Morel Diffusion: a digital transformation that blossoms with the Quable PIM

Morel Diffusion is a family business founded in 1919 by Pierre Morel. Based in Fréjus on a 3-hectare site, it is the global benchmark in breeding and seed production for cyclamen persicum. Today, Morel Diffusion offers more than 300 cyclamen varieties, which it exports to seed and young plant merchants worldwide. Backed by the investment fund Evolem, the group is pursuing an external growth strategy, with the goal of growing from a small business into a mid-market company. But to get there, the company has to make a major shift: going digital. When Sophie Dyrlund, Digital Project Manager, joined the company two years ago, she saw the need to centralize all of the company’s data in a PIM, the first building block of the group’s digital transformation. A project delivered by Synolia x Quable.

Centralize first, then go digital

Since 1919, Morel Diffusion has specialized in selling flowering plant seeds, and more specifically cyclamen seeds. As a small B2B business, the company mainly serves seed merchants around the world and, indirectly, horticulturists and distributors. Sales are handled by regional managers, directly in the field.

For several years now, Morel Diffusion has been aiming to grow from a small business into a mid-market company. To get there, it is pursuing external growth while also taking its first steps toward digital transformation.

Redesigning the corporate website, which dated back to 2008, seemed to be the top priority. But with more than 350 cyclamen varieties, 8 languages, and information scattered across countless files, Sophie Dyrlund, Digital Project Manager, quickly shifted the focus to implementing a PIM.

The Morel Diffusion brief

A PIM to centralize information on every cyclamen variety, in eight languages, and kick off a broader digital strategy.

With a website redesign and the company’s digital transformation in mind, Sophie Dyrlund called for a PIM solution. The objectives:

• Centralize text and media data for 350 products
• Localize the data (in 8 languages)
• Build a reliable source of data
• Improve processes and communication between internal departments (information sharing, time savings, fewer errors, etc.)
• Share reliable, complete product information across the entire network of partners and direct and indirect customers (merchants, horticulturists, distributors, and consumers)

Synolia x Quable

After an in-depth benchmark of the PIM solutions on the market, Sophie Dyrlund opted for a SaaS solution requiring little to no development or maintenance.

Quable stood out for its combined PIM/DAM capabilities, which make it easy to manage media content (photos, videos, etc.).

Quable also made the difference with its brand portal, which gives the group’s partners access to all product information through a Morel Diffusion-branded interface.

As its integration partner, Morel Diffusion chose Synolia on the recommendation of one of our customers.

A look back at project scoping and deployment

The specification workshops began in October 2023 and involved, as needed, the sales director (for product information modeling), the technical director (for technical information modeling), and the media library manager (for asset management).
After training with our team, Sophie Dyrlund took over importing the data in all languages. She also trained all internal (non-admin) users in a fun, hands-on format to drive adoption of the tool.

Since July 2024, the PIM has been up and running internally. And Morel Diffusion plans to open access to its key customers starting in October 2024.

How the tool is used and the benefits it delivers

Today, five employees (on the marketing team) use the PIM as administrators. Sophie Dyrlund explains that the tool saves a remarkable amount of time in product information management by simplifying everything, from integrating digital content to enriching attributes.

The brand portal also adds real value to the user and customer experience. It removes the need to develop a dedicated application and helps streamline the information system.

Morel Diffusion’s employees and customers will be able to instantly access any information about a variety.

For Morel Diffusion, this PIM project is a major first step in its digital transformation. It paves the way for other major projects, such as the website redesign and, of course, integrating the site with the Quable PIM/DAM.