What is PIM?
Definition, Benefits, and Implementation Guide

Definition of PIM (Product Information Management)

What is a PIM solution?

PIM (Product Information Management) is a software solution that allows companies to centralise, structure, enrich their product data, and then distribute it across all their sales and communication channels.

By serving as a Single Source of Truth, a PIM guarantees the quality, consistency, and accessibility of product information regardless of its source: ERP, CRM, suppliers, Excel files, CMS, ETL, etc.

 

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What are the differences between PIM, DAM, and MDM?

In a data management strategy, PIM (Product Information Management) and DAM (Digital Asset Management) are components of MDM (Master Data Management), which plays a central role in data unification and governance.

MDM is a comprehensive solution for structuring, centralising, and ensuring the quality of all the company’s master data, notably:

• Product data via PIM; PIM is an MDM component that structures and enriches product data before distribution.
• Visual and multimedia data via DAM; DAM is an MDM component that manages multimedia files associated with products or not, and marketing content.
• Third-party data (suppliers, stores, partners, customers, etc.)

MDM orchestrates all master data (products, suppliers, stores, customers, etc.), guaranteeing its quality and availability across all channels.

The importance of PIM in an omnichannel context

In an omnichannel environment, where consumers navigate a journey that includes: eCommerce sites, marketplaces, mobile applications, physical points of sale, and catalogues, the consistency and quality of product information are essential. A PIM (Product Information Management) enables the centralisation, structuring, and enrichment of this data to ensure a fluid and uniform experience across all channels. By automating the dissemination of information and ensuring its real-time updating, PIM improves the reliability of product sheets, reduces errors, and optimises time-to-market. It thus becomes a strategic asset for companies seeking to offer a seamless customer experience, while facilitating data management for internal teams.

 

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What is the purpose of a PIM?

The primary role of the PIM is to facilitate the collection of your product and technical information from multiple sources. It enables omnichannel organisation and distribution and thus contributes to the enrichment of information visible to consumers.

The process is simple: as soon as a product is created in the company’s information system (often coming from the ERP), the PIM collects the raw information and centralises it for the attention of marketing and product teams, etc. At this precise moment, the work of enriching the new product’s information can begin. When the product sheet reaches the correct quality level, it is automatically distributed across sales and communication channels.

Thanks to automation and process optimisation, a PIM solution allows companies to reduce errors, accelerate their time-to-market, and offer an enriched product experience across eCommerce platforms, marketplaces, print or digital catalogues, mobile applications, and physical points of sale.

The essential functions of Product Information Management:

• Centralisation and inventory of product information: consolidation of data from different sources (ERP, suppliers, internal teams, etc.).
• Cleaning of product data: elimination of inconsistencies, duplicates, and errors to ensure optimal quality.
• Collaborative enrichment of product data: addition of marketing, technical, and regulatory attributes, translation, and adaptation to different channels.
• Distribution of product information: publication of enriched data across all customer contact points (eCommerce site, marketplace, mobile applications, physical media, etc.).

The advantages of a PIM: Why adopt this solution?

The main benefits of a PIM

• Time saving on product data management: elimination of time-consuming manual tasks through automation.
• Improvement of information quality: uniform, complete, and always up-to-date product data.
• Reduction of errors and inconsistencies: elimination of duplicates and version control to prevent any incorrect information.
• Optimisation of time-to-market: acceleration of online publishing and rapid dissemination of products across all channels.
• Use of reliable and updated master data: guarantee of always relevant product information, updated in real time.
• Control of information on each distribution channel: coherent and uniform data dissemination across multiple channels, guaranteeing a fluid and friction-free user experience.

The main business challenges of a PIM

• Making information management easier despite the explosion of product data volume, by offering a centralised and agile solution.
• Facilitating collaboration between internal teams and partners, even when working from different sites or countries.
• Improving the customer experience by guaranteeing rich, accurate, and engaging product sheets.
• Securing data by ensuring its integrity and compliance with current standards.

Improvement of customer and supplier relations: better communication and fluid exchange of product data to strengthen collaboration with partners.

The impact of PIM on productivity

• Automation of repetitive tasks: data classification, automatic information updating, catalogue generation, etc.—all processes optimised for significant productivity gains.
• Creation of dynamic and automatic print catalogues: automation of print catalogue creation by centralising product data and integrating it with DTP tools such as Adobe InDesign, EasyCatalog, ActivPublishing, etc. It generates up-to-date layouts in a few clicks, ensuring consistency and speed while avoiding errors.

