Interactive Product Portfolio for BASF

‍Client Context & Objective

Our client is a German multinational chemical corporation with over 110,000 employees and five major production plants across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. With a €59 billion annual revenue and a product offering spanning six industrial segments, the company needed to modernize a critical component of its sales process: the product portfolio.

Sales teams had been using a static, 100-page PDF portfolio — difficult to navigate, often outdated, and unsuited for dynamic client meetings. Field sales managers and presale teams struggled with inconsistent information and slow internal coordination, especially when requesting samples from production. The client turned to Infinity Technologies to build a centralized digital solution that would replace outdated tools, streamline product access, and connect marketing with on-the-ground sales efforts.

Challenges

The legacy approach of relying on hard-copy or Excel-based product documentation posed several challenges:

• Frequent use of outdated product and marketing information during sales demos
• Fragmented communication between presale teams and production departments
• Inefficient selection process for complex products with regulatory, functional, and market-specific attributes
• Long onboarding times for new sales managers and difficulty accessing up-to-date product availability

To overcome these hurdles, the platform needed to:

• Offer real-time access to product data, marketing collateral, and technical specs
• Automate sample request workflows from presale to production
• Support filtering and evaluation of products based on dozens of customizable criteria
• Function across multiple continents, teams, and devices

Our Solution

Infinity Technologies delivered a full-featured, mobile-optimized product portfolio web application designed for high usability, enterprise-grade scalability, and seamless integration with existing data sources. The project included both frontend and backend development, as well as product discovery and business analysis to fine-tune the solution architecture.

Key Capabilities and Innovations

• Smart Product Filters and Categorization
  Products were grouped by application area, functionality, and regulatory compliance, enabling users to apply multiple layers of filters for faster identification. The flexible filter engine supports dynamic combinations, helping customers in regulated industries (e.g., pharmaceuticals, agriculture) quickly find compliant options.
• Stepwise Data Exploration Workflow
  A guided interface enables users to:
• Select the target application area
  1. View product overviews with real-time marketing updates
  2. Compare functionality, technical specs, and usage recommendations
  3. Initiate sample requests directly to production with one click
• Automated Sample Request Pipeline
  Presale teams can now initiate production sample requests directly from product cards. These requests are automatically routed to the appropriate production unit based on geography, product line, and request priority.
• Legacy Excel Parser and Data Transformation
  The platform includes a backend service that parses legacy Excel files, normalizes product data, and syncs it with the database. This ensures the latest information is always reflected in the user interface — eliminating outdated PDFs and version conflicts.
• Cross-Platform Adaptive UI
  The application works seamlessly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices, enabling on-the-go usage during field meetings and global conferences. The interface was designed for non-technical users, with fast search, intuitive categorization, and demo-friendly presentation modes.

Technology Stack

To ensure performance, scalability, and smooth data integration, the system was developed using:

• Frontend: Angular — chosen for its robust component model and enterprise maintainability
• Backend: Node.js — enabling event-driven, non-blocking APIs for high throughput
• E-commerce Layer: Magento — powering catalog management and optional eCommerce features (e.g., quote requests, B2B user roles)
• Excel Parsing: Custom-built parsing engine for ingesting XLSX product sheets and converting them into structured database entries
• Database & Hosting: Cloud-hosted PostgreSQL and scalable Node services deployed using Docker containers
• Integration Layer: RESTful APIs for sample request workflows, marketing updates, and internal ERP synchronization

Security, auditability, and access control were handled via JWT tokens, granular role-based permissions, and admin review features.

Business Impact

The solution dramatically improved the client’s presale operations:

• Demo Readiness: Sales reps always have the most up-to-date product, regulatory, and marketing information — reducing demo preparation time by over 60%.
• Sample Request Efficiency: Presale-to-production request time was reduced from days to minutes.
• Sales Onboarding: The new platform significantly shortened the learning curve for new hires, reducing onboarding time by 30–40%.
• Client Experience: The streamlined, interactive experience helped sales teams close deals faster and react instantly to customer questions about availability, compliance, or specifications.

Additionally, by centralizing and digitizing the product catalog, the company reduced its reliance on outdated Excel files and paper brochures — improving governance, version control, and marketing ROI.

Scalability & Industry Adaptability

While tailored for a global chemical manufacturing context, the architecture is fully adaptable to any industry where product portfolios play a central role in sales — including pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment, automotive parts, and enterprise hardware.

The same framework could support future use cases such as:

• Integration with CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote) tools
• AI-powered product recommendation engines
• Localization for multilingual teams and markets
• Advanced analytics dashboards for sales and product performance

Conclusion

Infinity Technologies delivered a powerful and elegant B2B solution that equips global sales teams with the tools they need to perform — anytime, anywhere. The platform blends complex data handling with intuitive design, helping sales reps present smarter, respond faster, and close more deals with confidence.

This project exemplifies our strength in delivering full-cycle custom software solutions that address operational inefficiencies while opening new paths to business growth.

‍

‍