The challenges, solutions and what we learned along the way
Context:
The IKEA Knowledge Graph (IKG) is central to digital transformation across the IKEA value chain. It enriches customer experiences both online and offline.
Lead Ontologist Christelle Maignan describes how the IKG is bridging the gap between physical and digital customer experiences.
What’s already being deployed:
On the IKEA website visitors receive high-quality product recommendations, made possible by the magic of the IKG's reasoning capabilities, designed to enhance the online shopping experience.
What’s next:
The new frontier for the IKG is to foster informed, sustainable choices both online and offline by providing customers with detailed product information via Digital Product Passports (DPPs), in compliance with the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Such a task requires the participation of a multitude of stakeholders, creating new challenges for the IKG team.
The expansion of the IKG marks a shift from a centralised to a decentralised strategy. Domain teams drive advancements within their areas, enhancing specialised solutions while maintaining unified coherence. Breaking data silos and ensuring consistency across domain teams is key to seamless integration and high-quality development.
Never forget governance:
In a large franchise system like IKEA governance can be a challenge. Effective governance frameworks and protocols are crucial for maintaining order and accountability. The IKG solution: detailed metadata that defines clear roles and responsibilities, from ontologies to named graphs, right down to the level of attributes where necessary. A solution that ensures structured collaboration across functions.