In many organisations, product information lives inside powerful systems like Product Information Management (PIM) platforms; but turning that data into polished, client-ready documents is often a manual, time-consuming task. Marketing teams copy, paste, format, and reformat, all while trying to keep branding consistent and content accurate.
We saw this challenge first-hand when we developed a bespoke PDF generator for Civitec – a tool which pulls selected product data from their PIM system and uses it to automatically generate styled, client facing PDF documents.
What started as a specific solution quickly highlighted wider benefits that businesses across many sectors can gain from this kind of approach.
The common challenge: great data, inefficient output
Most businesses already have structured, reliable product data. The problem isn’t the information itself – it’s how easily that information can be transformed into something useful for sales teams, partners, and customers.
Manual document creation introduces several risks:
- Time lost creating documents from information that already exists in data form
- Inconsistent branding across teams or business units
- Out-of-date or incomplete product information slipping through
- The margin for human error
These inefficiencies scale quickly as product ranges grow.
What we learned by building a bespoke tool
While developing Civitec’s solution, we focused on a simple principle: let the data do the work.
The tool securely connects to the PIM system and allows users to search and select the products they need. From there, the experience adapts intelligently:
- For configurable products, users can choose which feature options appear in the final document
- For more common product types, the system automatically pulls only the fields relevant to that category
- Any empty or irrelevant data is excluded, ensuring clean, professional outputs
The result is a downloadable, branded PDF that’s ready to share, without the need for manual formatting or content cleanup.
The business benefits go beyond time savings
Although efficiency gains were immediate, the wider advantages became just as clear.
Consistency at scale
Every document generated follows the same brand and layout rules, regardless of who creates it or which business unit it’s for. This removes variation and reinforces brand credibility.
Faster sales and marketing workflows
Teams can generate tailored product documents, or drop new pages into brochures in minutes, not hours, helping them respond more quickly to client and prospect requests.
Reduced risk of errors
Because documents are generated directly from the PIM system, the risk of outdated specifications or missing details is dramatically reduced.
Empowered teams
Non-technical users can create highly customised documents without needing design or development support, freeing up internal resources.
“Jask proposed a solution rooted in their extensive prior experience, and it showed. They quickly understood our requirements and worked with the systems we already had in place, plugging directly into our existing PIM system. Their ability to navigate our tools and processes added real value from day one. The result is a fast, automated solution that has transformed how we produce documents, and, just as importantly, has been built with the flexibility to grow with us in the future.”
Alex Gardiner
Director of Marketing & Digital Development
Wrekin Products
A repeatable model for many industries
What we learned from building this tool for Civitec is that the underlying approach is widely applicable. Any business that relies on structured product or service data – whether in manufacturing, technology, construction, or professional services – can benefit from automating how that data is presented and shared.
By bridging the gap between internal systems and external-facing documents, businesses can move faster, stay consistent, and make better use of the data they already have.
Sometimes, the biggest wins don’t come from new information, but from smarter ways of using it.
Interested in how a custom PDF generator could transform your Product Marketing?
Talk to us today about how we can help you maximise the value of your Product Information.