Creating Tailor-Made Purchase Experiences with PIM and DAM

In the age of digital commerce and customer centricity, companies put increasing emphasis on providing their customers with a smooth and personalized purchase experience. Product Information Management (PIM) und Digital Asset Management (DAM) have come to play a decisive role herein. By combining context-sensitive and personalized product information with digital assets, PIM and DAM systems enable companies to fulfill their customers’ expectations. Since today’s customers are more demanding than ever: They are more informed and can order goods from anywhere at any time. This grants customers the freedom of choice from whom they want to buy their desired product.
E-commerce companies that want to set themselves apart from the competition must design a perfect and pioneering purchase experience. And to this end, they need lots and lots of data: expressive product descriptions, detailed product images, professional product videos, setup manuals, maybe even augmented reality integration, and much, much more. Handling this manually is no longer possible, there is no way around high-performance tools. If you wish to learn more about how PIM and DAM systems can help you in creating groundbreaking purchase experiences, we invite you to keep on reading.

 

Why are PIM and DAM Indispensable for a Successful Purchase Experience?

According to a survey by KPMG, 57 percent of all surveyed people wish for better information about the product, 42 percent for better product images, and, lastly, 23 percent for more product videos in order to avoid product returns. (Source: Statista 2023). This clearly demonstrates: high-quality product content is of great importance to consumers. When it is inconsistent, incorrect, or simply unavailable, it will inevitably reflect itself in the product return rate or the product isn’t even bought in the first place.

 

Nowadays, consumers are well-informed and more demanding than ever, which is why they are expecting reliable product content from companies, among other things. By integrating both systems, companies can optimize their business process and make sure that they can provide consistent and complete product information that can solidify the customers’ trust and have a positive impact on the purchase decision. This is enabled by pooling together context-sensitive and personalized product information from the PIM system with digital assets from the DAM software.

The data PIM and DAM solutions centralize respectively differs a lot from one another. Accordingly, it’s best practice to connect both worlds. This grants you a comprehensive overview of all product-related data on the basis of which you can also easily manage and maintain all information as necessary. With this unbeatable tool combination, you solve one of the biggest operative challenges companies find themselves confronted with: Millions of different product data records are collected, maintained, refined, and distributed only to relevant touchpoints. That alone should already take the point home, doesn’t it? Yet, there are much more advantages that can be of great use to your company.

1. Inspire Customers thanks to Consistent Product Content

The integration of both PIM and DAM guarantees that product data is always up to date, consistent, and correct. Images and other assets should always depict the current state of the art. And they should also be consistent across all channels. When purchasing a bike, for example, nothing could be more irritating than the oddity that your own shop has images that deviate from the other e-commerce or web platforms. Assuring consistency establishes the highest degree of trust in your brand. Regardless with which channels your customers interact, they always receive consistent information which will help them in forming well-informed purchase decisions.

2. Increase in Efficiency for Content Creation and Management

Managing product data can be time intensive and complex. Through the use of PIM and DAM, you can optimize the whole process while accomplishing tasks with less effort and in a quicker and more efficient manner. By directly connecting the DAM system to the PIM, images and assets will always be available just in time in your PIM and, with that, in all connected channels. This allows you full access to an extensive library of digital assets on the basis of which you can create target-group-oriented marketing and product presentations. Additionally, this integration facilitates your workflows and makes you more flexible in your response to sudden shifts in the markets.

3. Personalized Experiences that Captivate Customers

The customers of today expect tailor-made experiences that target their individual needs. By bringing PIM and DAM into relation, you can provide personalized content and suggestions which are based on your customers’ actual preferences and purchasing behavior. A race bike, for example, requires different marketing texts and images than products catered towards hobby cyclists. Naturally, this comes with some preparation work. Knowing your customer inside out is of utmost importance in this context, after all. There are various methods to this end such as setting up a buyer persona. Feedback data, too, be it from product returns, reviews, or based on purchasing behavior, etc. can be managed in the PIM system so that you can read your customers’ wishes from their lips or, much rather, from their purchasing data.

4. Accelerate Your Time to Market and Stay Competitive

In a fast-paced business world, bringing new products to the market is decisive. The combination of both systems enables you to get the optimum out of your processes and shorten the time to market. There is no need to connect two systems which provide data at different times, PIM allows you to distribute everything in a centralized and synchronized manner to relevant channels including assets. With centralized access to all product information and digital assets at the same time, you can speed up the time it takes to make adjustments, update content, and introduce new products. You are agile, you can react quickly, and stay streets ahead of the competition.

5. Boost the Success of Your Omnichannel Strategy

Customers frequent a diverse range of touchpoints in order to interact with companies: social media, online marketplaces, online shops, catalogs, etc. All these interaction options over changes for designing a top-notch customer journey. PIM and DAM systems make it possible for brands to provide product information to various channels. Thanks to built-in omnichannel publishing functions, you can automatically supply just the right product information to different output channels. This way, you create a multichannel or omnichannel at the click of a button.

 

PIM and DAM: A Strong Duo!

PIM systems play an important role in the smooth purchase experiences and optimized omnichannel strategy. A PIM system usually contains DAM functions but it can also interact with separate DAM systems such as Tessa, Canto, and others.

With high-performance systems such as PIM and DAM, companies can optimize their sales and marketing processes across various channels and platforms. In this manner, they can offer a consistent and personalized customer journey which, in turn, results in better customer retention and higher sales.

In case you, too, want to improve your customers’ sales experience and optimize your omnichannel strategy, then the integration of PIM and DAM is the right step.

You want to know how you can master your challenges with a PIM solution?
We’re always happy to show you how in a personal demo show. Our experts guide you through the highlight functions of our software and tell you how you can utilize our PIM solution with built-in DAM functions to elevate your business processes to the next level – digital, free, and without any commitments on your end. Secure your demo tour now!

