We live in an omnichannel world. As today’s consumers browse and shop across multiple channels and marketplaces, retailers must implement methods to sell effectively. If you are a business owner and want to store, upload, and manage products across feeds reliably, implementing product information management systems is required. PIM tools will help you control your merchandise centrally, ensuring you get one single point of truth about the product and all its data.
To familiarize you with the topic, we will explain what Product Information Management is and how the software benefits your business, providing information about the best PIM tools and features. Are you ready? Let’s start!
PIM – Software for Managing Data
PIM (Product Information Management) is a software that helps brands manage product content across all platforms. With the help of appropriate PIM tools, retailers can update their product details (e.g. descriptions, technicalities, media files, metadata, SEO), ensuring clients get reliable information at all times.
To add more, they are able to easily upload, edit and apply SKU-level data to all their sales feeds. And, even though it may look like another online shop for most, its advanced features make this PIM software more complex – a perfect system created to make the purchase process more manageable.
What features are Essential in PIM Software?
We have already mentioned that product information management software is key aspect in today’s business world. However, to properly implement the solution, you should know how to customize it to your needs. The features you should look for include, amongst others:
Ease Data Importation
If you use multiple devices to store data, you know how important a hassle-free and fast process of importing information is. With the implementation of PIM, you can store all data in one convenient place, ensuring it will be easy to find specific project content in the future.
Channel Readiness
Some data you need to update include images, videos or user manuals. Due to the right PIM software, you are able to access all of these in the platform, ensuring the content is rightly prepared for its uses.
The Ability to Create and Manage Categories
One of the critical features of PIM concerns its organizational purposes. Managing products on multiple channels can become overwhelming; therefore, issuing software enabling you to create and manage categories in easily-to-find places may be handy. It will significantly benefit your marketing staff, whose responsibility is regularly posting and updating information.
Content Analytics
The importance of proper analytics in today’s business world is no surprise. Quality product information management allows you to monitor a product’s performance easily and, in case of any issues, quickly take action to correct a problem.
Akeneo and PimCore, as in the best PIM tools for 2023
Due to its popularity and the market’s growth, there are several PIM tools available for use in 2023. Amongst the most reliable are Akeneo and PimCore. What are their features, and who should consider them?
Akeneo hugely focuses on project management, making it easy to track tasks and progress. It offers an open-source technology for startups needing basic features and a paid plan to businesses with complex catalogues that want access to more advanced and sophisticated functionalities.
Its features include centralization of all product information, distribution of product data across multiple feeds, and validation of workflow creation for supplier data. It has two editions (Community and Enterprise), so it is ideal for almost every retailer looking for a reliable PIM solution.
PimCore, on the other hand, is a more advanced open-source solution comprising PIM, MDM (Master Data Management), DAM (Digital Asset Management), and eCommerce tools. Like Akeneo, it is available for free and through a paid subscription, mainly focusing on data modelling and omnichannel publishing.
The features of PimCore include, for example, high scalability, connectivity with various enterprise systems (CRM, ERP), built-in style editors and responsive design. Therefore, it is a perfect fit for agencies and large enterprises that look to manage and consolidate their product information and digital assets to improve customer experience.
What are the Benefits of Product Information Management?
Using PIM tools have many benefits. It reduces costs and increases profits and minimalizes workload, and, as mentioned above, improves customer experience, boosting retailer relationships.
Due to eliminating the need for manual product data updates, you and your team have more time for other matters, such as creating high-quality content.
In case of any inaccuracies, product information management systems allow you for quick localization of the issue and a proper and fast correction. And last but not least, by synchronizing product data across multiple channels, you stay organized and look more qualified in a customer’s eyes.
As presented, PIM – Product Information Management – is a highly reliable software that can take your business to the next level. Nevertheless, while implementing the system, you should consider all the features we mentioned to ensure it performs efficiently and guarantees the intended results. Look for a dependable Software House to help you build a good platform and keep growing in the demanding eCommerce world.
