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PIM system

| Article: 3 min read | Catalog and marketplaces

A PIM system (Product Information Management) is a single place where a store keeps and prepares all its product information: descriptions, attributes, photos, translations. From there the data flows out to the site, marketplaces, price lists and printed catalogs.

Explained in plain words

While a store has a few hundred products, the data lives in an Excel spreadsheet. When there are thousands of products and you also need to sell on Rozetka, Prom, in Google Shopping and in several languages, the spreadsheets drift apart: one price or name on the site, another in the feed, a third at the supplier.

A PIM gathers data from different sources (suppliers, warehouse records, managers) into one structured database, lets you enrich and check it, and publish it to the channels you need. Wikipedia describes PIM as the process of managing all the information needed to market and sell products through distribution channels; the system itself usually works as a central catalog with data validation, workflows and access rules (Wikipedia).

What is kept in a PIM

  • Names, descriptions, technical specifications.
  • Photos, video, manuals.
  • Translations (for example Ukrainian, Russian, English) and versions for different markets.
  • Links between products: variants, bundles, accessories.
  • Differences by channel: a different name or description for a marketplace, another for the site.

Prices and stock levels are usually kept in an accounting system (ERP, 1C, warehouse software). A PIM connects to them but doesn't replace them. According to Wikipedia, PIM systems sit between content management, e-commerce, digital asset and ERP systems, that is, they complement them (Wikipedia).

How a PIM differs from a CMS and an ERP

  • A CMS (content management system) works with arbitrary content: pages, articles. A PIM works with structured product data that must be delivered to many channels (Wikipedia).
  • An ERP / accounting system handles purchasing, stock and documents. A PIM handles what the shopper sees.

Why an online store needs it

  • Enter an attribute once and it appears everywhere, including in the product feed.
  • Fewer errors and mismatches between the site and marketplaces. This matters for Google: the data in the feed must match the product page, or products may be disapproved (Google Merchant Center).
  • Launch new products and connect new channels faster: a marketplace, language versions.
  • Fuller product pages. Wikipedia notes that consistent and complete information helps reduce cart abandonment and raise conversion (Wikipedia); see also conversion and cart abandonment.

Do you need a PIM

Benchmarks for a self-check, not a rule:

  • several thousand products or more;
  • selling in several channels and languages;
  • several people edit product pages, and data comes from many suppliers;
  • you regularly fix the same errors by hand in different places.

If you have 200 products, one site and one manager, a disciplined spreadsheet and the store's admin panel are enough.

Common mistakes

  • Buying a PIM without putting the data in order. The system won't invent attributes for you: first you need a data model (which attributes in which category).
  • Not naming an owner. Without a data owner, a PIM turns into yet another spreadsheet.
  • Duplicating data: prices entered by hand both in the accounting system and in the PIM.
  • Ignoring channel requirements. Rozetka, Prom and Google each have their own mandatory fields.

FAQ

What is a PIM in plain words? A program where all product data is stored and prepared for publishing on the site and marketplaces.

How is a PIM different from an ERP? An ERP keeps records (purchasing, warehouse, finance); a PIM holds product information for the shopper: descriptions, attributes, photos.

Does a small store need a PIM? Usually not, while there are few products and one or two channels. It pays off when the catalog is large and several people work on it.

Is a PIM connected to the product feed? Yes. A PIM is often the source from which feeds for Google, Rozetka and Prom are generated.

Sources

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