SaaS PIM: Efficient Data Management without High Investment Costs

In today’s business world where digital product data is published on a variety of online marketplaces, in regional web shops, and product data feeds, central data management plays a decisive role. And this is where Product Information Management systems (in short PIM) come into play. With this high-performance tool, product data can be maintained and optimized efficiently. Functions such as workflow management facilitate working collaboratively on product data and information in teams, while the product data classification improves the active data exchange both inside the company and with other companies. There are many reasons for investing into a PIM system. Many companies, however, are still reluctant of such IT projects given the related risks together with high license costs which sometimes amount to tens of thousands of euro.

 

The Good Old World of On-Premise

Traditionally, corporate software such as a PIM or ERP system is purchased in an On-Premise model (while some prefer the plural On-Premises, others abbreviate it as onPrem). In such models, companies usually make a one-time transaction to cover the – on average high – license costs. On top of that, there are annual costs for updates, maintenance, support, as well as the costs for the implementation project. The software is commonly operated within the company’s own IT infrastructure which, in turn, necessitates personnel for operation together with operation expenses.

The reason why many companies prefer and opt for the On-Premise model despite high investment costs is a clear advantage which should not be overlooked: With an On-Premise licensing model, the company enjoys, to a great extent, independence from the software developer.

A system that is critical for business such as a PIM, for example, can still be utilized even if development of the software product is discontinued. Even in the case of the software developer going bankrupt, business keeps running unhindered as per usual. That’s as far as theory is concerned. In practice, however, neither this self-sufficient system operation nor protection mechanisms such as Source Code Escrow (¹) can provide a hundred-percent error-proof safety net against system disruptions.

Even with access to the source code of third-party software, taking the further development of the software into your own hands is nigh impossible given the enormous effort it would take to acquaint oneself with the technologies. In such a scenario, companies ought to look for an alternative solution as quickly as possible. Running things on your own is only an interim solution.

(¹) Source Code Escrow is a specific kind of software protection solution developed for saving the source code of critical software applications and granting access to it based on conditions specified in the software contract. This comes into effect should the software developer no longer be able to maintain the software on their own.

 

 

SaaS Incoming: The Low-Risk Alternative to On-Premise

“Software as a Service,” also known as SaaS, enjoys increasing popularity as an alternative licensing and operation model which makes full use of the benefits of today’s digital world. The SaaS model sets itself apart from On-Premise with the following five features:

1. Software Operation

The most essential difference lies in the operation model. In the case of a SaaS solution, the system is usually not operated by the company which wants to use it but by the software developer or one of their partners. In this case, people speak of a “cloud-based operation” or simply “Cloud.” This alleviates the need to provide IT infrastructure, keep hardware up to date, install the software, as well as monitoring operation and backups on the customer’s side.

2. Costs

In the case of a Software-as-a-Service model, the initial investment can be kept low. Instead of a high one-time purchase, periodic payments are made for the usage of the SaaS solution. This is because so-called SaaS vendors do not “sell” their software and, instead, demand a regular user fee (so-called “subscription-based pricing”). This encompasses license usage, operation, maintenance, and support.

3. Updates

When it comes to Software-as-a-Service solutions, the provider has the responsibility to carry out updates, meaning the company doesn’t need to worry about regular maintenance. Such updates are provided automatically and without users experiencing any system disruption. Often times, new functions can be implemented more quickly in the Cloud since this also takes care of the distribution and roll-out process to customers. What is important, however, is that, in this model, such updates are usually mandatory and not a choice left up to the company.

4. Service

SaaS vendors strive to provide their customers with a comprehensive service package which provides optimal support in mastering all business-related challenges. Especially when it comes to a PIM system, a first-class service is crucial. Only in this way does the customer not only receive a high-performance system but also makes sure that they can make optimal use of the PIM system in order to accomplish an efficient and digital Product Data Management, better data quality, and smooth collaboration which also carries over into all sales and distribution channels.

5. Scalability

Especially for the e-commerce market, where starting small and growing and expanding in a step-by-step manner is the norm, a fully scalable PIM system offers a great benefit. A cloud-based PIM solution enables a smooth scaling without the need to invest into more servers or software. Cloud PIM solutions can easily be adjusted to the growing business requirements via upgrades without forcing the company to acquire additional server capacities or hiring more IT experts.

 

SaaS PIM: Flexible and Efficient Product Data Management in the Cloud

In summary, it can be said that a SaaS offer shines in comparison to On-Premise solutions when it comes to investment risks. The necessity to purchase expensive one-time licenses, build up an appropriate IT infrastructure, and implement the software does only apply to On-Premise but not a SaaS model. Companies that decide to opt for a PIM solution in the Cloud can get started directly. The investment risk, then, depends on the minimum contract duration. Some vendors, in turn, allow for you to terminate the contract by the end of the next month so that the decision can be easily revoked in case of customer dissatisfaction. This flexibility reduces the risk and grants companies the possibility to re-adjust their strategy. On the other hand, the On-Premise model has the great benefit that the company remains independent from the software developer. This, however, didn’t put a stop to the growing popularity of Cloud solutions.

 

Cloud-Native PIM: A Smart Decision for Your Company

With the ever-increasing demand for SaaS and Cloud software products, many developers of PIM systems today do also offer their products on the basis of Software-as-a-Service or Cloud solutions. At first glance, this leads to a great selection of PIM systems in this software category. When it comes to choosing the right software, however, caution is required since many such systems were originally developed as an On-Premise solution and were then migrated over to the Cloud after the fact. Such software solutions do, by design, not draw from the full potential of the Cloud. This may manifest itself in performance or scalability problems as well as higher operation costs which transfer from the provider over to the customer. It’s advisable to put this aspect into consideration in your PIM selection process.

In order to find the best possible solution, companies should watch out for PIM systems that are developed as cloud-native software. Such systems do not only offer sustainability for the future but also optimal use of all benefits of the Cloud. With cloud-native, companies can optimize their product data in an efficient manner and further boost their business growth.

You want to know more about the possibilities of a cloud-based PIM solution?
How about checking out the functions of ATAMYA Product Cloud and finding out how you can use our PIM solution to elevate your company to the next level!

How Effective are Translation Processes in PIM with and without a Translation Management System?

On a daily basis, companies internationalize and localize text content of all kinds – be it for products or services, be it information offers to B2B parties or B2C target groups. Sometimes in the form of internal datasheets travelling across corporate departments, at other times as published ads ranging from digital print catalogs to digital channels such as online shops and apps with multimedia content.

