Manually organizing product information is a tedious, expensive process. Without a cohesive system to coordinate the exchange of data between your sales, marketing, and customer success teams, it can be a struggle to pace product changes. You also face the real risk of sharing incorrect or outdated information with consumers.
In this guide:
- What is a product information management system?
- How does PIM work?
- What information does a product information management system manage?
- Why use a PIM?
- When do you need to use product information management?
- What product information management can do for your ecommerce business
What is a product information management system?
Product information management (PIM) systems let users store, enrich, and manage complex product information. PIM tools centralize product-related data, streamlining the process of updating and managing accurate information throughout multiple sales and marketing channels.
PIM tools integrate with most ecommerce platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and enterprise resource management (ERP) software. They are particularly valuable for ecommerce businesses whose product catalog, sales strategy, and marketing messaging are continually changing.
What’s the difference between PIM and other product software?
PIM systems are sometimes confused with other product-related software, such as master data management (MDM) tools, product experience management (PXM) solutions, product data management (PDM) platforms, and content management systems (CMS):
- MDM versus PIM
MDM systems house datasets that are more universal than those of PIM tools, such as employee, accounting, supply chain, and other company information. - PXM and PDM versus PIM
PXM focuses on developing and iterating engaging customer experiences while PDM is an internal communication tool used by engineers and product designers. - CMS versus PIM
PIM systems are large, relational databases which store product-specific data. CMS software usually has less capacity and stores general content for internal use or for a company’s website.
How does PIM work?
Product information management solutions integrate data from enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), customer relationship management systems (CRM), and nearly every other product-related business platform you can think of. Once integrated, shared data is processed and de-duped. All of this happens simultaneously, eliminating the need to enter or update any data manually, which reduces the potential for redundancy and error.
Once data is aggregated, PIM users can organize product information into catalogs and link those catalogs to channels. PIM administrators can arrange data in a way which can be easily digested by multiple parties, helping them rapidly obtain the needed information. This increases productivity by limiting roadblocks and avoiding data silos.
With a complete PIM setup, product marketing teams can produce more engaging content. Sales teams can sell more successfully, and product teams can use data to expand product offerings that reflect changes in consumer behaviors and other market trends. In turn, customers will feel more connected to the products they buy, generating a greater sense of loyalty and satisfaction.
What information does a product information management system manage?
Basic data.
Perhaps the most obvious information product information systems capture is product data. This may include universal product codes (UPCs), stock-keeping units (SKUs), and article numbers. It can also capture data like product names, titles, and miscellaneous information such as suggested usage.
Assets.
Most consumers will not purchase a physical product without seeing a picture or video of it in use first. PIM software can store digital images, videos, GIFs, and any other assets that communicate how products look or are used.
Technical information.
Think about the last time you bought a t-shirt. Before adding it to your cart, you probably considered its fabric, size, and color. All these characteristics could be stored in a product information management system, as could more complex information such as weight, measurements, and warranties.
Marketing information.
Marketing data may include customer personas, keywords, and other SEM and SEO-related data such as Google categories, mobile-friendly descriptions, and Amazon titles. This data often needs to be updated over time, which is much simpler with a PIM.
Sales information.
Product pricing is one thing salespeople should never have trouble finding. PIM systems store pricing information, customer reviews, and testimonials which can be used during the sale process or promoted on a company's website.
Localized information.
Companies operate locally, regionally, and globally. As a result, they need product language and descriptors tailored to specific locations. PIM systems house multilingual copy, regional currency systems, and anything else that can help ensure a consistent, seamless customer experience.
Taxonomy.
Products are often purchased together, and they may even be complementary. PIM software catalogs variations, relationships, and categories that make up a company’s product structure.
Design information.
Much of what appeals to consumers is how a product is displayed and how it fits in with the rest of the company’s branding. PIM systems contain style guides and designer notes to ensure any marketing campaigns have relevant creative direction.
Emotional information.
A personalized experience should forge an emotional connection with the customer. PIM solutions can store content that resonates with certain customer personas — including imagery, product descriptions, and other targeted assets that foster emotional bonds with buyers.
