PIM and the multiverse of product data

07/19/2023

If all your product data is stored in different sources within your company...

Here comes your best new superpower. Your new PIM = Product Information and Management System will contain all data and formats previously displayed.

Product master data, such as: product name, product description, advantages, all technical data,
Product visualizations and documents: including product graphics, technical data sheet (TDS), safety data sheet, and all other product-related content: image material, video, teaching material as described above.
All product dialog elements (per product contact person), linked to a CRM
All product connections, such as markets, applications, formulations
Multiple languages: All product content should be available in different languages: e.g., EN as standard, plus all other languages you need for your markets

What a PIM delivers: tasks and requirements

The tasks and requirements for a PIM are formulated as follows when a modern product management and information system is to be conceived, designed, and developed. All products that a company offers to its clients should be able to be maintained in the system. Clients should be able to view all product data here. There should be links to all media such as images, graphics, diagrams, possibly also videos, brochures, and more. Technical data sheets and safety data sheets should be available for all products. The PIM will therefore be a central component of the company's website and digital communication. It must therefore take into account current and future requirements as comprehensively as possible and be able to be expanded at any time in line with your individual needs, without being limited or restricted.

The number of products should not be limited. The database should be able to contain as many products as possible.
PIM search in the database a) via the front end of the website and b) in the back end should be possible for an unlimited number of products.

Data output of the VARTA MMS for the VARTA website as an example, with many search options

PIM: A detailed specification

The PIM should offer a good, fully functional API for the website. The product information for the website is fed from the PIM. It should be possible to offer additional product information for accompanying microsites. This could include additional product data that can then be made available exclusively for the protected area, for example.
All PIM products must be uniquely identifiable and individually addressable via IDs so that they can be retrieved. If the PIM does not deliver finished pages in the specified layout of the website, the displays on the product pages must be structured with all data fields and, if necessary, individually addressable. This would then have to be included in the effort planning for the website.
Technical data sheets should be managed, maintained, supplemented, and assigned to products via the PIM. In other systems, we solve this task by storing and managing all product data centrally in the PIM. The technical data sheets for each product are generated individually, automatically, and dynamically from the PIM using templates on the fly. This offers the advantage that as soon as a product is changed in whole or in detail, the technical data sheets are also adjusted immediately.
It should be possible to freely assign the products to markets and applications via the PIM. Each product should be able to be assigned to multiple markets and/or applications. Normally, the company has different segmentation levels, although we are probably in the area you see below.
Filters and website searches are provided by the PIM. Both general filters and detailed searches for virtually every data field in the PIM must be possible from there. The website concept defines which searches are necessary. The PIM must offer these options with as few restrictions as possible.

Central P.I.M. as host for all product information: Data, benefits, image material, links to applications and more, in all languages, for all markets.

Various data sources and imports | Import interfaces | Multilingualism

Your PIMshould be able to work with many different data sources: for the initial population and in the future for ongoing updates, either regularly or on an ad hoc basis. Manual updates should also be possible in the PIM. There are several points to consider here:

Interfaces must be created for all sources with a corresponding definition of the number, content, format, and assignment of the data fields.
Definition of rules, especially in the event of field conflicts: Updating is not identical to the previous information >> automated and/or manual checking and correction, etc.
Both incremental updates (changes only) and complete updates must be possible. Updates must be possible both manually and automatically. In our examples, we have created these options for our clients.
Multilingualism: Multiple languages should be possible, in particular English and a second language, e.g. Chinese, with other languages optional at a later stage
- a) in the input, i.e. in the administration and editing masks
- b) in the output, e.g. in the content displayed on the website and/or in the data sheets.
- c) mixed, e.g., local language only in the field labels of the website and the data sheet, in the data fields themselves then only in one language, here in EN.

Advantages plus icons, technical data, product visualizations

Easy-to-use editing processes and features

The menus in the backend must be easy to use. There must be many different search options in the backend, e.g., by product name, all ingredients, all performance data, i.e., by all fields that can be assigned to the products, as well as by all markets and applications and possibly many other points that are still to be defined in the course of the concepts.
The editor structure must be decentralized. Editors must be assigned to different areas, differentiated with read, write, create, and/or delete rights, so that each editor can only see certain products and/or areas, e.g., by business area, market, product group, or similar. This must be defined and specified.
Editors must be able to create new products. They should be able to create new products and access existing products, e.g., by copying and modifying existing products; creating products with completely new structures, whereby basic modules can be accessed and renamed in the new product, e.g., with new technical or functional properties.
NOTE: A company's products can be very individual and different. Some products have similar structures, which is also reflected in the structure of the data sheets. Other products, on the other hand, differ greatly, e.g. due to technical and functional properties and requirements, as well as customer requirements. The PIM should be able to map all of this.

Sample screen for creating a new article with all technical data, media, features, and links to vehicles, etc.