An integral part of the solution for optimally managing this colorful variety of content is a centralizing Product Information Management (PIM). Here, users pool together all data records and product texts, enrich them further, and, finally, distribute them to all relevant target channels. To this end, on the one hand, many PIM systems provide you with built-in functions for Translation Management. Yet, on the other hand, there are many more kinds of translation-relevant texts floating around in your company which are only indirectly related to product data. This is why there are Translation Management Systems (TMS) for all needs revolving around translations.

Now, considering this overlap between Content Management and Translation Management, the following questions naturally present themselves: Is it possible that a PIM with fully integrated translation functions all by itself can even replace a TMS tool? How about the alternative to simply outsource translation-relevant texts to freelance translators or translation agencies? Maybe a combination of both options is even more attractive – and, if so, what does this mean for data exchange and collaboration?

Lastly, the translation process is one of the most costly affairs when it comes to content creation. Even if you’re only offering your product in, say, the language of your main region together with an international language such as English. This is why we want to analyze the synergies between PIM and Translation Management from the viewpoint of the big picture in this blog post together with you.

 

How does Translation Management function and what is a Translation Memory?

In translation praxis, you can put your trust into a fast selection of helpful tools. Such tools are commonly summarized under the umbrella term Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT): The human being is doing the translation work, but digital assistance is provided in the form of spelling and grammar checkers, online dictionaries, and terminology or glossary lists for your industry of specialization. And in the case of Translation Memory Systems as all-in-one solutions, all benefits of these auxiliary resources are unified in a single, central CAT system. Just how a PIM system brings together all processes revolving around product data.

At the same time, the acronym TMS is often also synonymously interpreted as Translation Memory System. What does the word “memory” mean here? The system saves or, quite literally, memorizes all translated texts in all language pairs. It does so under the principle of “segment-based translations”: Continuous texts are divided into the smallest semantically meaningful unit, namely sentences. This segmentation is coupled with an alignment of the sentence in the source language (SL) and its respective target language (TL). On the word level, the system additionally memorizes all your company’s newly translated terminology. All this serves the following purpose: When translators work with new texts in the integrated text and translation editor, the system automatically compares to-be-translated sentences with all already translated sentences in the database. Accordingly, matching translation and terminology suggestions are directly displayed in real time.

• „100-Percent Match“: There is a 1:1 correspondence between the to-be-translated sentence and an already translated sentence.
• „Fuzzy Match“: There is a partial correspondence with an already translated sentence. Both TMS and PIM systems can calculate the exact percentage of overlap and can rank suggestions accordingly, starting with the most relevant suggestion.

With that, translators have a field day. They evaluate recommended suggestions and adopt them at the click of a button – depending on the use case, the translator can then finish the translation of the text or adjust it to the given context together with other finishing touches. And, once again, the system does also memorize these newly translated sentences for future translation projects. This way, your company maintains a valuable multi-lingual text corpus for all its texts and data.

 

Main Benefits of TMS-Tools for PIM

The benefits of a Translation Management System are more than obvious: The segmented-based translation alone with its real-time translation and terminology suggestions has much to offer…

• Fast and efficient translation process
• Avoid repetitions and redundancy
• Consistent tone and style for securing your corporate language across all regions
• Collaboration and division of labor for text editing and translation
• Creating automated machine-based translations in combination with post-editing work by human translators

The costs saved multiply if your factor in the creation of different text variants, for different target groups, on different target platforms – and increases exponentially for each additional target language.

Besides translation functions, almost all Translation Management Systems take care of the entire user-defined translation workflow. From the creation of the translation task to the billing on the basis of word count or time required for the translation. This is how Translation Management centralizes all functions and processes for localizing content – on the opposite end, however, it does only cover a fraction of the internationalization process, as we shall now see.

 

PIM as a Solution for Translation Processes – without TMS?

PIM, too, is a comprehensive system solution: As early as in the stage of data analysis, as part of the initial PIM implementation project, all product attributes of your assortment down to the very last article are checked extensively for translation relevance and internationalization potential. Language settings are an integral part of a company’s own data model, as actively managed and maintained by the PIM users. Depending on the setup of the data model of a company, this does not only include product and service data, but also analytics and supplier data. This way, PIM creates the ideal data foundation for all language-dependent use cases, one of which is internationalization.

A further enabling condition is the regular creation of translation tasks for data and content. In the industry, we refer to this field as “Translation Management”: Translation managers evaluate translation-relevant content, define translation projects, and accompany them throughout until the quality assurance is complete.

Concerning the evaluation of translation-relevant texts, too, you’re sitting right at the “single source of truth” thanks to PIM. Equipped with extensive search functions and user-defined search criteria, translation managers analyze all data records at the click of a few buttons, for example for the purposes such as: spotting currently untranslated attributes of actual products, translations which are outdated, or product texts which don’t match the user-defined data quality rules.

On the basis of such a well-selected set of data objects in the form of search results, a translation project can be created directly. This includes defining parameters such as relevant language pair(s), additional filters for selecting only translation-relevant data objects required for the current use case, due date, and the translators in charge. As part of the integrated workflow of your PIM, such translation projects can then be translated either directly in the text editors of the system – or outsourced accordingly, be it to a connected in-house Translation Management System or an external translation agency.

When completing the project, the PIM system knows exactly where translated data records belong to and directly stores them at the relevant data objects with their product attributes. Thus, a gapless process comes to its closure.

In short: Even by itself, PIM software is already an excellent Translation Management solution for data of all sorts. Some PIM systems even have a dedicated software module for translation functions to offer. However, without TMS connectivity, your in-house translators will have to fall back to the Computer-Assisted Translation tools (CAT) mentioned above – these alternatives are usually available for free. While it’s true that elaborate Translation Memories, in turn, come with licensing fees, they will easily pay dividends given that they simplify the entire translation process from start to finish in an all-encompassing manner.

