When does an organisation benefit from a PIM system?
Large product range, multiple marketplaces, many suppliers? Time to consider a PIM.
Consumer expectations have risen considerably over the past 10 years. Customers demand consistency, accurate and complete product information, no matter where they shop: on your webshop, a marketplace or physical shop. This demands a lot from an organisation. All this product data needs to be created, managed and distributed. Rising consumer expectations and a growing amount of data make this more complex than ever.
A Product Information Management (PIM) system could be the solution. It allows organisations to manage product data in one central place, increase efficiency and provide a consistent brand experience. But how do you determine whether your organisation will actually benefit from a PIM system?
These are the challenges a PIM system solves
Do you recognise these challenges?
- Fragmented product information within different departments
- Inconsistent product information across marketing and sales channels
- Time-consuming content creation and enrichment of product data
- Slow time-to-market of new products
- Complex international markets
Find out how a PIM system helps you tackle these challenges.
From scattered data to central management
Many organisations without PIM store product information in Excel, in ERP systems or send loose files back and forth by e-mail. While this may be workable in the early stages, the limitations quickly become apparent as an organisation grows. Think of range expansion, increasing collaboration with suppliers and more and more sales channels. Without a central repository, managing the increasing data becomes increasingly complex.
With a PIM system, you have a single source of truth and your organisation regains control of product data. The work is now much more efficient: things that used to happen twice have disappeared and we are no longer dependent on various Excel files. The process has become more transparent and everyone really feels responsible for his or her part.
Multichannel consistency for a unified brand identity and customer experience
Consumers today navigate effortlessly between different channels. They orientate on your website, compare products on a marketplace like Amazon and view products real-life in the physical shop. Inconsistent and unreliable information across different touchpoints results in distrust and ultimately in missed sales opportunities.
With a PIM system, you can manage and customise product information by sales channel. The requirements may differ per channel and the consumer may also have different information needs per channel. This can be automated in a PIM system.
Faster time-to-market as a competitive advantage
Launching a new product or collection? Manual processes can be very slowing down in that case. You are waiting for images from the photographer, copy from the marketer and input from five more people. The result? Competitors have their collection online earlier and you are lagging behind.
A PIM system streamlines this process. Formalised workflows and one central data source make it possible to respond to trends immediately, without having to go through endless, inefficient processes. This keeps you one step ahead of the competition.
Added value by complete product information
Consumers expect more than just basic product information. They want comprehensive (technical) specifications, high-quality images, user manuals, washing instructions and additional content such as reviews, installation videos and compatibility overviews. Lack of such information causes potential buyers to drop out, while comprehensive and consistent content actually builds trust and increases conversion.
Internationally active?
Do you also operate internationally? Then consumers also expect to read all this content in their own language, including cultural nuances and region-specific details.
This is complex and time-consuming. Enrich your product data with a few clicks in your PIM system, manage all your assets in one place and automate translation processes. With complete product information, you can guide your customers through the customer journey and make them buy faster.
When is a PIM really essential?
Are you struggling with complex product information, multichannel requirements, many data sources from different suppliers, inefficient processes and/or a slow time-to-market? Then chances are that a PIM will not only solve current problems, but also future-proof your organisation.
Still in doubt? Our PIM Masters can help you. We analyse your current situation and give honest advice.
