What is a PIM and how can it increase B2B sales?
Not infrequently, product information is scattered in different places: a server for images; Excel sheets containing product texts; a folder housing product documents; and so on. It's an inefficient way of working to say the least. Worst of all, every single time product information changes, it has to be manually updated across many disparate systems and places. With a PIM, all your product information can be collected in one place. What is a PIM and how can it increase your sales? Well, that’s what this page is all about, so let’s dig in.
What is PIM?
PIM, which stands for Product Information Management, is a type of system used to manage and organize product information. PIM systems are widely used in e-commerce, retail, and manufacturing to store, collect and manage product information across channels and platforms.
With a PIM solution like Gung’s, you get a single database that contains all the information about your products, including product descriptions, images, specifications, marketing materials, documents, etc. When product information needs to be updated or changed, it only needs to be done once inside your PIM. As long is the PIM is properly integrated with other systems, including your ERP, your product data will always be up to date in real time across all of your sales channels.
What can you do with a PIM?
Companies selling physical products to other businesses can do a number of things with a PIM:
Save time with search and filter tools that help you (and your customers) find the right products via article number, season, or any number of product characteristics.
Improve the depth of your product data by augmenting it with data stored in separate systems (like your ERP) or documents.
Improve how buyers explore and experience your products by dividing them based on attributes, categories, and/or channels.
Improve your customer and distributor experience by consistently displaying accurate product information across all of your sales channels.
Offer your customers an updated—and even custom product catalog—by displaying products relevant to them that are always up to date with current product information.
Avoid human error when handling product information updates.
Upload new products quickly and easily—either through an interface for individual products or a mass import of several products.
Update information on all sales channels with just a few clicks. Just identify which products are to be published where, then the rest is taken care of automatically.
Improve decision-making with the ability to control, track, summarize, and analyze your product data.
Prepare your products to be sold internationally, with the ability to translate all your product information into different languages.
Do you need a PIM?
We almost always recommend a PIM to our customers—so much that it is included when integrating Gung with their ERP systems. Most of the time, a PIM is the perfect catalyst for companies that want to increase their sales, because it simplifies and automates a number of time-consuming processes. With less administrative work on their hands—your sales reps have more time to focus on strategic selling.
Ask yourself:
Am I selling physical products—either online or offline?
Do I need my product information available in different languages?
Is it difficult or time-consuming to update product information when things change?
Do I need to track hundreds or thousands of products?
Am I selling my products across multiple channels, direct and indirect?
Is my product information scattered in multiple databases and documents throughout the business?
Is my product catalog always embarrassingly out of date?
Is my product catalog not compelling due to lack of detail or poor design?
If you answered yes to a few of these questions, a PIM will likely make a world of difference to your business. Click the button below, and we will provide you with a personalized demo of what the Gung PIM will do with your product data.
