Wasting time looking for product data, poor collaboration between teams, multiplication of errors in the information presented to the customer… there are many signs that indicate that a business is using tools unsuited to managing product information.
To resolve these issues, PIM (Product Information Management) software has become vital. PIM greatly improves the quality of your product information and how you manage it. Among the leading reasons1 encouraging businesses to use this software: improve the quality of product data (66%), establish a strategy for managing data (46%), develop operational efficiency (42%).
Discover the 5 signs that prove you need to use PIM software to manage your product information day to day.
#Wasting time searching for product data
Product information scattered among several different information sources is a sign that you need PIM.
Companies tend to use many different systems to manage their product information: ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), CRM (Customer Relationship Management); files in varying formats (Excel, XML, Json…)… This multiplication in information sources reduces the overall efficiency of the Product and Marketing teams: they spend a lot of time searching for reference files containing the correct product information.
PIM software (Product Information Management) can greatly improve the productivity of your teams. Thanks to their connectors, the PIM centralizes and secures all product data (Marketing, logistics, technical…) while federating teams around a central product reference source containing updated and reliable data.
#Inefficient collaboration in the task of enriching product information
A lack of cohesion between the teams in enriching product information is one sign that you need to use a PIM.
There are often several different teams (Marketing, SEO, Sales, Product…) in charge of enriching product information. To ensure that the information is complete and detailed, they spend a considerable amount of time creating and exchanging numerous files. This multiplication of contributors and interactions can quickly become counter-productive.
PIM (Product Information Management) software is essential for effective collaboration between various contributors. Multi-user management features allow you to determine the scope of intervention of each person. Depending on their user rights, each contributor can enrich and/or complete product information before publication. PIM makes this team work more agreeable and enables them to work together to improve product information.
#Multiplication of errors in product information
Duplicates, input errors, inconsistencies… a multiplication of errors in your product information is a sign that you need PIM.
An inefficient process increases the risk of errors in your product information with a negative impact on sales: product returns, cart abandons, negative customer feedback… 98% of shoppers2 are put off from finalizing their purchase if they identify incorrect product information.
PIM greatly improves the quality of your product information. A workflow engine enables each contributor to check and correct product information, depending on their user rights. With a PIM, product information is approved before being sent to your sales channels.
#Difficulty in implementing an omnichannel strategy
The multiplication of challenges in the implementation of an omnichannel strategy is a clear sign that you need a PIM.
In an omnichannel context, Product and Marketing teams must adapt their data to each sales channel. This adaptation can quickly become complex when working with many references, distributed over several sales channels (website, mobile apps, Marketplaces…).
With PIM your product information will be consistent across all sales channels. From a central data base, the Product and Marketing teams can quickly prepare product data before publishing (transformation of content, resizing images, matching of categorizations…). Context management features allow them to store and send product information adapted to each sales channel.
#Lack of control over a multilingual environment
Difficulty in effectively managing many translation projects is a sure sign that you need PIM.
For businesses managing a multilingual environment (websites, Marketplaces, catalogs…), managing large volumes of product information in several different languages can quickly become a nightmare. To guarantee the quality of translations, companies tend to multiply exchanges of files with translators all over the world. This process is a source of errors in the translated files and a barrier to the teams' productivity.
PIM software is essential for any business wishing to deploy their product offer in different countries. Using the PIM's translation management features, you can handle a multilingual environment efficiently. With a PIM, your contents are perfectly translated into as many languages as you need and validated before publication.
PIM software provides many advantages in the daily management of product information: improved quality of product information, increased efficiency in the implementation of an omnichannel strategy, increased team productivity… Several different PIM solutions cohabit on the market. To choose the PIM that best suits your needs, it is essential to make a comprehensive comparison of the leading PIM (Product Information Management) solutions on the market.
1Ventana Research. Building a Business Case for PIM. ventanaresearch.com.
2Chrum, A. C. 10 Stats That Prove the Importance of Product Content for E-commerce [Infographic]. onespace.com.