Manufacturers of all sizes are getting products to market faster using product information management (PIM) software.
The details of each PIM software implementation look different from company to company. But the ultimate benefit we see across use cases is the same: After your organization implements PIM, you can ring the cash register faster with new product sales.
Gain efficiency across your enterprise
We recently launched PIM software for a global clothing manufacturer that sells through both brick-and-mortar and ecommerce channels. Before PIM, they carried out complex, manual processes for their product data. They used convoluted workflows for content updates and even more manual processes for updating it across systems (ERP, CRM, etc.).
We implemented PIM software with two things in mind—save this business time and get their products to market faster.
Today, this global enterprise manages all their product data in one system and can easily syndicate wherever it needs to go. Their PIM software connects directly to their CRM, POS, logistics systems, inbound and outbound translation data, and dropship fulfillment providers. Their images are automatically ingested to PIM and their ERP data is automated outbound from PIM. They also utilize PIM software to syndicate pricing and market data directly to their ecommerce website. This used to be a manual process that is now completed in seconds.
With these efficiencies, they can update a large portion of their product data in PIM software, then automate those updates back to origin systems and downstream channels, including their own ecommerce website.
Automate how you manage product data
Automation of manual product data processes is a common priority for PIM software clients. Take for instance another retail manufacturer who had completely manual processes when we met them. We’re talking manual exports from the ERP, hand-keyed into the CRM. PIM software changed their business dramatically.
Today, they use fewer systems to add more value. We built custom integrations from their inriver PIM software to Salesforce and CGS’s BlueCherry Enterprise Software. We built these connectors to automatically ingest product data and images from source systems to their PIM instance and send them downstream to their website.
Automated processes save a considerable amount of time. We encourage all our clients to track how long it takes to complete current manual processes. Once automated solutions are in place, we can track the amount of time saved with your PIM software implementation, i.e., the ROI of PIM. The results are amazing. In this example, PIM software saved our client approximately 2,700 person hours per year.
Simplify your B2B ecommerce user flows
In addition to getting products to market faster, manufacturers can also decrease the time it takes for B2B customers to purchase products. That was the case for another global manufacturing client who sells a variety of heavy machinery, as well as hundreds of thousands of aftermarket parts.
This company grew organically over the years through acquisition, resulting in a myriad of systems used to run their business. Compounding the complexity of their overall process, they had inconsistency in systems, legal requirements, and the need to transfer data between global markets.
This complexity had a negative effect on customers—who previously had to visit three to four websites to locate and complete a single product purchase.
With PIM software, we enabled a global, standardized, central repository for all their product data. This enabled consistent and shared data enrichment, ingestion, and consolidation from hundreds of external systems and processes. PIM software also streamlined their output to a shared global ecommerce portal.
Through PIM linking, their complex relationships are now easier to manage. We aggregated countless data points and automated their processes. Today, their customers can complete the entire purchase process on one website.
Get product data to your ecommerce website faster
An international cosmetics manufacturer wanted to implement PIM software as a test case for their own ecommerce website. While they sell through dozens of downstream channels, they first wanted to see if they could get standardized global workflows in place for their own site.
As part of their implementation, we created custom connectors to import data from multiple source systems. We also created custom importers for flat file processing. This streamlined how the company’s product data came together in one place and automated its path to the ecommerce site. Today, changes made in their PIM software system are reflected on the live site in as little as 30 minutes.
This efficiency gain motivated the company to begin revisions for other parts of the business. Their existing retailer-based channels currently require highly manual and labor intensive data flows. But teams are following the first division’s lead and will soon experience automation benefits as well, once the PIM software integration is complete.
How can PIM software accelerate time to market for your business?
PIM software implementation and optimized product data practices can transform your business. You can automate manual processes and reduce the number of people in your product data creation process. You can completely streamline how data gets from its origin system to the customer.
What is your biggest product issue?
Let’s talk.
Schedule a no-pressure meeting with a member of our PIM team to determine how your business can gain back valuable time with PIM.