PIM system differences

PIMvendors has worked on PIM systems for more than 10 years: the products already on the market, and the new ones. That covers supervision or analysis of over 300 implementations, which is enough to compare quality, implementation partners, and vendors. It also covers license structure, price, and running cost.

A selection is worth doing before you buy. The system that fits will hold more than a short product text. The useful part of the advice is which new jobs become realistic once the record is actually maintained.

Three groups

PIM systems multiplied because they sit next to ERP in an omnichannel stack. For many sales, product, and marketing teams the PIM is the system they live in. The differences are large enough that a feature checklist will not find the match.

• PIM-only: manage and enrich product information, and stop there.
• PIM plus marketing: the base, plus DAM, automated layout of folders in the corporate template, SEO data, reviews, and similar extras.
• PIM plus commerce: the base and the marketing layer, plus B2B portals, webshops, landing and campaign pages, promotion management, marketplace feeds, CRM, and similar extras.

What to test inside a group

Look at this year's requirements and at the company you expect in a few years.

• Scalability: can the system grow with the catalog, or will you buy again in a few years?
• Investment and total cost of ownership: are the running costs sustainable, and can productivity pay the project back?
• Continued development: can you put a specific wish on the vendor's roadmap?
• Technical implementation: does the vendor have implementation partners who have done your industry or your type of business?
• User-friendliness: can the people who will actually type in it use it, across roles?

Which category fits

High-end enterprise

The PIM or DAM is one part of a complex, international architecture. Marketing and online sales often work in other systems. The PIM is the source for websites, apps, POS, print and folder tooling, and PLM.

Standard enterprise

Medium-sized organizations that will not staff or buy a broad suite, and still need product data under control. The job is content production and content distribution.

Mid-end enterprise

Product information is how processes get aligned. Marketing and online sales both work in the system. Besides producing content, it is the hub that sends feeds to resellers and to platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Carrefour, and Google Shopping.

Basic PIM

Smaller organizations that need to publish more product content than the ERP will hold. The job is enrichment, plus a webshop or a dealer portal.