 

Synergy between PIM and Translation Management

Last but not least, let’s have a closer look at the PIM-plus-TMS synergy. PIM solutions are explicitly designed to systematically pool together all your company’s data. Which is why connecting third-party systems poses no challenge whatsoever – be it a Translation or a Content Management System. All data exchanges are enabled thanks to the “XLIFF” translation exchange format – this way, even the active collaboration with external translation agencies is a secure alternative. Specialized PIM solutions can even process translation and terminology suggestions in real time as provided by the connected Translation Memory, displaying them directly in the text editors of the PIM’s graphical user interface. Starting from the opposite direction, you can also transfer translations created in PIM over to the TMS. Such features, in turn, are based on conventional “REST” interfaces as an out-of-the-box function which is standard for most Translation Management Systems.

And let’s not forget about the content creators and marketers who work with PIM either. They, too, can check translation and terminology suggestions for their source-language texts in the PIM text editors. This means that they can already start internationalizing content as they write it. If you have a PIM with print or DTP functions in place, you can even set up user-defined templates for publications tailor-made for relevant target platforms and make use of dynamics and automatisms to fill them with content at the click of a few buttons – namely, in each relevant target data language. Once a new content cycle draws near on your agenda, you can simply re-use these templates again and let your designers add the finishing touches to adjust things to the current use case. This is how some of our customers supply physical and digital channels internationally in more than 30 languages with the help of our PIM system, ATAMYA Product Cloud.

This is what You Need to Look Out for when Selecting a PIM

You’ve made the decision to introduce a PIM system? Congratulations! This decision lays out the foundation for the digitization of your product data processes. This comes with many chances and great potential for your company. However, it’s also a strategic decision which comes with many changes to internal processes. Which is why selecting the right PIM system is crucial. To this end, there’re quite a few things to lookout for: Who is the right provider? What system fits your company profile? How do you find the right software and what requirements are to be met? Questions upon questions which you need to tackle before getting started. In this blog entry, we give you useful tips so that you make the right decision when it comes to finding a suitable PIM system.

 

Tip 1: Making the Right Decisions with Strategic Foresight

In all your anticipation of finally putting an end to departmentalized and dispersed data aggregates and making a new beginning with digitized and automated data processes, you should always keep in mind that the implementation of a PIM system is an extensive project which requires good planning. After all, you’re planning to run a system with far-reaching functions and which you can, in the best-case scenario, keep for long-term use.

For a sustainable decision, you should take this tip to heart in order to calculate the total package of your project.

Before things get rolling, you can ask yourself the following question: What do we want as a company and what do we need? To answer this question, you should shift your focus to the interest groups and soon-to-be users of your future PIM system.

 

Tip 2: Determine the Requirements of System Users

Before making a selection list, look around in your company as one of the first steps you take. The reason is that you absolutely need to know who exactly profits from excellent Product Data Management and what requirements you need to meet to realize their full potential.

In the ideal case, you already have a PIM system or a similar system in use which you now wish to replace. You can utilize this as the basis to get input from current users on the requirements thanks to their first-hand experience. With that, you kill two birds with one stone. After all, the people in question will also be from all internal company departments which will later actively work with the system. This is one of the most important interest groups when it comes to establishing the acceptance rate of a new system.

Classic corporate fields which are actively involved in PIM are Marketing, Content Management, and Product Management, as well as IT. In some companies, the Sales team is also on board when it comes to actively working with PIM.

 

Tip 3: Don’t Forget – Not Only Active Users have Demands about the PIM System

Besides actual users, there’s the company-internal interest group. This delimits the interest group which doesn’t actively work with the system itself, but which still requires data from the system. Our professional experience has shown that this group and its requirements are often times neglected or even forgotten when selecting a PIM provider. This bares high risks for the later project. Since the unknown requirements of this group will eventually translate into missing project milestones for implementation objectives and time management. Once they surface during the implementation project, an increase in costs will inevitably occur. In the worst-case scenario, you will only come to realize this after the project completion and, with that, right in the middle of operations.

This interest group includes employees from fields such as Sales, Retail, and Trade, since they require high-quality and precise product data in all sorts of formats. Additionally, employees from the Help Desk, Support, or Service may also be involved since they can utilize the system to conduct thorough research to answer specific customer questions.

Lastly, there’s also the external interest groups, for example wholesale customers, large retailers, or your company’s foreign branches. Even if these parties don’t have insight into your PIM, it’s nonetheless very useful to know about their needs, problems, and requirements in order to make a well-founded decision for the right PIM provider.

Tip 4: Think in Use Cases to Define Your Company’s Requirements in Relation to Product Data

One of the absolute core questions for any successful PIM selection is the following: What does your company need when it comes to product data, information, and content? To this end, it makes more sense to think in use cases rather than functions in order to determine which corporate tasks are required to be covered by your new PIM software. Though, what even is a use case to begin with?

Use cases describe the way the system works from the user’s viewpoint. They describe not so much the function than the processes and the goals the users want to achieve when using the system. It’s about developing an understanding for the interaction between user and system in a comprehensive manner. From this, functional requirements and corresponding test cases can be derived. A good PIM provider must be able to demonstrate to you how to realize your requirements and must already be able to answer many questions concerning your use cases during the selection process. If the provider can do so, this shows that the provider wants to understand the exact position you have found yourself in, in order to plan the project in the best possible manner.

 

Tip 5: Functions are Only Part of the Story – Focus on Processes which can Support You

Don’t forget: a PIM software is all about its use value. It’s about making your daily business run better and faster in a more secure and simple manner. Your PIM software is there to realize your defined objectives.

If you put your exclusive focus on the PIM system’s functions among available offers, you may miss out on some essential points. After all, the list of functions doesn’t account for your processes which are supposed to be supported by these very functions. Functions alone don’t grant you sufficient insight into the big picture.

The interplay of functions and the processes they support often times remains outside of the scope of analysis in the decision-making process. In the worst-case scenario, you will decide for a PIM software which will find a low acceptance rate among users since it doesn’t provide the relevant use value.

