For a lot of fashion and retail brands, ecommerce has become the main form of commerce. That means more competition and complexity.

As ecommerce has matured, the need to be on many different channels, optimise product listings and develop creative ecommerce campaigns has magnified. It is now no longer good enough to simply have your own website. You need to be present on Amazon, Google Shopping, eBay, Facebook store, Instagram Shopping and more.

With all of these different channels, and the increase in the number of product listings, keeping that data straight requires help. To organise their product listings, most ecommerce businesses turn to automating product information management (PIM) software.

PIM centralises information, can provide analytic capabilities, listing automation features and more. But not all PIM software is the same and in this article we aim to give you best PIM solutions with some having far more capabilities than others. What is best for you comes down to what you sell, how much you sell, how often your listings change and the channels you focus on operating. Getting the right PIM solution is critical to making the most out of your ecommerce investments.

This is our guide to the 10 best PIM platforms in 2021 each bringing something special to the table that you need to take into account when making this important choice.

Akeneo

Designed to deal with vast quantities of data, Akeneo is ideal for businesses with SKUs reaching the hundreds of thousands. Enabling you to centralise existing and incoming data, this PIM platform offer fours different plans to tailor its functionality to your needs.

Main Features:

  • Facilitates data distribution across channels
  • Centralised data storage
  • Simple workflow creation for incoming supplier data

Who is it aimed at?

With four different plans, Akeneo can work for almost everyone. However, the platform has been particularly popular with companies who routinely have reams of incoming data to deal with.

Salsify

Based in the Cloud, Salsify ensures personnel can access accurate, real-time information from anywhere in the world. Integration with major DAM, ERP and e-commerce platforms ensures Salsify can be used in conjunction with other software.

Main Features:

  • Cloud-based platform
  • Unlimited workflows, channels, storage and users
  • Multiple language options
  • Scalable, dependent on company needs

Who is it aimed at?

Big teams and global brands can benefit from Salsify’s scalable platform, while the Cloud-based platform and multiple features ensure it’s a popular option for companies with teams spread across the world.

InRiver

InRiver gives you the ability to push data across a wide variety of channels, which means it caters to businesses who want to make use of innovative information delivery systems. With the option to use online-only data in other environments, you can also take online reviews and ratings into in-store environments.

Main Features:

  • Extensions for Magento-based retailers
  • In-built planner app to help you manage upcoming and future campaigns
  • Supplier onboarding tools, so you can reduce errors and increase data quality
  • Channel to channel functions

Who is it aimed at?

Perfect for companies who want to take online data offline, InRiver is particularly suited to businesses with lots of data spread across multiple channels.

Pimcore

Combining PIM, Master Data Management (MDM), ecommerce and Digital Asset Management (DAM), Pimcore reduces the need for potentially tricky integrations. As an open source, consolidated platform, retailers can rely solely on Pimcore, rather than switching between software or platforms.

Main Features:

  • User-specific dashboards
  • Highly scalable
  • Customisable data integration options
  • Enterprise-ready web-based application
  • Built-in modules, such as Workflow, User Permissions, Messaging System and APIs

Who is it aimed at?

Pimcore can effectively integrate any type of digital data, and any amount of it. Consolidating ecommerce, DAM and MDM, Pimcore delivers more than PIM functionality. Suitable for organisations who want to integrate and streamline these functions, Pimcore is popular amongst agencies, enterprises and integrators.

Product 360

Facilitating data collection from existing CRMs, ERPs, text, images and videos, Product 360 enables you to centralise this information for easier use across multiple channels. Often used with Informatica’s MDM software, Product 360 prepares data for distribution accordingly to customisable rules.

Main Features:

  • Cloud-based or on-site options
  • Supplier management facilities
  • Supports omnichannel data distribution

Who is it aimed at?

Product 360 can work well for enterprises of various sizes, particularly companies who are looking for in-built DAM features and information audit trails.

