During this PIMvendors Academy session, Stephan Spijkers is joined by co-founder Chris Jobse to explore the full history and evolution of Product Information Management (PIM) — from printed catalogs and Excel files to modern PIM-first architectures and long-tail commerce workflows.
Together, they break down how PIM emerged, how it changed with the rise of e-commerce and marketplaces, and why today’s organizations are shifting toward PIM-first product creation, scalable workflows, and multi-channel data structures.
Speakers:
Stephan Spijkers – Co-Founder, PIMvendors.com
Chris Jobse – Co-Founder, PIMvendors.com
Key Takeaways:
- PIM began as a way to organize product data for printed catalogs before evolving into a central collaboration tool.
- Excel was the first “informal PIM,” but it breaks at scale due to version control issues and multi-user conflicts.
- Modern PIM integrates catalog, e-commerce, marketplace, and DAM needs — each with different data structures.
- PIM-first architecture allows products to be “born” in PIM, enabling structured attributes, validation rules, and multi-channel readiness.
- Long-tail product catalogs and drop-shipment processes become far easier to manage in a PIM-first workflow.
- Proper PIM enables on-demand ERP product creation and automated order flows.
- Collaboration, guided data entry, and workflow orchestration make PIM the backbone of scalable product information.
Want to dive deeper and discover the best tools, comparisons, and expert advice? Visit PIMvendors.com now — your go-to resource for everything related to Product Information Management.