• Production of product reporting: precise monitoring of product performance, identification of possible improvements, and adjustment of sales strategies.

Obtaining a better return on investment: reduction of operational costs, acceleration of product sheet updates, and increased sales thanks to optimised product information.

PIM and eCommerce: a winning duo

Managing an eCommerce product catalogue involves many constraints: diversity of unique references (SKU), multiplication of sales channels (eCommerce sites, marketplaces, physical stores, etc.), frequent updating of information, and the need for perfect consistency across all platforms. However, using Excel files to manipulate this data quickly becomes inefficient, time-consuming, and error-prone.

Thanks to a PIM, eCommerce companies can structure, centralise, and enrich their product information in an automated way, thus guaranteeing product sheets that are always up-to-date and optimised for conversion.

• Better management of product sheets on eCommerce sites and marketplaces (Amazon, Shopify, Magento, etc.), with centralised and homogeneous information across all channels.
• Considerable time saving by automating the management of product attributes (dimensions, colours, materials, etc.) and facilitating the creation of relationships between products (cross-sell, up-sell, bundles, etc.).
• Improvement of SEO thanks to richer content: detailed descriptions, optimised attributes, images, and videos, which increases product visibility on search engines.
• A direct impact on the conversion rate, with more exhaustive, clear, and engaging product sheets, reinforcing consumer confidence and facilitating the act of purchase.
• A reduction in the customer return rate, by providing accurate and reliable information (exact dimensions, materials, compatibility, usage guide, etc.), thus avoiding purchasing errors and improving customer satisfaction.
• A streamlined eCommerce back-office, by freeing the eCommerce platform from storing and managing product data. The PIM centralises all information and sends it dynamically to the site, thus reducing the back-office load and improving site performance.
• Faster time-to-market in new markets, thanks to automatic translations and multilingual management of product sheets. This allows for rapid testing of international markets before fully investing in them, by easily adapting product catalogues to local languages and specificities.

Sectors where PIM is essential

PIM is particularly strategic for sectors requiring advanced product data management, such as retail, industry, construction, fashion, healthcare, and international eCommerce.

 
• Brands and Manufacturers: Structuring and enriching product sheets to ensure homogeneous and attractive information across all channels.

 

• Industry and Construction (BTP): Standardisation of technical data and compliance with specific formats such as FAB-DIS, ETIM.

 

• Distributors and eCommerce: Centralisation of product catalogues with advanced management of languages, currencies, and markets (B2C, B2B, etc.).

 

• Service Companies: Optimisation of sharing and utilisation of product data within the scope of their services.

 

• Healthcare and Pharmacy: Ensuring traceability and compliance with current regulatory standards.

 

• Fashion and Luxury: Organisation of collections, management of variants, and multilingual content for fluid international distribution.

Who uses PIM and why?

As soon as you want to optimise the dissemination of product information and strengthen interactions between the different players in your ecosystem, the question of implementing a PIM arises. Such a solution targets several profiles within the company, each with specific stakes:

 
• Technical Teams (IT Department, CTO, IT): they need to guarantee the structuring, quality, and security of data. A PIM ensures effective governance of product information and facilitates its integration with other systems (ERP, eCommerce, PLM, CRM, DAM, MDM, etc.).

 

• Decision-makers and business strategists (CEO, CMO, eCommerce, Product Manager, Data): centralisation and governance of product data are key performance levers. A PIM accelerates time-to-market, improves information consistency across all channels, and allows for the personalisation of the product experience.

 

• Purchasing Teams: they must ensure the integrity and consistency of information provided by suppliers. A PIM facilitates the onboarding of new partners and guarantees optimised management of product references.

Concrete examples of use

 
• Brand X: reduction of time-to-market by 30% thanks to PIM

 

• Retailer Y: increase in conversion rate thanks to enriched product sheets

How to implement a PIM in your company?

What criteria for choosing your PIM?

The choice of a Product Information Management (PIM) solution must be made by considering the specific needs of the company. Since each organisation has its own challenges, it is essential to select a flexible and scalable solution that adapts to its evolution, its ecosystem, and its strategic objectives.

 

• Ergonomics and ease of use

An intuitive and easy-to-use solution guarantees rapid adoption by teams and better efficiency in product data management.

