Stop drowning in product data. Add value with Product Information Management

By Jennifer Montérémal

Published: November 9, 2024

In the digital age, data continues to multiply, to the point where it's becoming difficult for the professionals who handle it to keep their heads above the tide.

This is all the more true for product information, which is becoming more and more important, but also invaluable in satisfying an increasingly fussy consumer. Who hasn't complained about the paucity of product information on their favorite marketplace?

Fortunately, Product Information Management (PIM) software exists to process and enhance this product information... and save precious time for e-commerce managers and marketing teams alike.

Interesting, isn't it?

What are the features and promises of this magical PIM? We tell you all about it.

See all software PIM and PXM

What exactly is Product Information Management?

A brief definition of PIM

When we talk about Product Information Management, or PIM, we're referring to software dedicated to managing product data in its entirety.

🇫🇷 In France, we also use the acronym GIP (Gestion de l'Information Produit).

In short, a PIM solution is responsible for :

automatically collects product information from your ERP, for example;
centralize it within a single interface;
enables it to be modified and enhanced;
send this information to all types of business, for distribution on :
- your e-commerce sites,
- your marketplaces,
- marketing channels (e.g. print catalogs).

What types of data are managed?

Since the beginning, we've been talking about product information. OK... but what kind of information exactly?

A PIM manages all the data used to characterize an item. For example :

codes (EAN, GTIN, SKU, etc.),
name
brand name
descriptions,
photographs,
technical information,
instructions for use,
price,
customer reviews and/or comments, etc.

PIM vs DAM

PIM should not be confused with DAM (Digital Asset Management), even though they are necessarily linked. In fact, some software packages integrate both functionalities.

👉 While PIM refers to product information, DAM concerns the management of a company's digital media:

photos,
videos,
audio files, etc.

Why use a PIM? Numerous challenges and benefits

The challenges of Product Information Management

In a business environment where data is constantly growing and coming from a variety of sources, having a tool that centralizes and standardizes information is rapidly becoming essential.

At the same time, the number of channels through which products are distributed is multiplying, each with its own specificities. For example, each marketplace has its own rules for product descriptions (fields to be filled in, number of characters, etc.).

Added to these challenges are the constraints of communication and collaboration:

with suppliers,
between teams within the same structure, sometimes scattered over different sites.

In this context, Product Information Management offers a number of advantages.

Benefit no. 1: improve and harmonize product information

Despite a large number of product references, some teams (marketing, purchasing, catalogs, etc.) still process information "the old-fashioned way", using Excel files in particular.

But this can quickly turn into a gas factory, not to mention the risk of errors (typing errors, deleting lines, etc.) and duplication.

Thanks to Product Information Management :

You benefit from a reliable solution. All data is grouped together and unified within a single platform to automate and facilitate processing.
You'll be able to handle any situation without having to worry about it, and guarantee consumers an enhanced product experience . For example, the same reference is sometimes available in different colors, sizes... each with its own EAN code, while the main descriptions remain the same. PIM manages these peculiarities!

💡 Good to know: the richer and more accurate the product information, the fewer items will be returned to you by customers who don't match their expectations.

Advantage no. 2: save a LOT of time

All professionals are relentless in their pursuit of time... but the good news is that with Product Information Management, you save bandwidth!

Do you need to update your part numbers? Would you like to add a new range to your catalog? Are you planning to enter a new market?

Updating information, creating new product sheets... all much faster with PIM. For example, data can be imported directly from various sources (your ERP, a supplier file, etc.), and distributed in just a few clicks to all your distribution and communication channels.

Benefit no. 3: make your products more attractive

In both physical and online retailing, the competition is tough. Product data is a good way to stand out from the crowd.

Since Product Information Management simplifies data qualification, generate attractive product sheets by adding fields and elements that meet new consumer requirements:

origin of items and ingredients,
customer reviews
labels and certifications (organic, vegan, fair trade, etc.).

🖼️ "A picture is worth a thousand words".

This well-known adage is all the more true in the world of commerce. But as most PIMs also integrate DAM functionalities, add inspiring photographs or videos to your product information.

Benefit no. 4: conquer the world!

Like Cortex, you want to conquer the world... or at least sell your products outside France?

Every market has its own particularities, and Product Information Management software makes it easier to take them into account.

Here are just a few examples:

Choose to open or close a product category to a particular country;
Adjust the fields and information required on product descriptions to comply with current regulations (product composition, traceability, etc.);
Select the most suitable distribution channels.

🌍 International sales mean translation. And you can simplify the work of your translators if all the data is centralized in one place!

Benefit no. 5: develop sales strategies

"Offer the right product to the right person at the right time". This is the strategy that every good salesperson or marketer must follow.

PIM enables cross-selling and up-selling, by intelligently associating items based on pre-defined rules. In this way, you encourage up-selling and up-marketing, and thus increase your sales.

Benefit no. 5: increase your visibility on the Internet...

On the e-commerce side

Product Information Management tools are designed to make your products more visible in Google search results.

Various fields and elements are provided to optimize your SEO: H1, H2, meta tags, photographs, etc.

Marketplaces

Would you like to sell on marketplaces such as Amazon or CDiscount?

Once the data has been centralized in your PIM, you can assign rules to ensure that the format of your product sheets is adapted to the marketplace on which they will be displayed.

Benefit no. 6:... and increase your visibility in the physical world

Product Information Management isn't just for the Internet!

With this type of software, you can easily generate print catalogs or sales brochures from a pre-defined template.

