One of the most common questions among B2B companies considering a PIM system is:
“How does it work with our ERP and e-commerce platform?”
The answer is: PIM systems are designed to act as a central hub — but their true value is only realized when they are integrated with the rest of your business systems, especially ERP and e-commerce.
PIM (Product Information Management) serves as the central location for product data — while ERP and e-commerce systems rely on receiving accurate, enriched data in the right format, at the right time.
Why integration is crucial to the value of PIM
A PIM is not meant to operate in isolation. It retrieves, enriches, and distributes product data — but it must interact with other systems to deliver value. With the right integration, you can:
- Retrieve business-critical data from ERP (such as SKUs, pricing, inventory)
- Enrich that data in the PIM (with images, descriptions, specifications, relationships)
- Publish complete and consistent product information to e-commerce, catalogs, resellers, and other channels
In short: ERP manages transactions — PIM manages the information that sells the products.
What do PIM and ERP do – and how do they differ?
| Function | ERP | PIM |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory, pricing, orders | Yes | No |
| Enriched product data | No (or very limited) | Yes (core purpose) |
| Channel publishing | No | Yes (web, catalogs, partner portals) |
| Technical specifications | Limited | Fully supported |
PIM and ERP serve different purposes — but work best when integrated.
How to integrate PIM with ERP and E-commerce – practically
A strong PIM strategy positions the PIM system as the central hub for enriched product data, while ERP and e-commerce systems feed into it and draw from it.
A typical data flow might look like this:
-
ERP → PIM: Business data such as SKUs, prices, product groups, and inventory levels is sent from ERP to PIM
-
PIM → E-commerce: Once enriched with descriptions, images, variants, relationships, and translations, product data is published to the e-commerce platform
-
PIM ↔ ERP: In some cases, a two-way sync is needed — for example, to synchronize updated product structures or fields
If you're using an e-commerce platform with a built-in PIM — such as Litium — the connection between PIM and e-commerce is already in place. This means you can focus on establishing a solid integration between ERP and PIM.
With standalone PIM solutions (such as Inriver or Akeneo), you'll need integration points for both ERP and the e-commerce system. This adds complexity and cost, but also offers more flexibility.
Litium + ERP – Ready-made connectors and real-world examples
Litium offers ready-made connectors to several of the most common ERP systems used by B2B companies, including Monitor, Jeeves and Microsoft Dynamics 365.
This enables you to quickly set up a seamless flow from business data to sales channels, without having to build everything from scratch.
Want to see how it works in practice? Read our blog post where we show features that enable full self-service in a customer portal integrated with Monitor.
How to plan for a successful integration
Before you begin, consider the following:
- Where does each type of data live?
Example: ERP = business data, PIM = marketing/sales data, DAM = media - Which system is the “master” for each type of data?
- How frequently should data be updated?
In real-time, in batches, or on a schedule? - Which systems need to be connected?
ERP, PIM, e-commerce, DAM, CRM, print solutions - Do you have in-house resources, or do you need a partner?
Start with a simple MVP — such as syncing price and description from ERP → PIM → e-commerce — and expand from there.
Tip: Keep data where it belongs
Duplicating data across multiple systems often leads to errors and inefficiency. Instead, build a clear information architecture that defines ownership.
- ERP – transactional logic: SKUs, inventory, pricing
- PIM – enriched product data: descriptions, relationships, images
- DAM – media content: images, documents, videos
- E-commerce – presentation layer: delivers data to the end-user
This creates a solid structure with a single source of truth for each type of information.
Related Resources – For a Complete Picture
- What is an ERP Integration?
- Why B2B Companies Need a PIM
- How to Choose the Right PIM System for Your B2B Business
- Who Should Own the PIM System Internally?
- B2B Customer Portal – The Ultimate Guide
FAQ: PIM integration with other systems
Do we need to replace our ERP to implement a PIM?
No – a PIM is a complement to your ERP, not a replacement. They work best when connected.
What if our e-commerce platform already includes a PIM?
Then the integration between PIM and e-commerce is already in place. In Litium, this is built in — which accelerates your workflow. Litium also includes a media library that can replace a separate DAM.
How long does an integration take?
That depends on complexity. A basic integration between ERP and e-commerce can often be up and running within a few weeks, given a clear data model.
Do we need a DAM system as well?
Not always – but if you manage a large number of images, technical documents, or certificates, a DAM is a good complement. Litium includes a media library that may cover these needs.