 

Tip 6: Also Consider the Solutions Your Potential Provider can Offer for the Software Implementation itself

The introduction of a new software poses great challenges to many companies. In the process, you need to make sure how the know-how is distributed among corporate departments and what resources can be provided for the implementation. Can you commit to a self-guided software implementation or do you require expert support? In our blog entry “Turn Your PIM Implementation into a Success”, we give you a rundown of all pros and cons on the various methods to realize a successful PIM implementation. Keep an eye on both, your potential provider’s service model and software training modules. After all, you want to become your own expert when it comes to your system asap, so that things always run as smooth as possible. Equipped with this advice, there’re no more obstacles separating you from a well-researched decision when it comes to finding your perfect PIM provider.

Headless Commerce – From Trend to Must-Have in E-Commerce

Within the last few years, the “Headless Commerce” trend has slowly but surely advanced to the position of being an integral part of the e-commerce world. Yet, what does “Headless Commerce,” properly understood, even mean? This concept refers to an architectural approach to e-commerce platforms where frontend and backend are systematically separated from one another, so that both can operate as independently as possible. The big advantage: changes can be made to the frontend – the digital equivalent of the shop window for customers – in a more flexible manner, without requiring adjustments to the corresponding e-commerce processes handled by the backend. Additionally, multiple frontends for different devices or use cases can be developed and connected to one and the same backend more easily. For you and your company, finally, this means: more agility and less effort – and, at the end of the day, this is what we’re all striving for.

However, how can “Headless Commerce” be applied to Product Communication and the management of product information? Is that even possible? The answer to this question is given in our most recent blogpost below – explained in an intuitive manner by following the example of a travel business and tour operator.

 

Now, what does “Headless” have to do with PIM?

In the original sense of the term “Headless Commerce,” the topic has relatively little to do with Product Information Management. After all, the “Headless Commerce” solution is about utilizing many backend interfaces to allow for simple, agile adjustments to the frontend. A “Product Information Management” (PIM) solution, in contrast, is usually considered to be a pure in-house application – that is to say, software which end consumers will never even come to catch a glimpse of. Which is why the need to make changes to the graphical user interface design in the latter case is considerably lower and does, in general, not warrant developing a dedicated frontend.

Yet, the fact that a PIM backend is equipped with a great many interfaces makes for exciting benefits when it comes to Product Information Management. This way, you can smoothly integrate your system into your IT infrastructure and establish product creation and management processes across multiple systems. “Headless” plus PIM, in short, equals more automation.

Depending on the industry, business model, as well as IT prowess and process management of a company, there’re several interesting use cases for such remote-controlled, “headless” PIM solutions. Let’s now have a closer look at a practice-centered case study from the industry of travel business:

 

Headless PIM in the Tourism Industry – Automated through and through, from Supplier to Distribution Channels

Headless PIM proves to be more and more popular in the tourism industry. However, why is this solution so interesting here in particular? Let’s take the example of a large tour operator for package tours. The suppliers of our tour operator are airlines, rent-a-car services, and hotels which are bundled together and marketed. For these suppliers, in particular for the hoteliers, the tour operator builds a supplier portal wherein the hotel owners describe their hotels with more than 1,000 facts, hereby creating the product data on their own. Throughout the process, for example, the hotel owners are to answer how many pools the hotel has to offer. Subsequently, further criteria are defined and refined for each pool – from the exact location to the temperature, measures, and much more. Based on these specifications and the images and videos uploaded by the hotel owner, a powerful product data portfolio encompassing every hotel offered by the tour operator can be prepared for the customer.

As soon as the supplier data has reached a degree of refinement that meets the quality guidelines, product content can be generated in a fully-automated manner. This content together with the aforementioned hotel facts and media are now transferred over to the PIM software. With that being out of the way, the hotel is now fully imported into our tour operator’s digital data pool. In the next step, the newly created hotel is introduced automatically to the booking system, which is effectively the travel business equivalent of an Enterprise Resource Planning system. In fruitful exchange, the PIM system receives important intel on how to strategically market the hotel.

For each relevant sales channel in which the hotel is to be promoted, the logic then filters and rearranges the content depending on the channel’s respective target group or other user-defined criteria. For example, people looking for wellness vacations and people looking for sports vacations may be advertised one and the same hotel with different texts and images individualized to appeal to their needs – and all this can be accomplished in a fully-automated manner. On top of being “Headless,” this does also make for a wonderful demonstration of what good and automated product experience looks like! The digital sales channels, too, are directly connected via interfaces, receiving the newest and hottest supplier data nearly on demand.

For the physical print product, there’s also a large field of possibilities when it comes to automation, so that processes can be significantly simplified even in this area. Here, the system knows, for example, how prominent the product presentation is to be and how much dedicated space the respective print page can offer. This way, the automatically-generated enumeration list on the page can be shortened automatically by list points which are the least relevant to the target group. With user-defined and highly dynamic print templates, entire catalogs are generated automatically. Of course, if a text can’t be resized to the necessary format, it’s a job for the members of the content team. In this use case context, the content manager has the option to revise the text, to then proceed by transferring it together with the other automatically shortened texts over to the graphic designer’s fine layout in Adobe InDesign.

Why You do Need a PIM System

Product information occupies a central role in the sales of your products. Only if you provide all information at the right time, through the right touchpoints, in the right quality, as prepared for the right target groups can the customer make a well-informed purchasing decision. To render this process as smooth and efficient as humanly possible, companies are to overcome a set of challenges: data must be collected, enriched with additional info, and exported to the respective market channels in a tailor-made manner in order to provide an exceptional Product Experience to the customer. Such requirements can simply no longer be handled by an ERP system alone. To tackle these requirements head on, you require a Product Information system (PIM). Why this is, indeed, the case and what advantages the use of a PIM system brings to the table for you company – this and more is what you’ll learn if you keep on reading.

 

1. Optimization of Company-wide Collaboration

Have you experienced this before? Your product information is scattered over various systems, such as an ERP system, a PLM system, and even separate Excel files. Additionally, this data is spread over different departments with different responsibilities, like Product Management, Marketing, and E-Commerce. Every department maintains its relevant data in their very own system. As a result, one and the same data records are available in different versions and states – every team has brewed their own soup. Such inconsistent data management means that processes can’t run smoothly and may even cause frustration among employees. This makes for a situation that poses a great many challenges to the entire company.

