How PIM Software Benefits Ecommerce
What is PIM Software?
PIM Software is an environment where ecommerce product information is stored in a logical and efficient structure. A PIM software solution provides a central hub where ecommerce product data is enriched, standardised and categorised. Being the single source of truth for all product data, product data is consistent across all sales channels and is easily updated. Your entire product catalog is held within the system and contains product data, product attributes, taxonomy & relationships, digital assets, marketing data, pricing information and inventory for each product.
Benefits of PIM Software for Ecommerce
With Comestri, we now have a centralised solution to manage the data for our five iconic brands. This also includes managing our variable sale price adjustments, previously handled manually in the POS system. We now have uniform pricing between our bricks and mortar and online sales channels, all in one system.
Peter Ratcliffe, Head of Digital – Retail Apparel Group
What are the key features of PIM Software?
Your PIM Software holds product data in a logical, structured format, making updates and automation easy. Here are some key features:
Do you need a PIM for Ecommerce? Check out our top 3 tell-tale signs that you’re ready to start thinking about your PIM options!
Best PIM Software – Reviews & Comparison
When selecting the best PIM software for your organisation, it’s important to look at what features and functions you require. Like any software, PIM’s come in all shapes and sizes. Entry level will obviously be more affordable, but does it offer the functionality you require?
There are plenty of PIM’s available on the market, and all are worthy in their own respect. Before selecting the right one for you, ask yourself these important questions:
- How does your business currently manage its data?
- Do you currently have multiple sources of product data? If so, in what form does it currently take?
- How can your data be imported into a PIM? Are you working with Excel sheets?
- How often does your product data need to be imported, and – just as important – how often does it need to be updated?
- How automated would you like your PIM to be, and what benefits will an automated system bring to the business?
- What is the current process for enriching and updating product data?
- How many sales and marketing channels do you need to export product data to?
- What specific requirements do each channel require?
And more generically:
- Who are the stakeholders involved in deciding the PIM solution for your organisation?
- How do the different business units need to use it, and who is ultimately responsible for it?
Questions to ask yourself when reviewing PIM systems are:
Does it have the data transformation capabilities I require?
What features do I require in a PIM?
Can product information be customised per channel?
What does it integrate with, and how easy is it to integrate with other business systems?
What vendors can fulfil most of your feature requirements for the best PIM for your organisation?
How PIM Software Can Address Your Data Quality Issues
The quality of your data is vital to a successful ecommerce business. Product data is the new ecommerce battleground and if you don’t get it right, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Many retailers are still using spreadsheets to maintain their product data, which is prone to human error and very, very time consuming. Your PIM system becomes your single source of product truth for all sales and marketing channels, ensuring it’s constant wherever customers touch your brand.
Updating data is a breeze – update it once and it’s pushed out across all your sales and marketing channels.
Data held within the PIM System include:
Attributes
- Product name
- Description
- Materials
- Ingredients
- Country of origin
- Care instructions
Pricing Information
- Prices
- Pricebooks
- Currencies
- Promotions
- Discounts
Taxonomy & Relationships
- Categories
- Associated products
Marketing Data
- Keywords
- Meta title
- Meta description
- Custom tags / labels
- Product reviews
Digital Assets
- Images
- Videos
- Files
Inventory
- Inventory
- Inventory buffers
- Store locations
- Store hours
- Special store opening hours
Like to know more? Book a product demo or reach out today!
