7 Product Information Problems a PIM Tool Solves

For businesses that handle large volumes of product information, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all platforms can feel like an uphill battle. Manual processes, multiple sales channels, and endless updates often lead to a series of avoidable mistakes, costing both time and revenue. Fortunately, a PIM tool can eliminate these challenges.

In this post, we’ll explore seven common product information problems and how a product information management tool like Catsy can address them.

1. Inconsistent Product Information Across Channels

It is difficult to maintain consistency in product information when you are managing multiple sales channels. One channel may display the correct information, while others lag behind with outdated details. This inconsistency confuses customers and leads to lower trust and lost sales.

A PIM tool centralizes product data. It ensures that all channels, from your eCommerce store to third-party marketplaces, receive the same up-to-date product descriptions, images, and prices. You make one update, and it’s reflected everywhere.

Benefits

• Enhances customer trust by delivering consistent information.
• Reduces the risk of product returns due to misinformation.
• Improves brand credibility across platforms.

With a PIM, you don’t have to worry about customers finding incorrect information on any sales channel. The tool ensures data synchronization across all platforms.

2. Time-Consuming Data Entry and Updates

Manually entering product information and making updates can take up a significant amount of time. Repeated data entry across various platforms not only consumes resources but also increases the chances of errors creeping in. These mistakes can lead to costly issues down the road.

PIM tools allow businesses to automate data entry and updates. Instead of manually inputting product details for each platform, you input the data once into the PIM. The system distributes this information across all relevant platforms instantly.

Benefits

• Frees up valuable time that can be spent on other business-critical tasks.
• Reduces errors associated with manual data entry.
• Enables faster product launches.

Automation within a PIM ensures that your team no longer needs to engage in repetitive tasks. As a result, it allows your team to focus on strategic activities that drive growth.

3. Difficulty Handling Large Product Catalogs

As your product catalog grows, so does the complexity of managing it. For businesses with thousands of SKUs, keeping track of each product’s unique attributes, descriptions, and variations becomes nearly impossible without the right system in place.

PIM systems are built to handle large and complex catalogs. They allow you to categorize and organize products efficiently, ensuring that each SKU, along with its variations, is easy to manage and update.

Benefits

• Simplifies the management of large and complex product catalogs.
• Improves product discoverability through better categorization.
• Reduces the risk of errors in product listings.

By using a PIM, businesses can handle even the largest product catalogs with ease, ensuring that customers always have access to the correct product information.

4. Inaccurate Product Information Leading to Returns

Incorrect or incomplete product descriptions can lead to unhappy customers. When customers receive products that don’t match the description, they are more likely to return the item, resulting in lost revenue and added costs.

PIM tools ensure that product information is accurate and complete before it’s published. Through validation processes, the system checks for missing or incorrect data, reducing the chances of publishing inaccurate product descriptions.

Benefits

• Lowers return rates by providing accurate product details.
• Reduces customer complaints and the workload on customer service teams.
• Builds trust by offering reliable and complete product information.

Accurate product data doesn’t just improve customer satisfaction; it also prevents costly returns, helping businesses save money in the long run.

5. Managing Multiple Formats for Different Sales Channels

Each sales platform—whether it’s your eCommerce site, Amazon, or another marketplace—has unique product data requirements. Managing multiple formats can become a logistical nightmare, especially when your product data needs to be manually adjusted for each platform.

PIM tools allow businesses to tailor their product data for each platform’s unique requirements. Using templates, the system can automatically reformat your data to meet the specifications of different channels.

Benefits

• Ensures that product data meets the exact requirements of each sales channel.
• Eliminates the need for manual reformatting of product information.
• Improves efficiency and reduces errors in product listings.

By leveraging a PIM, businesses can seamlessly manage multiple sales platforms without worrying about formatting issues, ensuring that all listings are accurate and compliant with platform requirements.

6. Slow Product Launches and Updates

Launching new products or updating existing ones can be a slow and painful process. Without a centralized system, teams must manually upload product information and make changes across multiple platforms, resulting in delays that can harm sales.

A PIM system speeds up product launches and updates by allowing teams to manage everything from a single platform. With workflows that automate updates, businesses can ensure that new products and changes go live on all platforms simultaneously.

Benefits

• Faster time to market for new products.
• Ensures timely updates across all platforms.
• Reduces the workload for product and marketing teams.

With a PIM tool in place, businesses can roll out new products and updates faster, giving them a competitive edge in a fast-moving market.

7. Siloed Digital Assets and Product Data

For many companies, product data and digital assets such as images, videos, and manuals are stored in different systems, making it difficult to manage and ensure consistency. This disjointed approach can lead to issues like outdated images being used for product listings, negatively impacting the customer experience.

A PIM system centralizes all product-related data and digital assets in one platform. This ensures that every sales channel has access to the same high-quality images, videos, and documentation, which can be updated and distributed from one location.

Benefits

• Streamlines the management of digital assets and product data.
• Ensures that the latest assets are used across all platforms.
• Reduces the chances of outdated or incorrect assets being used.

By consolidating all product data and assets in one place, businesses can ensure a consistent and high-quality product experience across all channels, boosting customer satisfaction and sales.

Conclusion

Managing product information doesn’t have to be complicated. With a PIM tool like Catsy, businesses can overcome the common challenges of inconsistent data, slow updates, and complex catalog management. A PIM tool brings a wealth of benefits that can drive sales and enhance customer experiences.

Explore Catsy’s PIM software and see how it can transform your product data management.