With a PIM, all redundant data management comes to an end since everything will be cleanly organized in the “Single Source of Truth.” All employees of your company involved can view and edit all relevant product information starting from the ERP system and culminating in the various export channels. On the one hand, this saves valuable personnel and resources: those who struggled with redundant data storage before can now dedicate their full concentration to the tasks that really matter. On the other hand, PIM heavily encourages teamwork. After all, the whole product knowhow is centrally pooled together into a single source and consistently provided to everybody. This centrality leads to improved collaboration as much as it leads to a reduced frustration potential.

 

 

2. Address Your Customers in a More Efficient Manner Across the Entire Customer Journey

In a PIM system, you can first manage product data in a media-neutral manner and then specialize your information offer with channel-specific information or description texts. What does this mean in plain terms? This is best illustrated in the form of an example: A product description for an e-commerce website can be longer than a print catalog which operates with limited space. With a PIM, texts distributed to print catalogs can be shortened automatically so that only the most important information with the highest priority is included in the text.

Since all product data is pooled together at a central spot thanks to PIM, you can always guarantee for contradiction-free and up-to-date data. And this way, only the right information is provided to each distribution channel, too. Nowadays, this facet is becoming more and more important since the customer passes through many touchpoints before forming her purchasing decision.

The following channels are supplied by PIM:

• Online shops
• Electronic catalogs
• Print catalogs
• Mobile apps
• E-Commerce platforms
• Social media

Over the course of forming a purchasing decision, the customer informs herself using most of these touchpoints. The order in which she refers to them, however, may vary. Some may first browse their social media channels and then commit to the purchase in the online shop, while others form their opinion of products utilizing the various e-commerce platforms before buying the object of desire in a physical store on site.

Regardless of the actual order and the point of sale, one thing is especially decisive: for successfully addressing the customer, consistent product data is required across all touchpoints.

 

3. Target-Group-Oriented Product Communication for Your Customers

Besides a consistent customer appeal, the target-group-oriented approach also carries high significance. Human beings are individuals, they have different requirements for products and want to be met on their own ground accordingly. For each target group, you require the right customer approach. Which is why the product description of, say, a drilling machine for a B2B shop differs drastically from that for a B2C shop. After all, both shops appeal to different target groups with different requirements for power drills. In a PIM system, you can store the respective product information directly together with the product itself and then export it on demand into the respective target channel together with digital assets and technical data. With that, you meet your customers on their own ground in the most optimal manner, while you, as a PIM user, can keep full oversight of all general and target-group-specific product information at all times.

 

4. Accelerate Time-to-market

The central data management in a PIM system guarantees a faster export into the various channels. Thanks to much lighter in-house processes and the clear overview of the current state of things, you can easily identify missing information and catch up accordingly. The result: a quicker time-to-market. The build-in workflow management can then automatically trigger further processes, such as the translation process or the creation of product catalogs and flyers. All in all, the realization of a PIM project and its implementation into your current IT infrastructure does also coincide with an analysis of your current product data processes. In combination with the introduction of a PIM system, such an analysis contributes significantly to the optimization of your processes – from which your time-to-market can, in turn, also profit.

 

5. Boost Your Conversion Rate

With a PIM system, you have command over various functions for increasing product data quality. Such functions can make clear which data records still need more attention to boost the overall data quality. Also, quality gates can be set up to validate when exports to the online shop, for example, are allowed and when they aren’t because the given data quality guidelines are not met yet. This way, you can always make sure that the product is only offered once all relevant information is fully prepared. Complete and high-quality product data can contribute to increasing your customer conversion rate in this manner.

Equally as relevant for an increase of your conversion rate are the relations between products with regard to up-selling and cross-selling. In a PIM system, you can realize this by simply creating links or references between objects. All in all, this constitutes yet another feature which can contribute to higher sales.

 

 

6. Enhance Customer Retention

Product Information Management does also support you in forming emotional bonds with your customers. This is because a PIM makes sure that your data is contradiction-free at all times. Complete and high-quality product information make Product Experience skyrocket and provide your customer with a positive purchasing experience – which will strengthen your brand as a whole. You want to learn more about Product Experience? In our free whitepaper, “4 Steps to Using Product Data Efficiently and Creating Product Experience”, we demonstrate to you how you can get the best out of your product data with just a few tweaks.

 

7. Minimalize Product Return Rate

A high return rate means higher packaging and transport costs – this hurts both your company and the environment. Which is why a low return rate pays off double. With the use of a PIM system, you can define measures which can lower the return rate significantly. To take Germany as an example case study, 30 percent of the product returns in Germany are caused by insufficient product descriptions and false product information according to empirical research (source: https://de.ax-semantics.com/). Here, the benefits of a PIM software solution come into full effect, making sure that product data and corresponding assets are supplied to the various e-commerce platforms, shops, etc. in the right quality. The product information improved in this manner has helped many PIM-powered retailers to lower their product return rate by a large margin.

 

ATAMYA, the PIM system for all your needs

As a PIM developer, we have exactly the right software for you. The above-mentioned advantages of PIM can be easily implemented in practice with our system. Your company can also achieve more effective use of resources, more efficient product communication, and a lower product return rate.

With our PIM, you can manage and refine product data centrally and deliver it to all relevant sales channels via interfaces. Form your own opinion and find out more about the ATAMYA Product Cloud.

These PIM Functions Optimize Your Product Management

A Product Information Management system, in short PIM, supports you in digitalizing your product processes and boosting your competitive strength. This sounds promising, but how exactly do you put things into practice?

On the markets, there is a vast selection of the most diverse PIM systems with a great variety of specialization areas. What functions, however, are required to which end? Which functions are necessary to support you in elevating your Product Communication to the next level? We want to get at the bottom of these questions in this blogpost. Though, before we commit to an in-depth analysis of elementary PIM functions, let us, first of all, give a clear answer to a foundational question: What is PIM and what can it do?

 

Definition: What is PIM?

