The landscape of the business world continues to change drastically with the advancement of technology. As an eCommerce manager, handling product data at a single store can become a tedious job. Product Information Management (PIM) with all its useful features is a solution that can make this job simpler and smoother. In this blog, we will be discussing PIM essential features that can make your job as an eCommerce manager, effortless.

“A PIM software or PIM solution is a platform centralized to empower retailers and vendors to gather, organize, enrich, and distribute their product data to multiple eCommerce and sales channels”.

Features of a Product Information Management solution

So, a Pim Solution not only collects the product data, it optimizes that data, clean it, and publish it uniformly across all your eCommerce channels. Moreover, PIM also helps you to connect not only with your teammates but also with channel partners, all in one place. This way, several features of PIM can make your job easy and save you a lot of time.

Here’s a list of the 12 essential system features every PIM solution must have:

1. Product Data Management
2. Centralized Database for Product Information
3. Flexible Data Structure and Taxonomy
4. Integration with e-commerce platforms and marketplaces
5. Support for numerous languages and currencies
6. Workflow management and approval processes
7. Versioning and history tracking for data change
8. Robust Search and Navigation Capabilities
9. Data Enrichment and Quality Contro
10. Reporting and Analytics
11. Collaboration and User Management
12. Support and Training

1.  Product Data Management

If you have an eCommerce store, you need to track, gather and control data for your product. This data contains important information about the product such as the descriptions, technical details, and specifications. Therefore, the data needs to be up to date.

One of the vital features of PIM is managing product data. Tracking, gathering, organizing, and exporting data is not a complicated job anymore. You can track and manage data using PIM with ease and without having to spend more time on it.

2. Centralized Database for Product Information

For running the store effectively, you must keep a check on all the processes daily. It can be a mess to keep track of all the processes in a limited time. A PIM solution has the feature of a Centralized Database system that can help you keep track of all the processes with efficiency.

In a centralized database system, you can monitor all your product data in one place. You can use a centralized database system for

• Adding product data
• Exporting your product data
• Checking the status and overview of previously imported data
• Collaboration with your team members
• Collaboration with your retailers or vendors

A centralized Database system is not only user-friendly and time effective, but it is also cost-effective as it consumes less power and costs less maintenance. It doesn’t matter how many products, stores, or channels you have. You can manage them all effortlessly if you have a PIM solution.

3. Flexible Data Structure and Taxonomy

In this age of continuous change and advancements, a flexible data structure is vital to surviving. Any business must adapt to the changing needs to keep itself in the market.

 A PIM software has a flexible data structure that can assist you as a user to cope with changing demands and scenarios of the market.

A PIM solution also has well-defined taxonomy. It organizes the product data and creates clear product catalog segregation. This organization helps to access product data simply and is less time-consuming.

4. Integration with e-commerce platforms and marketplaces

As an eCommerce manager, how many stores can you have on Shopify? Many of course. Not only Shopify, but you can also have many stores on all the eCommerce platforms. 

So, You don’t have to choose between channels and sites to market your product because you can use more than one platform and channel to integrate them with PIM software. Moreover, you can distribute your products at multiple stores and sites with just one click.

It is an important feature of PIM that allows you to connect and integrate with Shopify plus other eCommerce platforms and marketplaces. In this way, you can have uniform data across all channels which can help improve customer experience.  Moreover, you can reach and target more customers in the local and global markets.

5. Support for numerous languages and currencies

As an eCommerce manager, you are marketing your product globally. It means you are targeting many geographies and you have to deal in several currencies. A PIM solution gives you the freedom of having multiple stores in numerous languages and currencies.  

You can have stores in different languages and currencies and you can still manage all of them in one place using PIM.

6. Workflow management and approval processes

Workflow management of PIM plays a huge part in the organization of data and managing it with accuracy. This feature provides specific orders to the tasks. The proper approval process of PIM workflow management is important to ensure data accuracy and consistency.

The workflow management and approval process helps in

• Organizing data
• Collaboration
• Boosting productivity
• Eliminating inaccuracies
• Saving time
• Notifying about missing data
• Brand protection
• Faster product launch

7. Versioning and history tracking for data change

PIM is based on the principle of collaboration. Flexibility in editing allows team members to edit and change product data. The team members might be doing these changes from different locations around the globe.

Versioning helps the team to keep track of the changes made by other members as it creates a version in the history when you edit something. Anyone with the authority to edit can see and track who made the changes and when are they made.

8. Robust Search and Navigation Capabilities

Flexibility in data structure and clear product catalog segregation help you easily search and navigate through product information. Increased searchability of the product data is hassle-free and saves a lot of time and effort.

Navigation helps product data stay organized. Therefore, it is easy to access the information. The accuracy and reliability of this feature make your PIM experience a glossy one.

9. Data Enrichment and Quality Control

This PIM feature plays an essential role in improving and maintaining the quality of product data. If there is some data missing for your product, PIM will fix those gaps in the information through already present data sets. These data sets can be internal or external.

Data quality should be enhanced and automated via a PIM system. A good PIM should feature safeguards such as rules for attribute and workflow validation, version control, and reporting on data quality. 

In addition, built-in quality checkers and validators will let you know which information is missing and is needed to be filled in.

10. Reporting and Analytics

It can be vital for your business if you are able to track and analyze your product data. PIM provides access to real-time and historical product data reports. 

In addition to tracking your data, it also helps save time as you won’t have to spend a lot of time preparing reports to decide what your next move will be.

You can analyze what is working and what is not working for your product in real-time and can make necessary adjustments accordingly. 

11. Collaboration and User Management

It is obvious that you need a team to grow your business online. For example, if you have multiple Shopify stores,  and you want to market them properly, you will need an eCommerce manager, media person, fulfillment team, and customer support.

To collaborate with them, PIM gives you a feature where you can invite your team and manage their permissions and authority. Therefore, you can have your team working together at the same time even from remote locations.

You can also collaborate with your retailers or vendors by inviting them to your PIM solution. You can have a separate dashboard for interaction and collaboration with your retailers and vendors.

12. Support and Training

A good PIM software must have a support and training session for you when you sign in. This can help you better understand all the important features of the PIM solution. 

It should provide you access to support and training resources and help to get the most out of the PIM system

Conclusion

If you want to excel in today’s business world, the online presence of your brand is very important. Not only it will expand your target audience, but it will also improve customer experience. 

PIM or Product Information Management will help you at every stage in managing your eCommerce business. PIM provides you with features that can improve your own experience and will help you get things done with ease. Here is the list of essential features of every PIM solution that we have discussed so far:

1. Product Data Management
2. Centralized Database for Product Information
3. Flexible Data Structure and Taxonomy
4. Integration with e-commerce platforms and marketplaces
5. Support for numerous languages and currencies
6. Workflow management and approval process
7. Versioning and history tracking for data change
8. Robust Search and Navigation Capabilities
9. Data Enrichment and Quality Control
10. Reporting and Analytics
11. Collaboration and User Management
12. Support and Training

Frequently Asked Questions

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