 

• Flexibility and power of the solution

The PIM must be capable of evolving with the company, managing increasing volumes of data, and adapting to new business challenges.

 

• TCO

Project cost (initial investment)

These are the costs related to the acquisition and deployment of the PIM solution.

 
• Licenses and subscriptions: purchase (on-premise) or subscription.

 

• Installation and configuration costs: initial setup of the PIM.

 

• Integration cost: connections with ERP, CRM, eCommerce, DAM, MDM, etc.

 

• Specific development: necessary adaptations to meet business needs.

 

• Initial team training: training of business and IT users.

Run cost (operation and maintenance)

These costs are recurrent and concern the daily use of the PIM.

 
• Technical support and maintenance: SLA, technical assistance.

 

• Updates and patches: application of new versions.

 

• Data storage: impact of data volume on hosting.

 

• Infrastructure operating cost: servers, SaaS or on-premise hosting.

 

• Security and compliance: compliance with GDPR, ISO standards.

Evolution and scalability cost

These costs are linked to the adaptability and growth of the PIM over time.

 
• Adding users: cost of additional licenses.

 

• Adding new features: costs of additional modules.

 

• Interoperability with other systems: integration with new tools.

 

• Adaptability to new business needs: necessity to evolve the PIM.

 

• Load management: impact of growing volume of data and users.

 

• Functional scope & configuration

A high-performing PIM solution must offer advanced functionalities in terms of structuring, enrichment, validation, and dissemination of product data as well as custom configuration to meet the most specific business needs.

 

• Compatibility with the IT ecosystem (ERP, CRM, eCommerce, etc.)

The integration of the PIM with existing tools is a key success factor. A good PIM must easily integrate with existing systems to streamline business processes.

 

• Integration capabilities and native connectors

An effective PIM solution must offer native connectors and a robust API allowing easy synchronisation with eCommerce platforms, marketplaces, ERP, and other data management tools.

The key steps for successfully integrating a PIM

The integration of a PIM (Product Information Management) is a strategic project requiring a structured approach. Here are the essential steps for successful implementation:

Audit and needs definition
Evaluate the existing system, identify the needs of different departments (marketing, IT, eCommerce, purchasing, etc.), and structure a product data dictionary to ensure a solid foundation.

Choice of the adapted PIM solution
Select a solution based on its compatibility with the IT ecosystem, its flexibility, and its local support. It is recommended to pre-select 3 providers.

Structuring and data import
Clean and standardise product information before import. Implement management rules and workflows to guarantee data quality.

Implementation of workflows and data governance
Define roles and responsibilities, automate validations, and monitor modifications to ensure consistency and continuous updating.

Team training and internal adoption
Support employees with training sessions, dedicated support, and post-deployment follow-up to maximise adoption and productivity.

Product Information Management: key features and product data management

What are the features of PIM solutions?

Data centralisation and structuring

 
• Centralised product data management

 

• Custom data model, segmentation, and architecture

 

• Management of product catalogues by market

 

• Management of products by language, country

Integration and interconnection with the IT ecosystem

 
• Integration with third-party management systems and databases (ERP, CRM, DAM, eCommerce, etc.)

 

• Data Import/Export (PDF, HTML, XML, CSV, etc.)

Information updating, management, and compliance

 
• Information update (automation, version control, data validation)

 

• Management of regulatory compliance (product standards, security, labels, certifications)

Collaboration and workflows

 
• Inter-team collaboration (role management, change validation, collaborative enrichment)

Dissemination and distribution of data

 
• Transfer and export of product data to different channels and formats

 

• Dissemination on eCommerce & marketplace (Amazon, Shopify, Magento, etc.)

What are the types of data managed by a PIM?

A PIM (Product Information Management) centralises, structures, enriches, and disseminates a wide variety of product data, essential for ensuring coherent and effective distribution across all channels (eCommerce, marketplaces, catalogues, ERP, CRM, etc.). This data is divided into several categories:

Descriptive and technical data

This information constitutes the core of product sheets and allows customers to understand a product’s essential characteristics.

Data examples: product name, short and long descriptions (editorial and marketing), product references (SKU, GTIN, EAN, UPC, ISBN, etc.), dimensions, weight, volume, materials, composition, ingredients, standards and certifications (CE, ISO, NF, etc.), country of origin, and specific regulations.