Product Information Management encompasses the complete administration of all product data and information of a company. As far as technology is concerned, Product Information Management is realized via a software system. PIM functions as the central data pool and is connected to multiple source systems (CMS, ERP, CRM). A PIM can map all of your product data processes: collect, manage, enrich, and distribute data into various marketing and sales channels. You want to know all the nitty-gritty details about PIM? We’ve got you covered with our blogpost “What is PIM?”, providing you with all relevant information you need to get yourself started.

You can imagine PIM software like an all-in-one platform for all your products and product data – your datahub. Product data and information from various data sources is pooled and stored centrally, allowing you to serve all possible kinds of agents and relevant target channels: online shops, social media channels, print catalogs, digital product catalogs, or suppliers and resellers. You can establish order at the click of a button and always keep the overview in the “data jungle.”

A PIM software consists of multiple software components which respond to the various requirements you have for your system. The software lifts the heavy weight for many agents – it’s the allrounder for your product data.

 

When is PIM useful?

Many companies run an ERP system such as Navision or SAP for their internal production process. Furthermore, there are many outlets relevant to your Product Marketing such as a diverse range of web platforms and different print media which all require product data.

Historically, we’ve observed that companies without a PIM system firmly embedded into their software infrastructure suffer, more often than not, from inefficient processes when it comes to creating and refining data required for Print and Web. For historical reasons, in fact, companies usually conceive of Print and Web as two entirely different processes altogether. Accordingly, it used to be tedious manual labor to integrate product data already pooled in the Enterprise Resource Planning system into both of these split processes.

In order to bridge the gap between all systems and sources, while also boosting the efficiency of daily work revolving around this area of functionality, PIM systems are equipped out-of-the-box with various special features. These features are what we want to have a look at right now in the following chapters.

 

Requirements to Data Storage

The data storage of product information and additional meta-data for Marketing processes in the fields of Print and Web form the foundation of a PIM software. This comes with a range of functions and requirements for data organization and data maintenance. Concerning this elementary aspect, let’s dig a bit deeper into the material and have a closer look at how things roll:

Mapping Complex Product Data Structures

In order for all data storage requirements to be fully satisfied, complex data structures must be represented within the system. This includes:

• Organizing various object types such as product groups, products, articles, company departments, and sales structures
• Hierarchical product structures
• Cross-references between articles, such as “spare parts” or “synergizes with”
• Mapping to different hierarchical structures from various source and target Systems

No Redundant Data Management

Since product data supplies, in most use cases, multiple distribution channels with the same content, data should only be compiled, edited, and validated once – in particular including otherwise costly translation processes. Yet, some attention to detail is required here: ‘same’ doesn’t always mean ‘same.’ There are a great many exceptions to the rule. For example, a product description for Web can be more extensive than on print catalog pages with limited physical space. In order to work efficiently, you need to be able to master such exceptions in a timely manner. With a PIM, it’s a piece of cake to define and implement any possible exception to the rule. All requirements are supported by corresponding PIM functionality to reference data for a given use case.

Support for Complex Data Formats

Product data records are more than simple aggregates of short texts combined with some numerical values; you also need to be able to handle more complex data formats. Here, the essential formats are:

• Mark-up text
• From–to value range fields
• Date attributes in user-definable formats
• Pre-defined selection fields
• Hierarchical and/or multivalent selection fields
• Tables and multi-dimensional pivot tables
• Fields for managing media such as images and PDF documents

In-Depth Search Functions

Once the central data storage is secured, users wish for an effective option for finding relevant data more conveniently. Here, too, PIM supports you with the following functions:

• Full-text search
• Definable data search scope
• Search criteria for finding specific data objects or records, e.g. “find all articles which have beeng edited within the last week” to export them, or “find all products which use the spare part ‘X4711’.”

Built-In Workflow Support

To facilitate daily data creation and management, there are many PIM functions for controlling workflows. This allows for parallel data editing and collaboration between multiple users. Always keep a clear overview of the “data jungle.”

Support for Translation Processes

In order to market products internationally, the translation of product data and information is always important. Besides efficient data management, a PIM software also ought to optimally map the translation process. Ideally, all of the following points can be accounted for:

• Functions for the on-boarding of third-party translation agencies
• User-defined translation tasks for a specific set of data in selected languages depending on the given use case
• Transparent overview of current translation state for all data records in your system
• Automatic labeling of text data in the system: Which of the texts being displayed are translated or untranslated, have changes been made to a text which require new translations?

Media Management

Again, product data is so much richer than plain text and numerical values. It also encompasses: images, videos, documents, datasheets, technical drawings, and much more. These different formats and objects must also be managed appropriately using PIM functions. And here, too, you require extensive search functionalities and, perhaps more importantly, a direct, bi-directional connection between these media assets and products. This is because users usually don’t search for a specific image but the corresponding article – which is also linked to all other relevant images and documents for further context. If such PIM functions are provided, users always find what they are looking for first try, instead of having to commit to a tedious search procedure.

The Perfect Symbiosis between All Systems

As the central data storage system, PIM requires connectivity to other systems, such as the Enterprise Resource Planning system or web shops. In turn, there may also be external systems which require direct access to product or marketing data.
Here, we differentiate between two types of interfaces: file-based interfaces and application programming interfaces (API). In the former case, systems exchange data by sending and receiving files. In the latter case, the systems communicate directly with one another.

The typical data formats for file interfaces are csv, xml, and json. A PIM should allow you to set up both import and export interfaces for these file formats via a built-in configurator. For more exotic, industry-specific file formats, some individualization and programming may be required.

For the data transfer from program-to-program, there are three options:

1. The external program communicates with the Rest services of the PIM system, allowing for reading and writing data in the PIM system.
2. So-called middleware can be used as a mediator between the to-be-connected systems (e.g. the mediator communicates with the provide Rest services) to transfer data. Such software allows you to realize more complex data transformations and processing logics.
3. The PIM system realizes the interface for the external system using embedded individual software (i.e. scripts) which can, in turn, communicate with the external system using Rest requests or other mechanisms.

In fact, PIM systems with a good and fast interface configurator are even utilized by some companies as a middleware for connecting all their input systems with relevant output systems.

