In order to stand out from the competition, product data management must be optimal. For every company, its qualities must be well preserved. In fact, they represent a window between the product and the customer. Therefore, it is necessary to manage them properly so that it takes a better place in front of the competition. Indeed, the behavior of consumers has changed a lot since the evolution of technology. In addition, the birth of new commercial systems such as e-commerce has so influenced the management of product data. It is therefore essential for every company to opt for an efficient tool to manage its information in the sales channels. But, what does this solution really look like? So, reviewing what PIM is is essential.
What is the solution to improve product data management?
With the constant evolution of the internet, information easily increases in size and it is easy to get lost or make mistakes over time. Important data about a product may be missing or poorly structured. According to a statistic made by a private provider, more than 90% of the customers could not complete the purchase of their products in the platforms because of insufficient data or the existence of false information. This could lead to consumer anger and a bad image of the product for sale. In this case, having a powerful tool capable of managing these shortcomings allows each company to take care of its image and facilitate the access of customers to its products. Faced with this, PIM or Product Information Management tools are computer programs that help companies, especially SMEs, to manage data about their products. Thus, PIM is a crucial element for your success.
What are PIM tools used for?
PIM software manages product information and all associated information in order to make it easier for consumers to access them on sales channels. Its main objective is to avoid data loss. In fact, spreadsheets like Excel used to be used to record data about a product. In this case, the appearance of unwanted characters, typing errors, shifts in rows or columns and duplication of information is inevitable. Then, the manager probably induces himself to data damage. The pim solution allows to have a clear and well structured database. In addition, it helps to build customer loyalty because it simplifies the intervention in the catalogs already exposed in the channels. In fact, consumers can follow the trends and novelties since the sales force easily updates its products in the sales platforms. This being said, SMEs, like large companies, have an interest in adopting this technique to improve their information management and to enhance their visibility with consumers.
How to use a PIM solution?
In order to optimize the use of a PIM solution, there is a process to follow. First, you need to identify the information about the company in the data storage devices such as clouds, websites, ERP or CRM. Then, move on to cleaning up this data because a single piece of information may appear many times or unnecessary items may be found together with the information. Then continue with updating the product data. To do this, it is important to ensure that the information is consistent with the interface and the channel concept. Afterwards, the relevant teams will integrate the updated information in each sales channel in collaboration with the company. Finally, following the release of the product data, the marketers work on the market development and trend to determine if an update of the information should be done. Thus, the use of the pim software is summarized by the collection, cleaning, updating and integration of the product data in the channels.
How to choose a PIM solution?
Choosing the right PIM solution for your company requires an analysis of your needs and objectives and then looking for the tool that has a suitable function for managing your company's product data. You should first consult comparative lists of this tool on the Internet. Alternatively, you can learn about some pim software and study their functionality. Then, make a table that will contain your selection criteria and then mention in each column start the types of tools you have shortlisted. Then, note each pim solution according to your need. Then, you can choose what you need with the help of this comparison table. Finally, like all other types of software, you should beware of products that have good listings, but, do not meet your expectations. So, choosing your PIM solution consists in comparing a few software that you found on the Net and then deduce what is adapted to you.