The document provides guidelines for choosing a product information management (PIM) system. It lists several key factors to consider: (1) Choose a PIM that solves all business needs but avoids overly complex options; (2) Look for a PIM that integrates with digital asset management; (3) Consider customer service and research reviews; (4) Evaluate needs based on frequency of product updates, number of sales channels, complexity of supplier relationships, product variety and complexity, price fluctuation frequency, and team size. The document uses examples of two companies, Company X that would benefit from a full-featured PIM, and Company Y that likely does not need one, to illustrate how to assess PIM requirements.

1. PIM Do’s and Don’ts
7 STEPS TO PICKING THE RIGHT PIM
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2. 3 Main Do’s and Don’ts
Do choose a PIM
that solves all of
your concerns.
But don’t choose a PIM that’s overly
complex or provides functionality
you’re unlikely to use.
Do choose a PIM
that integrates
digital asset
management.
But don’t select a DAM that’s been
built to mimic the functionality of a
PIM.
Do choose a PIM
that offers
responsive customer
service.
But don’t simply take the company’s
word for it. Do your own research
and look for reviews and other
social proof.
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3. Product Page or Catalog Updates
 PIM simplifies keeping product content accurate and up to date.
 Company X needs a PIM, because they sell clothes. Because fashion changes all
the time, their product pages need to be updated often.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because they sell items from an established
brand which markets its products as “tried and true.” Hence they almost never
change.
 But what about sales channels?
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4. Selling Across Channels
 PIM automatically updates product pages across all your channels.
 Company X needs a PIM, because they market products in multiple languages
and sell across a large number of different kinds of channels. Each of these has a
unique set of required pieces of information to complete their product pages.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because they only sell on one channel.
 But what about the product suppliers?
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5. Multiple Manufacturers
 PIM eliminates the tedious work of standardizing product information.
 Company X needs a PIM, because they work with a large number of suppliers.
Each of these can never seem to send the information in the format Company X
requests, so they’ve given up on asking.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because they only work with one manufacturer
and their spreadsheets are always well organized.
 But what about the number of products on offer?
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6. Number of Products
 PIM ensures product content enrichment for personalized experiences.
 Company X needs a PIM, because they sell a wide range of different products to
customers falling into several different buyer personas.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because they sell a standard set of products that
increases in number very infrequently.
 But what about the variability of products?
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7. Product Complexity
 PIM simplifies managing product attributes.
 Company X needs a PIM, because they sell hundreds of different products, and
some have dozens of different variants.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because their products don’t vary except by size,
of which there are two.
 But what about when prices rise and fall?
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8. Price Fluctuation
 PIM can be configured to adjust prices automatically and to display them in a
number of possible ways.
 Company X needs a PIM, because their prices are based on market trends which
change from day to day.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because they never offer sales or other
promotions.
 But what about the number of employees in the business?
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9. Team Size
 PIM centralizes internal information to create a single source of truth.
 Company X needs a PIM, because they employ a wide number of large teams,
each responsible for one element of every finished piece of product content.
 Company Y doesn’t need a PIM, because they are a small company with only a
handful of employees.
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10. What can PIM do for you?
 Create rich, compelling product pages full of accurate information with pictures,
descriptions, and feature benefits.
 Enriched product pages will convert more visitors into buyers, to grow your sales
revenue.
 PIM empowers you to bring products to market faster and sell more across more
sales channels.
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11. Click to see what CATSY can
do for you.
THANK YOU
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