 

Getting the Best out of Things with PIM – From Efficiency to Optimized Customer Experience

Equipped with the right functions, the implementation of a Product Information Management system offers a great many benefits to your company:

• Efficient processes and workflows
• Significantly shorter time-to-market
• Improved data quality via centralization of all product data
• Enabling multi-channel and omni-channel strategies thanks to consistent, up-to-date, and channel-specific product information
• Optimization of product descriptions
• Your product presented in the best possible light to your customer

A PIM supplies you with the optimal basis for facilitating your and your coworker’s data management tasks, rendering corporate processes more efficient. With that, you finally have all the time you need at your hands for focusing on the important matters: designing unique Product Experiences for your users and improving Customer Experience.

Structure and Acceptance: Your Methodological Approach to a Fast PIM Implementation

“Digital Transformation” is a topic which poses a great challenge to many companies – in particular when it comes to Product Communication. The e-commerce industry is booming. In order to stay afloat in the face of today’s fast-paced competition, online retailers must manage a large quantity of products and corresponding product data in an optimal manner. To this end, an ERP system by itself is no longer sufficient. Products are to be enriched with a great variety of data and digital assets, from text to multimedia – and, eventually, distributed into many target channels in order to address various target groups at the same time. This is what multi-channel is all about. How can you master this challenge? The solution isn’t far to seek: a Product Information Management system. In short, PIM.

A PIM system simplifies the labor you’re required to invest into your product data significantly. This is because you can edit and maintain your product data and information at a central spot, in a department-overarching manner, across your entire company. Through various intersection nodes with other systems, you can enhance your PIM system with further functions such as, for example, automated translations. To put it simply: A PIM provides you with many benefits which will facilitate your daily work life and upgrade your company’s Product Communication to the state of the art.

If this is, indeed, the case, however, how come that not every company and online shop operator is running a PIM system? Since the implementation of a PIM system involves some effort which, in turn, discourages some responsible people in charge.

 

This is How Your PIM Project will Become a Success

If it’s about implementing new software in a company, the expectations are usually pretty high. In particular when it comes to a Product Information Management system, your team may expect quick results thanks to better data transparency, more compact processes, and efficient management tools. At the same time, the executive board is pushing for a quick implementation with a limited project budget. To bring both worlds together, you’ll need a well-mapped-out implementation plan and, on the other hand, you’ll need to generate a high acceptance rate for changes and innovations among your coworkers.

Our experience proves: With a core team of proactive key users and with our proven software training program, a PIM system can be implemented with minimal service hours and with a short project runtime. To learn about the four essential aspects you’ll need to look out for in order to make your project a success, keep on reading.

 

PIM Means Teamwork: It All Comes Down to the Right Project Team

For the successful implementation of a PIM system, select your taskforce before anything else – your core team. This team forms the foundation and, consequently, the first essential success factor for a quick project implementation. Concerning team size, the rule is: as little as possible, as big as necessary. Once it’s up and running, the PIM software will enable department-overarching collaboration and data management. Which is why you should compose your core team out of different department representatives – bundling the corporate know-how, from Marketing to Product Management. These representatives are experts of your product portfolio and know exactly which product attributes are relevant to your customers. This is where the first pitfall for a successful PIM project is looming. Don’t forget to get your IT involved as early as possible. Often times, companies make the mistake of getting their IT department on board once it’s already much too late, in the middle of the implementation process. This is crucial since it’s your IT that harbors specialized expert knowledge on how to implement digital systems such as PIM. Your IT knows best when it comes to your company’s current software infrastructure. Ideally, you’ve already gotten your IT admins involved before the PIM project even started.

For the successful introduction of a PIM system, human resources is another big topic. Make sure that your project team can prioritize PIM for the runtime of the project. Without the resources required, your project may run into delays and postponements.

Collaboration with PIM Consultants: Get Pros on Board

A PIM project is as unique as the product world you’re providing to your customer. Yet, there’s one thing that all projects have in common: You’ll have to make a lot of macro-level decisions which may, in turn, lead to uncertainty. Correcting wrong decisions later is not only demoralizing for your team but also a dangerous time devourer. Which is why they should be avoided in the first place by doing things right from the beginning. No worries! You don’t have to walk the path towards the right data model for your products and the right information chain workflow on your own. A good PIM provider has a lot of expertise to show when it comes to the successful implementation of PIM. Never hesitate to get experts on board – this saves time, money, and your team’s nerves.

We from ATAMYA believe in a close collaboration with both our customers and partners. As a result, we know all about the pittfalls of PIM projects. Throughout, one thing in particular has become clear: A fast PIM implementation goes hand in hand with a well-designed method – an implementation with system.

We’re All in the Same Boat: Establish Acceptance for Change

So far, the first steps towards the successful introduction of a PIM system are complete. Your hand-picked project team is ready to go and works in close collaboration with PIM consultants on your project according to a well-defined phase plan. Now, it’s about keeping the ball rolling as far as the initial motivation is concerned. This is because PIM will make foundational changes to processes and workflows – for the better. A high acceptance rate which is open for incoming changes will improve the collaboration of your team and key users, hereby constituting the motor for a fast project realization. Even before beginning your project, all parties should have a transparent overview of what exactly will change. Communicate with your team at regular intervals and explain what the new software will innovate and what kind of benefits the functions and features will provide for individual use cases. Our experience has shown: For the centralized data management in PIM and for a modern work environment with consistent product information without data redundancy, users will be happy to move away from the usual excel tables and lists.

In order to make short work of even the last quantum of doubt towards a new PIM system, we’ve compiled for you a selection of the most important arguments. In this free checklist, you’ll learn why a PIM solution pays dividends for all departments of your company and what hard facts will convince your stakeholders.

Skill Comes with Practice: Train Your Core Team

To draw from the full potential of your team, everybody must act in concert and follow the same vision. By identifying the qualifications of the core time at an early stage, you create a common ground for knowledge and you make sure that everybody speaks the same language so that the project can take flight. Strarting from the rollout of the PIM system in your corporate processes, users should familiarize themselves with the interface until everything flows naturally. Communicate this to your PIM consultants and use your and their expertise to equip individual users with required know-how. The right training at the right time guarantees constant project progress and makes sure that you can stay focused on the important matters.