German e-Commerce Leader Achieves Over 80% Reduction in Content Creation Time and Costs with AX Semantics’ AI-powered Natural Language Generation Software

AX Semantics is an AWS Select Technology Partner

Executive Summary

hmmh, Germany’s leading agency in connected commerce wanted to help its retail customers improve internationalization, scalability, personalization, and real-time content generation. hmmh partnered with AWS Partner, AX Semantics, to help customers switch from handwritten content to automated content which helped improve time to market and conversion rates.

From Multi-Channel to Connected Commerce

hmmh brought e-Commerce to Germany more than 25 years ago and remains an influential market leader today that actively influences developments in the e-Commerce sector. The company believes connected commerce represents the logical continuation of the multi-channel business, where the various channels become touchpoints and the boundaries between online and offline disappear – with relevant content accessible at any time, at any place and across all devices.

hmmh helps e-Commerce companies master all challenges associated with digital product presentation, with a focus on three key areas: 1) Technology: Implementation of Product Information Management (PIM) systems to ensure integration into the existing IT infrastructure, with a focus on the implementation of NLG solutions for automated text creation in e-Commerce; 2) Content: Content for product presentation in e-Commerce with a strong focus on the optimization and enrichment of product data; and 3) Processes: The introduction of new technical systems by accompanying the chance process at the customer's site.

Generating Quality Product Descriptions at Scale

Intense competition exists within e-Commerce and quality content is a vital part of the digital production presentation. To meet these challenges, hmmh needed a solution that could:

  • Generate quality descriptions of e-Commerce products and provide marketing automation
  • Work seamlessly alongside editors
  • Provide transparency in the pricing model
  • Ensure easy handling, simple onboarding and positive results

“We searched the market for solutions, and compared existing offers and technologies against each other in order to make an informed decision… we chose AX Semantics because of the software’s technological maturity and extensive features that addressed not only our needs, but especially the needs of our customers.”

- Philip Kruse, Unit Director, hmmh

AI-powered Natural Language Generation

hmmh engaged with AX Semantics, an AWS Partner, to address the above challenges. AX Semantics' AI-powered natural language generation (NLG) software is versatile, powerful and 100% SaaS-based. The NLG SaaS solution is built on AWS which allows end customers to access the solution via a desk or web browser with no programming experience. AX integrates AI for grammatical alignment and prediction, providing access to its NLG tool in 110 languages in a manner of minutes, helping companies scale rapidly and globally. Designed with integrated, self-service e-learning capabilities, customers can start automating text within 48 hours.

AX Semantics empowered hmmh with the ability to:

  • Provide digital innovations to help its customers
  • Extend hmmh’s portfolio of technologies in the area of NLG
  • Help its customers take the step into hybrid editing
  • Deliver technologically mature software with easy handling and good results
  • Ensure good documentation and accessibility

AX Semantics’ intuitive technology helps solve one of e-commerce’s biggest pain points: the ability to create vast quantities of unique product descriptions in multiple languages at scale. Sophisticated, yet easy to use, AX Semantics’ software makes automated content generation accessible to e-commerce companies of all sizes and allows them to publish unique product descriptions. AX Semantics’ AI-powered software creates a hybrid environment where content is borne from a partnership between man and machine, freeing up workers to focus on more creative business tasks and projects while still producing massive volumes of content.

Transparent and Elastic Pricing, Powered by the AWS Cloud

One of the key differentiators of AX Semantics’ solution is its transparent, monthly pricing plan, which enables customers to pay for what they use without forcing them to sign up for a long term commitment. As a cloud native solution, customers benefit from the pay-as-you-go and elastic capabilities that the cloud offers helping businesses of all sizes compete with a budget range right for them.

To manage this dynamic usage at a cost effective price point and meet the SLA commitments, AX Semantics leverages AWS spot instances, which allow customers and partners to take advantage of unused compute (EC2) capacity in the AWS Cloud. Spot Instances are available at up to a 90% discount compared to On-Demand prices. AX Semantics also adopted best practices for cloud native development by automating infrastructure management (100% infrastructure as a code) and a serverless architecture, which drove down total cost of ownership for its end customers, while offering a reliable solution.

hmmh took part in extensive on-site training with AX Semantics to fully understand and incorporate AX Semantics content generation software. Utilizing the materials and software AX Semantics provided, hmmh was able to take this knowledge and software and incorporate it into their company to help its e-commerce customers attain greater success with content generation.

“We’re really a solution for the digital age, and we’re giving companies ‘superpowers’ so they can effortlessly publish quality content and grow. Partnering with AWS helps us provide AI-Powered Content Generation as an open SaaS tool that everyone can use for innovation - independent of industry, sector and company size.”

- Robert Weißgraeber, MD and CTO, AX Semantics

Results

hmmh customers saw results in three areas:

  • Financial/ROI: for hmmh customers, the switch from handwritten content to automated content made sense in terms of price point and time saved. One customer, within the fashion industry, reported a reduction in average text creation costs by 85%.
  • Conversion/Time Savings: after integration of AX Semantics’ software, hmmh customers increased conversion rates, with one DIY customer noting a reduction in average time to content by 82%.
  • Customer Satisfaction: hmmh’s customers have reported reaping the benefits of automated content generation created out of the partnership between hmmh, AX Semantics and AWS.

Additionally, the hmmh team responsible for text automation continues to expand its knowledge and partnership with AX Semantics to develop innovative and reliable solutions, enabling hmmh’s customers now and in the future to create quality content within the e-commerce market.

hmmh

About hmmh

hmmh is Germany's leading agency in connected commerce helping companies in this sector with their digital transformation.
 
CHALLENGE
hmmh wanted to enable its customers generate quality product descriptions at scale while reducing time and costs.
 
SOLUTION
hmmh uses AX Semantics’ AI-powered natural language generation (NLG) software, Backed by AWS, this software allows editors with no programming experience create and publish unique product descriptions.
 
RESULTS
Reduction in content creation time and costs and improved conversion rates. A fashion customer, reported an 85% reduction in average text creation costs. Another hmmh customer noted an 82% reduction in content creation time.

About AX Semantics

AX Semantics is an AI-powered, natural language generation (NLG) software company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Their SaaS-based solution on AWS effortlessly creates vast quantities of content at scale in more than 110 languages and is used by 500+ customers in e-commerce, publishing, finance, and media sectors.

Published October 2020