Water pump manufacturer, Grundfos, transforms global product experience in partnership with Akeneo

Grundfos, the world’s largest manufacturer of water pumps has transformed product experience across more than 60 countries globally – centralising and enriching its product information, streamlining the production of complex print and digital assets in partnership with Akeneo, the Product Experience (PX) company and leading provider of Product Information Management (PIM) solutions.

Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Denmark, Grundfos is the world’s largest manufacturer of water pumps, including circulator, submersible, and centrifugal pumps. The company operates in over 60 countries, employing more than 20,000 people, and operates a multifaceted sales strategy that includes wholesale, B2B and DTC channels.

Given the size and complexity of its operating model, historically Grundfos had experienced significant challenges with inconsistent product data that had been developed across regions and internal systems. With no centralised data platform and no clear ownership of product content, each country maintained its own version of product data truth with data fragmented across multiple platforms and no unified control or oversight.

As a result, it was difficult for teams to ensure accuracy, leading to long delays and excessive manual work, including repeated checks across ERP systems. Additionally, the need to manage diverse local requirements, including language, regulatory compliance, and market-specific product variations, presented further significant hurdles.

Henrik Jensen, Product Experience Management Consultant, explained that the company needed a single, reliable source of product truth. “We can have the best water pumps in the world, but without accurate, up-to-date technical information to support their safe and proper installation, the value of those products was at risk,” commented Jensen.

Grundfos recognised the need for a transformative approach and partnered with Akeneo in 2016 as a foundational partner within its technology stack.

Grundfos’s SAP system and GPI web backend send product data to Productsup where the data is refined, adjusted, and cleaned before being imported into Akeneo, where it is enriched and managed in a user-friendly, structured format.

This structure supports several critical business functions, including the production of Grundfos’s price books, which are vital for the company’s global operations. These price books—each tailored to individual markets—contain detailed pricing and product data. Akeneo supports the creation of over 60 versions annually, amounting to more than 31,000 pages, with data dynamically linked to websites and enhanced through user analytics. While Akeneo PIM’s native GenAI capabilities allow for the rapid translation of content into multiple languages.

Additionally, Akeneo is enabling Grundfos to assert greater control over how its brand is represented by third-party wholesalers listing its products on marketplaces such as Building Masterdata. Through the provision of centralised data, Grundfos ensures that accurate and approved information is available to and used by third parties, maintaining its reputation and providing a consistent experience for consumers.

Artificial intelligence is also playing a growing role in the company’s product data journey. With more than 350,000 SKUs in the Akeneo system—and the same number of product translations to maintain—the business also utilises Akeneo’s AI-powered tools to auto-generate titles and descriptions.

“By bringing price books product data under central control, we are not just improving operations—we’re strengthening our brand, supporting sustainability, and preparing for the future,” Jensen commented.

Justin Thomas, VP Sales EMEA North at Akeneo commented: “Grundfos is an example of the complexity of maintaining product experience across a large multinational business. Not only does Akeneo allow them to centralise product data, eliminate redundant manual processes, and ensure consistency across every touchpoint, it is a fundamental tool in the maintenance of brand integrity across all its internal and external consumer touchpoints.”