 11 months to 6, while the number of proofing cycles has dropped dramatically. The same foundation has transformed how Portwest produces sales collateral. Previously the design team output approx. 150 ad hoc flyer requests a year, each built by hand. Now, with product data flowing directly from Akeneo into the InBetween Publisher, that ceiling is gone: in under six months since going live in late January, Portwest has delivered 3,300 bespoke flyers to customers and sales teams, each one localised, on-brand and generated on demand.
The project has also modernised the creation of technical datasheets. The once rigid and resource intensive process is now fully automated, enabling accurate, compliant product information to be generated and distributed globally in minutes across 28 languages. Enhanced design flexibility and richer content have also elevated datasheets into effective sales and marketing assets, rather than purely technical documents.
Justin Thomas, VP Sales, EMEA North, Akeneo, says: “Portwest is a powerful example of what happens when product data is treated as a strategic asset rather than an operational burden. By establishing a single, governed source of truth and automating the flow of that data into catalogue production and downstream channels, they have not only accelerated time to market but also unlocked meaningful cost savings and global scalability.”
Distributors can also now generate localised, branded sales materials on demand using governed PIM data, enabling faster market entry and reducing reliance on central teams. Since launch, Portwest’s publishing capabilities have already supported hundreds of requests while significantly reducing internal design workload.
This capability is particularly valuable in markets where localised product information is essential for compliance and commercial success. By ensuring that accurate, translated and compliant product data can be created and distributed quickly, Portwest says it is able to expand into new regions while maintaining consistent product experience standards.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
PIM solutions will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
