Manually organising product information is a tedious, expensive process. Without a cohesive system to co-ordinate 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 You also face the real risk of sharing incorrect or outdated information with consumers.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 centralise 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 catalogue, 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 organise product information into catalogues and link those catalogues to channels. PIM administrators can arrange data in a way which can be easily digested by multiple parties, helping them quickly obtain the needed information. This increases productivity by limiting roadblocks and avoiding data silos.

With a complete PIM set-up, 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 behaviours 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 basket, you probably considered its fabric, size and colour. 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.

Localised 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 to ensure a consistent, seamless customer experience.

Taxonomy.

Products are often purchased together and they may even be complementary. PIM software catalogues 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 personalised 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.

Why use a PIM?

Omnichannel experiences.

Many brands use an omnichannel approach to engage their customers across channels. But establishing a cohesive brand across hundreds of channels can present a huge challenge for product marketers.

With product information management, managing physical and digital product content for each channel is much more controllable. PIM system administrators can assign assets to a hierarchy of catalogues that can be matched with campaigns. PIM also enables product marketers to make on-demand changes and launch new content quickly.

Personalisation.

Usually, salespeople have to wait for product and marketing teams to provide them with the necessary sales materials. These presentations are often geared toward the average consumer instead of targeting specific prospects.

With a PIM system in place, sales reps can choose from approved product information and design a customised sales proposal. All the salesperson must do is select a template, products and the pricing structure they feel is a good fit for their prospect.

Reliable data.

Data coming into a PIM system is assigned a category, de-duped and added to the right spot within the PIM catalogue. PIM administrators can dictate priorities among various data sources, with said data refreshed on a recurring basis to ensure users are working with the latest product information.

This lowers the risk of using outdated or inaccurate information in the creation of marketing materials or creating offers with obsolete specifications, incorrect prices or deprecated products.

Centralised product information.

Product information management organises disparate data within a business system while ensuring the quality and accuracy of data throughout its lifecycle. Centralised product information also enhances the efficiency of sales and marketing teams. This helps companies grow their product catalogue without creating unnecessary SKUs that clutter your ERP system.

Better marketing.

PIM gives marketers the opportunity to combine product data so they can build more effective commercial campaigns. Brands can use technical specs to craft messaging with greater detail, use targeted information to develop personalised campaigns and leverage customer data more efficiently.

With a host of digital media at their fingertips, marketing teams can A/B test countless combinations of images, videos and documentation to determine what performs best.

When do you need to use product information management?

Anyone who runs an ecommerce store, leads a marketing or sales department or sells across multiple channels can benefit from using product information management. PIM systems empower sales teams to assemble accurate product data and material whenever they need to. In turn, ecommerce managers can track how teams and prospects are interacting with product data and find ways to improve conversion rates and personalisation.

A PIM helps modify and refresh hundreds of campaigns across multiple channels as soon as new product data arrives. Marketers can also collaborate with translation agencies to automatically translate product information as they open new global markets.

What’s more, all stakeholders can use the PIM system simultaneously, which streamlines workflows. Teams can begin working on new product messaging before a product is officially released so it can be finalised, updated in appropriate catalogues and ready to go before launch day.

What product information management can do for your ecommerce business.

Product information management systems can benefit any brand and they’re especially necessary for companies with complex product relationships, a high number of SKUs or an omnichannel selling strategy.

PIM solutions democratise product data so supply chain, marketing, sales and customer service teams are equipped with the data they need to interact with prospects and customers. To dramatically increase receptiveness to your products and decrease your time to market, you need a platform which integrates with premier PIM solutions.

Adobe Commerce is a comprehensive ecommerce solution that supports many B2B and B2C businesses. It integrates with most ERP systems and maintains partnerships with Akeneo and Jasper — powerful PIM platforms that enable a seamless flow of ecommerce data across your commerce systems.