Usage example: A brand in the construction sector enters the dimensions and technical characteristics of its products for fluid integration on marketplaces (Amazon, Cdiscount, etc.).

Marketing and commercial data

The PIM allows product information to be enriched with engaging and differentiating content to capture customer attention and improve conversion rates.

Data examples: product storytelling (benefits, sales arguments, brand universe), SEO keywords and tags for optimising online product sheets, multilingual translations for internationalisation, pricing data (selling price, promotions, discounts, taxes), highlighting of complementary products (cross-selling, up-selling).

Usage example: An eCommerce site integrates enriched and SEO-friendly descriptions to improve its organic referencing and maximise its attractiveness.

Media data and digital assets via the integrated DAM

A DAM integrated into the PIM allows for the organisation and association of multimedia files with product sheets to improve their visual attractiveness.

Data examples: product images (packshots, 360° views, HD zoom), demonstration videos or tutorials, technical sheets and PDF manuals, logos, pictograms, and technical diagrams, interactive content (3D, augmented reality, animations).

Usage example: A furniture manufacturer associates several visuals and videos with each product to enrich the user experience on its website and improve its conversion rate.

Relational data and categorisation

A PIM allows for the structuring of product organisation according to logical and hierarchical relationships, facilitating navigation and search.

Data examples: categories and sub-categories (internal and external classification), attributes and variants (sizes, colours, materials, etc.), relationships between products (similar products, accessories, bundles), cross-references with other systems (ERP, CRM, marketplace).

Usage example: A ready-to-wear retailer structures its catalogue into collections and ranges while facilitating searching through facet filters (size, colour, season, etc.).

Logistical and distribution data

This data is essential for stock management, distribution, and omnichannelity.

Data examples: supplier codes and references, stock availability, delivery times and methods, packaging and conditioning data, distribution channels and points of sale.

Usage example: A distributor supplies its network of physical and online stores with synchronised information on product availability.

Regulatory and compliance data

A PIM facilitates the management of legal and normative constraints, particularly for sectors subject to strict regulations.

Data examples: mandatory mentions (composition, legal warnings), labels and certifications (eco-responsibility, organic, CE, etc.), safety instructions and user manuals, safety data sheets (SDS), and technical documents.

Usage example: A chemical product manufacturer integrates safety data sheets and European standards to guarantee regulatory compliance.

 

PIM and future trends: what developments to expect?

Artificial Intelligence and PIM

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Product Information Management (PIM) systems is revolutionising how companies manage and enrich their product data. Here is how AI contributes to these processes:

Automation of product enrichment

AI enables the automation of product description creation and optimisation. For example, tools integrating AI can automatically generate detailed descriptions from a few essential product characteristics, which reduces the time dedicated to manual writing and ensures consistency in the information provided.

Furthermore, AI facilitates the automatic translation of product information into several languages, allowing companies to expand more easily into international markets without committing additional resources for translation.

Intelligent classification suggestions

AI improves product classification and categorisation by analysing their attributes and automatically assigning them to the appropriate categories. This automation reduces human error and guarantees a coherent organisation of products, essential for effective navigation on sales platforms. ​

In addition, AI can detect anomalies or inconsistencies in product data, such as pricing errors or missing information, and suggest corrections, thereby ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the disseminated information. ​

By integrating these functionalities, PIM solutions equipped with AI allow companies to improve the efficiency of their processes, ensure the quality of product data, and offer an optimised customer experience.​

Creation and optimisation of the data model

AI facilitates the design of data models by analysing existing structures and proposing optimisations. It can identify implicit relationships between different data entities, suggesting improvements for more efficient organisation. For example, AI can detect redundant or missing attributes, thus allowing for the normalisation and enrichment of the data model in a consistent manner. ​

Furthermore, AI can automate the classification of products based on their characteristics, ensuring precise and coherent categorisation. This automation reduces the time and effort needed to manage product information while improving data quality. ​

By integrating these capabilities, PIM solutions enriched by AI enable companies to design robust and adaptive data models, essential for effective product information management and an optimised customer experience.

Product MDM, beyond PIM

Master Data Management (MDM) is a global approach aimed at centralising and harmonising all of a company’s master data. When applied to products, MDM encompasses not only information intended for sale, but also all data associated with the products, such as details on suppliers, manufacturing processes, certifications, logistical data, and much more.