☝️ Product data also enhances the customer experience at the point of sale. Why not, for example, provide visitors with touch-screen tablets to inform them about your products?

Benefit no. 7: facilitate collaboration

PIM supports the implementation of workflows.

Example:

The catalog team enters the main data,
then the marketing department enriches them to make them more attractive,
before the SEO experts add their stone to the edifice to ensure the positioning of product pages in search results.

All this is achieved by means of traceable processes and a history of all changes made.

Who is Product Information Management for?

Product Information Management software is aimed primarily at retailers and e-tailers, to help them manage their product catalogs, which sometimes contain several thousand items.

Within companies themselves, various departments or entities are impacted by the use of a PIM:

e-commerce managers and their teams, responsible for working with product data and contextualizing it according to the distribution channel, in order to optimize online sales;
marketing and communications departments, who need up-to-date data for their various campaigns and operations;
information systems managers, who need to structure the information circulating internally;
purchasing managers, who want to facilitate commercial relations with suppliers.

How does a PIM work?

General operation

The general operation of a product information management solution is based on 3 main activities.

Collecting product information

The PIM takes charge of collecting data from various sources, such as your ERP, but also Excel files sent by your suppliers.

💡 It's possible to proceed "from scratch" and generate a product sheet from A to Z by filling in the various fields by hand.

All this information is then brought together in the tool, within a single product repository.

Updating product information

The data is then reworked by the relevant departments.

Fields must be completed to ensure that :

the product page meets your quality requirements,
all required information is entered,
the product sheet is perfectly adapted to a given distribution channel,
translations are carried out, where necessary, for international trade.

Products are also classified and linked to the relevant catalogs.

☝️ As we have seen, marketing and SEO teams can intervene at this point to optimize data for marketing purposes.

Distributing product information

Finally, once the information has been perfectly qualified, the PIM automates its distribution via the various :

digital channels:
- e-commerce platforms,
- marketplaces,
- mobile applications, etc,
physical channels:
- points of sale,
- print documents, etc,
departments concerned:
- marketing,
- communication,
- sales, etc.

Key functionalities

To support the uses described above, a PIM includes numerous functionalities. While they vary from one solution to another, here are the main ones:

Data import from various sources,
Data export to various channels,
Management of product variations,
Data segmentation,
Translation management,
Workflows and validations,
Performance monitoring dashboards,
Information system integration.

💡 Good to know: as a reminder, Product Information Management software can include DAM functionalities, an indispensable tool in a context where digital resources bring a lot of value to the presentation of your items.

Otherwise, a good PIM should at least have connectors to interface with a Digital Asset Management solution.

How do you choose and implement your future PIM?

Define your objectives precisely

First and foremost, ask yourself why you feel the need to equip yourself with a Product Information Management tool.

To save time in managing your product information?
Improve data quality to boost sales?
Streamline processes between different departments?
Go international? Etc.

In this way, you can identify the course you need to take to launch your PIM project.

Define your needs by asking the right questions

Which functionalities?

PIM functional coverage varies from one software package to another.

We recommend that you list the features you absolutely need. After consultation, of course, with the business teams concerned, who are in the best position to identify day-to-day problems and uses.

The nature and quantity of data to be processed?

Here too, Product Information Management tools differ.

So it's imperative that you choose a solution that's adapted to :

the average amount of product information processed in your company,
the complexity of your product repository.

Scalability?

Your future needs will certainly not be the same as your current ones.

Ask yourself about the scalability of the PIMs you've selected, and choose the one that will perfectly match your growth ambitions:

easily add new functionalities,
support growing data volumes, etc.

Connecting with other tools?

By connecting your PIM with other tools, you can automate many of your processes, and save precious time.

So make sure your future software interfaces with :

your ERP,
your e-commerce platform
marketplaces, etc.

SaaS or On Premise?

What type of hosting should you choose? SaaS or On Premise?

It's up to you to decide, based on your needs and the technical skills you have in-house.

☝️ Note, however, that SaaS is particularly suited to companies looking for a turnkey solution that's quick to deploy. The cloud also has the advantage of better supporting remote activities (a simple Internet connection is all that's needed). This is particularly useful if you have employees working from home or spread out over different sites.

What level of support and assistance?

Is the publisher's customer service available and responsive? This can make a big difference in the event of a problem with your software.

In addition, consider the level of support offered for setting up PIM within the company, especially if you don't have in-house technical teams.

Finally, there's the question of skills transfer. Even if your Product Information Management tool turns out to be rather intuitive, it's not easy for your teams to get the hang of it! So it's a good idea to opt for a vendor who offers a solid training program tailored to users' skill levels.

Select and test solutions

Once you've defined your needs, it's time to start looking for the ideal PIM. Start by shortlisting several platforms (three, for example) in line with your criteria.

This will be followed by product demos and tests, so that the members of the company involved in the project can get an idea of the potential of each one, both in terms of the functionalities offered and the user-friendliness of the interface.

Example of a PIM

With all this advice in hand, you're probably wondering which solution to choose.

There are many Product Information Management software packages on the market. Take Pimalion, for example. A PIM, DAM and ETL (Extract Transform Load) in one, the platform is also equipped with numerous multi-channel publishing connectors. As a result, you benefit from a truly all-in-one tool, with broad functional coverage for managing all product information (even very large volumes): from data acquisition and qualitative enrichment ("sourcing") to dynamic multi-channel web, print and digital publication ("publishing").