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Stibo

Stibo operates within the company’s master data management suite, so you can use Stibo to handle product information management, as well as data governance, data quality, digital asset management and multi-domain master data management.

Main Features:

  • Facilities quick searches of DAM module for real-time information
  • Ensures information can be shared with back-end systems
  • Safeguards data compliance with MDM module

Who is it aimed at?

Ideal for users who want to access an entire MDM suite, Stibo’s PIM platform is most suited to businesses with large data management needs.

TreoPIM

TreoPIM is an open source PIM system, allowing you to centralise your data and streamline it across multiple channels. It also allows you to maintain information easily, meaning adding and updating product information is a simple process.

Main Features:

  • Creates and organises product catalogues
  • Dedicated user portals means you can work with partners, retailers and suppliers from one place
  • Allows you to update information easily across channels, providing a consistent shopping experience

Who is it aimed at?

TreoPIM is suitable for organisations who are looking to consolidate and streamline their data management systems and update information across multiple channels easily.

Plytix

As a Cloud-based PIM, Plytix works particularly well for companies who need to be able to access real-time product information from any location. Simplified import options, cross-channel coherence and bulk upload options ensure Plytix can deliver effective PIM solutions.

Main Features:

  • Unlimited scalability
  • DAM functionality
  • Customisable interactive download centre

Who is it aimed at?

Favoured by small to medium teams, Plytix has enough features to deliver a full PIM solution while still retaining its easy-to-use user interface. However, unlimited custom attributes and in-built DAM features ensure Plytix can meet the needs of larger companies with increasing data needs.

Propel

Cloud-based and native to Salesforce, Propel can be used alongside CPQ, Sales Cloud, Commerce Cloud and other Salesforce platforms. Combining product lifecycle management (PLM) and quality management solutions (QLM) with its PIM features, Propel can be used to bring products to end users more efficiently.

Main Features:

  • In-built QLM and PLM features
  • Built on Salesforce
  • Personalised dashboards for ease of use

Who is it aimed at?

Suitable for enterprises of varying sizes, Propel is native to Salesforce. For companies who are already using Salesforce or related platforms, Propel can be integrated seamlessly.

The ecommerce solution that goes beyond a traditional PIM: Upp

Upp is an automation and AI insights specialist. It’s a solution that goes further than what a traditional PIM provides. Not only can Upp cross-reference on-site product information across multiple other channels, making it easy to access data from any ecommerce channel, but its embedded machine learning technology means product listing information is easily automated and optimised across channels too. This allows your ecommerce team to maximise decision-making and focus on the creative aspects of campaign planning, rather than spending hours updating product information manually.

Upp is also able to pull analytics from across the web, meaning your ecommerce team can easily detect trends in consumers’ shopping habits and adjust your campaigns accordingly.

Main Features:

  • Vast omnichannel capabilities
  • Automated product listing optimisation
  • A variety of analytical tools to help see trends across campaigns and gain actionable insights

Who is it aimed at?

Upp is aimed at a number of ecommerce brands who are looking to grow and improve their ecommerce campaigns. Upp takes a feed from an existing PIM and enriches and improves it.

Rather than being an alternative, this ecommerce solution makes all of these PIMs better and more effective for product listings on various channels. Upp provides many analytical tools that many other PIMs don’t offer, so if your team is looking to gain real-time actionable insights, this is the software for you.

What’s the right choice for your brand?

With a wide range of product information management platforms available, companies need to hone in on the features which are most important to them. As the number of channels available continues to increase, organisations may benefit from choosing PIM software which facilitates omnichannel and multi-channel data delivery.

In fact, your company may benefit from an ecommerce platform that can help enhance the PIM you use. This means you can get more than just centralised data storage. With in-built analytics, reporting and automation, businesses can streamline their processes, facilitate faster workflows and access real-time data and information.

With the right software in place, organisations will benefit from improved accuracy, speeding supplier onboarding and seamless data sharing across users and channels. Think about your business needs, do your research and choose the right solution for you.

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