PIM should be easy
We at Canter work every day to make Product Information Management (PIM) as easy as possible. As with many other things, product information management is successful for those who can make complex easy.
Although product information management is not complicated.
At least we don’t think it needs to be. Following a few basic principles will go a long way. The basic idea is the same in every company, although there are industry- and company-specific differences.
PIM is not an information system project.
It is the introduction of a new way of working that involves change management as well as automation of manual processes. The PIM system does not do everything automatically but acts as an enabler. In order to make product information management as easy as possible for our customer company, we have paid special attention to the following aspects and actively developed these.
Easy to purchase
In our opinion, the acquisition of an information system must not be complicated, but we should think about how to make the use and processes as efficient as possible. The starting point should usually be how the PIM system supports existing systems, unless there is a comprehensive IT system overhaul. The more our customer use the PIM system and takes advantage of the data it contains, the greater the benefits our customer will receive.
Ease of acquisition is also affected by:
- contract length – we believe in the added value we generate, not long contract periods
- the opportunity to start with definition alone
- what kind of training the deployment includes
- how the customer is supported in change management
- delivery of the system as a SaaS service or installed on your own infrastructure
Easy to set up
Ease of deployment helps get your system up and running efficiently. When the background is in order, managing change is easier.
Easy deployment means many things:
- how well the definition is derived and prepared
- filed practices and industry-specific productization
- ease of system installation and parameterization
- functional application programming interfaces (APIs) facilitate integration
- productized modes and connectors for the most common systems
Easy to use
The easy-to-use interface motivates users to maintain product information and take full advantage of the data.
A good user experience consists of a number of things, here are just a few:
- a logical, reliable interface
- search functions that work like an idea, but only faster
- smart suggestions
- pulping operations, import and export; especially with large numbers of titles
Easy integration
The PIM system rarely works on its own. Typically, it is integrated with at least one other system, but most often there are more systems, such as ERP and e-commerce.
Systems integration should also be easy. A well-documented API that follows common standards makes it easier and faster for everyone to do it. Information is made to move efficiently between different systems without massive integration projects.
Easy expansion and data recovery
We want to help our customers make better use of product information. Once the interfaces of the PIM system are functional and open, data-driven applications can be easily built on top of product information. In this way, our customers can utilize the know-how and partner they consider best.
