Why use a PIM system?

At ConnectingTheDots we are still often asked “Does our organisation need a PIM system?” or “What can I use a PIM system for?”. To answer this question we start by explaining what a PIM system actually is.

What is a PIM system?

A company can use a Product Information Management (PIM) system to manage and organise all relevant information about the products that it produces or sells.

Who are PIM systems meant for?

A PIM software system is aimed at businesses producing or selling multiple products. These may be manufacturers, wholesalers or retailers.

A PIM system offers these businesses software for the management of digital product information. The product information can be fed from the PIM system into sales channels such as the webshop, market places, checkout systems or catalogues. Naturally product content from the PIM system can also be distributed to internal systems such as ERP, CRM or BI. In a PIM system product information can be optimised for sales, and the links between products can be strengthened.

What are the typical problems at a company handling multiple products and not yet using a PIM Solution?

Businesses that do not work with a PIM system usually manage their product information in various databases and systems. This leads to a variety of problems, such as:

• The absence of any overview of the product range carried in the company
• The product information is recorded in different systems in different ways
• The product information is incomplete
• The product information is not up-to-date
• The product information is incorrect
• The product information is not suitable for persuading customers to buy, or is not well-drafted from an SEO perspective.

In short, the company has no central source or system in which product information is managed. This makes working with product information no picnic. It is complicated, error-prone and, above all, time-consuming.

Why should you use a PIM system?

A PIM system brings order to chaos. It provides the basis for optimising product content. For example, improving findability and saleability. In other words: A PIM system has many advantages for business managing a wide product range, in terms of:

Efficiency

• Product content only has to be generated once, or only has to be imported once into a PIM system;
• It is easy to consult product information, since there is a central system in which all this information is available;
• Different departments can work together on product content in a PIM system;
• These benefits save time and trouble, and can shorten the time to market for new products.

Accuracy / reliable product information

• Product information is stored in a PIM system using a single format;
• All product information is managed in a PIM system using a single product classification;
• A good PIM system highlights any product content that fails to meet quality requirements;
• Product content can be fed from the central system to all the company’s channels needing product information: the web shop, the checkout system and so on. This means that the organisation can trust that the product content is consistent and of equal quality across all channels.

Improving saleability

• Tools for optimising product content which increase the findability of products in search engines;
• Tools for optimising product content which encourage customers to purchase the product;
• Introducing links between products to increase the number of items per order;
• Optimising product content to enable customers to make the right choice, reducing returns and customer frustration;

Rising numbers of both providers and channels (the Internet, social media, sales points) and increasingly demanding customers make it all the more important to offer good product content. In digital channels in particular, accurate, attractive product content is crucially important to enable your product range to be found in Google and then to lead the customer to a purchase. Would you like to see what ConnectingTheDots could do for you? Then visit our PIM page, or make an appointment straight away.

Tip: As well as the ConnectingTheDots PIM, our PIMeCommerce solution may also be of interest. Why? Because good product content is a condition for successful e-commerce. And for good content that increases the conversion rate, you need PIM.

Has PIM caught your interest? Can you see the opportunities, and would you like to know more? Don’t hesitate to contact us!