A PIM solution enhances and simplifies the work of product development, marketing, and sales. A PIM solution designed for managing rich product information supports business development efficiently and broadly. The benefits of the system vary by professional role.

PIM, Product Information Management, rich product information management, is a solution that compiles all product information disseminated outside the company internally: technical product details and prices from background systems, product images, marketing product descriptions, information needed by sellers and distributors, instructions, store printouts, and language versions.

With the PIM solution, all information is up-to-date and consistent, irrespective of the recipient and channel. High-quality product information enhances product search engine visibility and enables diverse business development.

I will next examine the benefits of the PIM solution from various perspectives critical to business development.

Product Development and PIM

For the product manager and their team, PIM is a place to add and complement product information traveling outside the company's walls.

Internal product development and processing occur within lifecycle management and enterprise resource planning systems. The necessary details are transferred to the PIM system via integrations.

Products that are not yet in the ERP can also be established in PIM, greatly facilitating and accelerating product sales and demand assurance.

During integration, automated conversions can be made, transforming letter and number codes, difficult for consumers and customers to understand, into comprehensible forms.

The PIM system allows for product classification and is fully configurable to the company's needs. Different product families can have their required attributes defined, which can be classified as needed. Users can be guided with pre-configured selection lists, which also ensures product information uniformity. For example, if colour choices are pre-configured, violet cannot be written as lilac or purple if not defined so.

Each product page forms an enrichment ensemble, containing all product information needed by distributors and end-users, including images, videos, and documents such as instruction manuals.

The system can create automatic csv and xls conversions, enabling product information to be assembled effortlessly in the format required by customers, sellers, and partners. Product information can also be imported into the PIM system as csv and xls files.

Suppliers are also able to enrich data directly into the PIM system if necessary. Granted permissions determine which product information suppliers can view and update.

A well-planned and executed product information management includes several efficient tools, facilitating the daily work of those involved in product development. These include:

• efficient search and filter functions

• the ability to enrich information on multiple products simultaneously

• the capability to track the readiness and enrichment level of product information

• the ability to send email reminders and ensure work completion within deadlines.

Marketing and PIM

PIM is a system from which high-quality marketing content can be easily distributed across various channels and applications. It contains all essential marketing elements: texts, images, videos, and documents. Product information is always up-to-date, regardless of location and situation.

PIM is an easy tool for adding and updating marketing product descriptions required for different purposes. The management of all language versions and localizations, such as unit conversions, is also efficiently handled in one place.

The PIM solution automatically facilitates the creation of csv and xls files required by distributors and other partners.

Producing brochures and catalogues can be done with a single click on templates crafted by marketing to match the brand image, eliminating the need for varied Word documents from sellers.

IT and PIM

For the IT department, a PIM project is relatively light as it is often implemented as a SaaS service. The well-designed interfaces of the PIM system are of high quality, making integration with background systems seamless.

Company IT experts always possess the best knowledge of the systems in use, their responsible persons, and any external partners. Therefore, the active participation of IT experts ensures the project's smooth progression.

Crasman and PIM

Could a PIM solution help you or your company's experts work more efficiently and develop the business towards set goals?

At Crasman, we have years of experience in designing and implementing PIM solutions. We deliver both customised solutions and Akeneo PIM implementations.

Contact us, and together we'll find the solution that best fits your needs!