Product information management (PIM)
Reviewed by Dasha ShakovVP Marketing, Proton
Updated
What is PIM?
Product information management (PIM) is software, and the process around it, for collecting, enriching and publishing product data from one place. It organizes that data so the same information reaches the website, catalogs, customers and sales team. A PIM holds the descriptive side of a product, such as attributes, descriptions, images and documents, while the ERP holds the transactional side, such as cost, price and stock.
How it works
Product data reaches a distributor from many suppliers in different formats. The PIM is where it is mapped to one taxonomy, checked and completed before it is published. PIMs also store or link digital assets, such as images, spec sheets, installation guides and safety data sheets; some companies keep these in a separate digital asset management (DAM) system that the PIM draws from.
PIM example
Three thousand items from a new supplier are mapped to the distributor’s taxonomy in the PIM, given missing attributes, images and spec sheets, and then published to the website and the ERP together.
Further reading
Often confused
Related terms
- Enterprise resource planning (ERP)Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is the central system a distributor runs on, holding orders, inventory and accounting in one database.
- Product attributesProduct attributes are the structured facts that describe a product, such as size, material, voltage or certification, each stored in its own field.
- Product data enrichmentProduct data enrichment is the work of filling in and improving the information about each product so the item can be found, compared and sold.
- Product taxonomyA product taxonomy is the system of categories and subcategories a distributor uses to organize its catalog, such as Plumbing > Valves > Ball valves.
