Efficient and automatic management of information about products is a very important aspect of running large eCommerce businesses. Customers currently need all the more good quality information about products in order to make their purchase decision, thereby, many online store owners are already deciding to invest in a comprehensive informational infrastructure so as to build an advantage over the competition. The PIM system will be helpful in this regard. I can be used to effectively manage the product offer in your online store. What is PIM? What effects can be achieved by implementing PIM? You can find the answers to these questions below.
What is the PIM System?
PIM (Product Information Management) is a system which controls the process of managing product information. It is based on collecting information about a product and on data management.
The PIM system holds all the most important information about a product, such as:
- basic data (name, title, description, etc.),
- photos, videos presenting the product,
- product features,
- attachments,
- categorization,
- connections between products.
Imagine a typical eCommerce store, where new products appear weekly. Information about products is collected in varied systems, documents, excel sheets, discs, and email messages. Employees have no choice and must waste their valuable time on communication between different company departments in order to find the necessary product information (description, specifications, warranty card, photos, certificates). There are cases where this data disappears or that the person who had access to it is currently on leave. Any delays have a negative influence on the functioning of an online store and on customer relations. It also has an influence on marketing activity – prepared materials include incorrect data or incomplete information.
And now imagine a modern eCommerce store which is keeping up with the times and which introduces the newest technological solutions in order to streamline the performance of their business. All information about products is location one system integrated with other software which the company uses. Product descriptions, translations, photos, videos, technical data can be entered into and edited in one system. What is more, the introduction of any changes automatically updates the information also in other systems. Also, every employee can have access to current information about products. It is possible. This is how PIM works.
Whom is PIM for?
PIM-type solutions are suited for companies which:
- have a wide and diversified assortment,
- provide sales in an omnichannel model,
- acquire data from varied sources (copywriter, graphic designer, supplier, etc.),
- carry out sales on foreign markets,
- implement frequent changes in the store assortment.
PIM system examples:
- Pimcore
- Akaneo
- Stibo
- Salsify
- Ergonode
How does the PIM system differ from an ordinary data base?
PIM, in comparison to a data base of an online store, can assign more information to products for the needs of different sales channels in an automated manner. What does this mean in practical terms? If you introduce the same product on different marketplaces (e.g., Allegro, Amazon) and in your own online store then you do not have to sign into all the administration panels and update the product data a few times. Repetition of such steps takes up a lot of time and nerves, while with the aid of the PIM system you are able to complete the task much faster.
Using PIM is also recommended when receiving large amounts of stock from suppliers. All that is required is to import a data file and the system will itself update all the product information. And if there is a lack of the data which is important to you, PIM will inform you about it.
What are the benefits of implementing PIM?
Customer:
- faster and easier purchase decision process,
- greater satisfaction from the shopping experience – smaller number of returns.
Marketing department:
- access to translated content and complete product information, including media,
- faster and simpler creation of valuable content about the product.
eCommerce:
- convenience in managing product information,
- one common location for collecting product data,
- reduction of the number of human errors which appear when entering data by hand,
- employee access to collected data,
- possibility of automatically exporting data to other sales channels and systems – saving a lot of time for employees,
- increased sales by delivering detailed data to customers.
PIM – what is it? Summary
Remember, the decision to implement a dedicated system for managing product information should appear at a specific stage of running and developing a company. Small online stores do not have to invest in such aspects because the flow of data between employees is very simple. However, at a certain stage of eCommerce development, the number of employees, products, and sales locations is so high that managing product information without the use of automated solutions is very risky and expensive.
If you want to implement an omnichannel model in an online business or if there is information chaos in your eCommerce, the main step is to contact us, and we will help you improve the key company processes. Red Fox Rocks is a company which was built to meet the needs reported by our Partners in the scope of eCommerce. This refers to varied solutions related to an online business, e.g., PIM system, CRM, etc. At Fast White Cat, on the other hand, we deal strictly with Magento 2 implementations.
If you wish to implement a store based on the Magento 2 platform, get in touch with the ”Cat”: info@fastwhitecat.com
Do you already run an online business and want to enhance it, e.g., by introducing the PIM system? The “Fox” will help you: info@redfoxrocks.pl