Selecting a PIM solution for your e-commerce can feel like navigating through a jungle. At the same time, choosing the right PIM system is crucial to ensure your customers have a clear and seamless user experience. But how do you know which solution is right for you?
Here, we have compiled three important things to consider when buying a PIM solution for your business.
Choose a PIM solution that makes your work easier
PIM stands for Product Information Management, a system for methodically structuring and visualizing your company’s products in the online store and other channels.
When selecting a PIM system, the goal is to create a dynamic product catalog that makes it easy to present your entire range in an informative and inspiring way. It’s also about providing your internal organization with a system to work efficiently with offers and products.
Read more: Introduction to PIM – Product Information Management
A PIM system is essential for easily managing information, images, and prices for all products in your e-commerce solution. The PIM system ensures that you:
- Reduce manual intervention
- Minimize duplicate work
- Easily handle different customers’ preferences and conditions when shopping with you
It’s all about presenting the right products at the right prices to the right customers at the right time – all those things that every e-commerce business wants to achieve but can find difficult to accomplish.
By choosing a PIM solution tailored to your business, you get all the prerequisites for providing your customers with the best possible shopping experience. However, you should keep a few things in mind when purchasing a PIM solution.
1. Map out existing systems for integration with your new PIM system
When choosing a PIM solution, you need to keep in mind that the selected solution needs to be integrated with other systems to function optimally. Therefore, review the systems you have and make sure to choose a PIM system that can handle all necessary integrations. Here are some of the most common systems to integrate with your PIM system:
a. ERP
Of course, the most important is the company’s ERP, enterprise resource planning, where all the company’s products are listed with details such as names and item numbers.
b. Product catalog
A product catalog is essentially a database where all product information is stored in a structured manner. By integrating with this, your PIM system can take information management to the next level.
c. CMS
In the company’s CMS, content management system, you can create, edit, and organize information and content for digital environments. This often includes product descriptions, articles, and other information that is relevant when customers want to learn more about the products.
d. CRM
In your customer database, customer relationship management system, there is often information about contract prices, discounts, and other details crucial for customers to see the correct products with the right pricing information. Therefore, this can be a very important integration to get right.
e. WMS
Connecting the warehouse and inventory management system with your PIM solution means that customers can get immediate information about the stock status of the products they are interested in.
f. E-commerce platform
Integrating the PIM system with your e-commerce platform might seem obvious, but ensure it is included when planning your PIM integration.
Other Systems
Depending on how your business is structured, several other relevant systems may also need to be integrated, such as your ECOM system, MDM system, and SCM system. A knowledgeable integration partner can help map out and prioritize the various integrations you might want to make with your PIM system.
2. Identify who will use the PIM system
Looking at the list above, it may seem like a large portion of your company’s staff will need access to the chosen PIM system. However, carefully mapping out which roles will actively use the system makes it easier to assign permissions.
Based on this mapping, you can create processes and routines that simplify adding new products or updating existing ones. Therefore, choosing a PIM solution with built-in support for workflows is beneficial. This allows you to delegate, coordinate, and track tasks continuously.
3. Choose the right partner for your PIM integration
Choosing the right integration partner is just as important as selecting the right PIM system. Partners often have different areas of expertise, so it is crucial to choose one that understands your business and is knowledgeable about the PIM solution you have chosen.
Usually, it is best to start by selecting a PIM solution and then look for a partner who can help with the integration. Starting with the integration partner can limit your choice of PIM systems to those the partner can handle.
Hopefully, you now have a solid foundation for choosing the right PIM solution for your business. Here, you can read more about Litium’s PIM system and how it can streamline your operations.
We have also created a PIM guide that helps you step-by-step to find the right PIM solution and carry out the integration in the best possible way.