ZIA: How Artificially Generated Data is Improving CPG Catalogue Management

Catalogue management, a key aspect of business operations, is now undergoing a great amount of development. 

Image Recognition (IR) technology can only produce strong insights if it has access to an up-to-date, well-maintained catalogue. Without access to this information, it becomes extremely difficult to extract any actionable intelligence that can be used to improve your brand's retail execution. 

This is why the influence of artificial data for catalogue management extends beyond efficiency; it's about fundamentally altering how businesses perceive and interact with their product information. 

Neurolabs ZIA (Zero Image Annotations) uses synthetic image recognition technology to take the traditional management of catalogue management to unprecedented heights. 

It's a game-changing tool that liberates businesses from the constraints of conventional methods and provides a fresh perspective on how catalogues can be created, managed, and utilised to extract useful insights. 

Join us as we explore the intricate details of ZIA technology and how artificially generated data is thoroughly reshaping and improving the way businesses manage their catalogues in the digital age.

ZIA: How Synthetic Data is Transforming Onboarding

A key aspect of catalogue management is onboarding. Retail companies require a full, accurate catalogue of their products to keep on top of their retail execution strategies. 

The CPG space is dynamic and quick-moving, with a very high rate of change in product appearance. Therefore it’s essential to have an up-to-date product catalogue to utilise IR tools accurately. 

However, the onboarding process faces several hurdles that can impede efficiency, including, but not limited to:

• Dependency on Third-Party Services: Companies may need to engage third-party services to source product artwork or visuals, incurring significant expenses.

• Time-Consuming Data Collection: Gathering sufficient real data can be time-consuming, particularly when onboarding large Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) lists, leading to prolonged timelines.

• Human Involvement: The involvement of multiple individuals in the process introduces the risk of errors and can contribute to a slower processing time. For example, hiring a team of people to annotate images for IR can be time-consuming, costly and result in inaccuracies. 

These challenges hinder the effective scaling of operations and pose substantial time and cost constraints for businesses. 

Furthermore, the onboarding process extends beyond the initial cataloguing phase, as continual additions of new products, such as new SKUs and Point of Purchase (POP) materials, packaging changes, and seasonal promotions are ongoing aspects of the operation. 

Addressing these shortcomings is crucial for businesses aiming to streamline and optimise their onboarding procedures. 

ZIA revolutionises the field by eliminating the necessity for manual annotations and, notably, real data. Leveraging Digital Twins of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) products, which constitute synthetic data, within virtual scenes, ZIA redefines the landscape of product detection, and shelf and in-store scene insights. 

This innovative approach ensures unparalleled accuracy and speed, outperforming any existing solution currently available in the market. By harnessing the power of synthetic data and computer vision, ZIA sets a new standard for efficiency and precision in product detection within retail environments.

Digital Twins for Faster Onboarding 

Recognising the expansive applications of Synthetic Image Recognition (SIR), our technology unlocks the potential of digital twins that transcend mere object recognition. 

Our digital replicas showcase remarkable versatility, evolving beyond integration into virtual environments to the creation of photorealistic 3D images tailored for e-commerce platforms. Our digital twin approach has multiple attributes, such as:

• Fully rendered packaging (including deformed packaging)

• Unique ID of each product version

• Exact Product Dimensions 

This wealth of data provides comprehensive insights across all aspects of CPG’s operations, offering a transformative impact on the retail industry.

A key feature of ZIA is its 'Universal Artwork Approach,' which allows users to effortlessly create these 3D models from existing PDF and PNG files. Simply upload the artwork of the product or promotional material and it will create a digital twin for more accurate product onboarding. 

In the absence of artwork, our dedicated ZIA Capture app steps in with a streamlined process, capturing and creating a model from the item or SKU in just a few simple steps.

Rapid Onboarding and Deployment

ZIA introduces remarkable speed enhancements to the catalogue onboarding processes, slashing the timeline from weeks to mere hours. 

ZIA Capture, our dedicated app, empowers anyone (e.g. your field rep or a partner field rep) to keep the catalogue up to date. This reduces your reliance on 3rd parties or your IR Vendor, saving time, money and increasing the accuracy of your catalogue. 

Consider a scenario with 50-100 SKUs; utilising ZIA allows for the onboarding of the entire catalogue in less than two hours. 

Moreover, the synthetic Image Recognition (IR) training model can be prepared for deployment in less than a day, achieving an impressive +96% accuracy right from the beginning - an accuracy that continues to improve over time.

The technology's access to a substantial amount of training data plays a pivotal role in maintaining and enhancing this accuracy. Instead of experiencing degradation over time, ZIA's accuracy improves with increased usage, making it an ever-evolving and superior solution for catalogue management.

Competitor Insights: Onboarding Competitors' Catalogues

In retail execution, where consumer attention is a precious commodity and loyalty hinges on split-second decisions, In-Store Scene Understanding (ISSU) becomes a fundamental asset for CPG brands. 

ZIA Capture’s cutting-edge capabilities help to reduce the time and costs associated with product onboarding and provide invaluable insights into competitor catalogues. 

A stellar retail execution not only ensures product availability but strategically places and presents items in an engaging manner. From captivating displays and prime shelf positions to impeccable inventory management, every facet of retail execution plays a pivotal role in shaping consumer purchasing decisions.

Insights from ZIA allow CPGs to gain actionable insights into competitors' catalogues,  allowing them to stay ahead of the curve and deliver unparalleled consumer experiences.

No Disruptions to Your Operation: Ease Of Integration

ZIA is designed to collaborate effortlessly with your current sales force automation (SFA) solution, whether a third-party tool or an internal system, accommodating different SFA solutions across regions or locations. 

Our dedicated and knowledgeable team stands ready to assist you in successfully implementing ZIA into your existing pipeline. Whether you have questions or concerns, our experts are here to ensure a seamless integration process, maximising the benefits of synthetic data for your operations.

Our goal is not to replace your current tools but to augment them with the transformative capabilities of synthetic data.

Gain Stronger Insights With Generative AI 

Generative AI has emerged prominently recently, making waves across various domains. Landmark advancements in chatbot technology, exemplified by OpenAI's ChatGPT, created a significant impact on the way people want to search for information. 

Empowered by our state-of-the-art Synthetic Image Recognition technology our AI Retail Execution assistant, ChatCPG, utilises the extensive image recognition data gathered to form helpful insights for CPGs. 

This innovative technology adds an intelligence layer to the data, enabling you to effortlessly inquire about various aspects of Retail Execution and receive prompt and reliable responses – all within seconds. 

Just like other popular AI assistants, you can speak to ChatGPT using natural language for an easy, user-friendly experience. 

Whether you’re posing questions related to your captured data, finding out about shelf compliance, product availability, or adherence to promotional materials like POP Displays and POP Signage, ChatCPG is here to help. 

Improve Your CPG Catalogue Management With ZIA

Are you ready to take the next step in improving your approach to catalogue management? Find out how artificially generated data can be the high-quality change you need. 

Book a demo today, or find out more by reading our dedicated eBook!

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At Neurolabs, we are revolutionising in-store retail performance with our advanced image recognition technology, ZIA. Our cutting-edge technology enables retailers, field marketing agencies and CPG brands to optimise store execution, enhance the customer experience, and boost revenue as we build the most comprehensive 3D asset library for product recognition in the CPG industry.