Automatic generation of TDS via a central product data source

The automatic generation of technical data sheets offers a wide range of benefits and should be available for all products. We have implemented this in an example in a PIM system for international suppliers of construction machinery, cranes, forklifts, and work platforms. In the standard system, the technical data sheets are created manually using programs such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Publisher, and the Publisher files are available on request. We suggest automating this process.

The product data would be stored centrally in one place, namely in the PIM.
This would automatically generate both the display on the website and in the data sheet in the process described above, which would later also be possible for other media, e.g., extended data sheets and displays in protected areas such as Coatings Classroom or Skin Care Academy, see above.

In the standard procedure, the data is stored multiple times: in the website backend AND in the data sheet layout program. This can quickly lead to inconsistencies and errors. In addition, the data must be maintained multiple times = higher data maintenance effort. We recommend a simpler and faster solution. When starting a new P.I.M. system, automatic generation of the TDS does not necessarily have to be used for all products. It could simplify the process to start with the existing TDS. With a new system and/or changes, the products can be converted gradually without time pressure, simplifying and modernizing all processes for the future.

All product data should be able to be displayed in a uniform layout, both on the website and in the data sheets. With automatic generation, we control this using templates that are always designed according to the same design principles. This makes creation much easier for editors, who do not have to worry about the design, which is then done automatically for them. We can show you some examples here.

Consistent visualization | Additional media

It must be possible to integrate any number of additional media for each product: text, data, images, videos, brochures, supplementary documents, and more. All media should be differentiated for the various editions: website, protected area, data sheet, landing pages for special offers, and possibly other output media at a later date.

Product images: If there are no images for every product, this means that the output per product should be differentiated for each piece of information, text, or additional media for each output medium.
Videos should also be able to be displayed, if available.
Texts, e.g., for the general presentation of the product, important information, or the key product benefits, are sometimes structured very differently, and sometimes they do not exist at all. This should also be differentiated.
Technical graphics: It is optional that technical graphics must be created from the system. We created this function in a PIMfor a client. Technical graphics were automatically created for each product based on the data entered by the editors. Alternatively, it can be assumed that you have these technical graphics yourself in PNG, JPG, or PDF format and would like to integrate them. However, the extension described is possible and can be retrofitted if required.
Additional documents, such as existing data sheets, brochures, and other documents, optionally for different output locations or media.
Automatically generated TDS as links, as described
Assignment of contact persons and/or teams
Order options for documents such as brochures, samples, etc. ... and much more can be defined.

The “usual” challenges: Your data sources

In general, the data sources we usually receive are somewhat inconsistent. These are usually our findings.

There are various data sources for existing products: XLS files with product data, publisher files for TDS (see above), and others. If you suspect that you are likely to receive CSV files for all product specifications, you will need to check this with your IT department.
Sometimes, some units have already set up smaller versions of a PIM that already have some of the features described above, e.g., data stored in different structures based on technical properties and managed decentrally, searching for technical properties. Sometimes, TDS were even created automatically on the fly, websites were generated directly from them, technical graphs with histories of special properties were automated, and much more.

This means that we normally have to assume a very inconsistent structure. Different import formats must be taken into account; we have provided for this above, and in our view this requirement would be standard. It becomes time-consuming if your product data has to be completely or largely rebuilt. If, for example, the data for each product has to be transferred manually to the new PIM, a correspondingly large time window would have to be allowed for ...

Collecting and sorting all product data
Preparing and entering data
Designing the presentation, taking into account the different structures (see above!)
Checking, reviewing, and approving data.

This would require more effort and a longer time frame for development, entry, and review on your part and on ours.

The steps to your PIM

Analysis of your current product data structure: sources, organization, processes, and responsible parties
Backup of all existing product data
Concept: Formulation of the project's tasks and objectives, development of a new data model, specification of all necessary functions
Development with system setup, initial import and integration of all data, links, setup of all interfaces for ongoing updates: imports and exports
Testing of all processes, inputs, and outputs
Implementation with training
Ongoing operation and support, refinement of processes if necessary

References for complex product information and management systems

VARTA Marketing Management System for CLARIOS: The VARTA MMS for CLARIOS is a central P.I.M. system from which all products with all brands, lines, and articles for all applications, markets, and clients in the automotive sector, as well as for all digital media and platforms and formerly classic media, are designed, regenerated, and generated. Examples of applications:

Output of all product data for the CLARIOS Group's global websites
All simple and detailed searches of websites and microsites, including special searches
Output of detailed and comprehensive data, searches, and presentations for expert systems and special microsites such as workshop platforms
Exports for central industry and trade platforms
Specific customer exports for their digital tools and applications, e.g., product searches for automotive associations, emergency services, and much more
Generation of various forms of TDS in long and short form
Highly specialized import functions for detailed linking of articles with the products of all vehicle manufacturers and their vehicle brands, lines, and articles, by year of manufacture; with special search functions, e.g., for unrelated articles
Creation of new product brands, lines, and items with integration of all desired data and media
Creation and management of all product brands, solutions for customer brands, with copy functions and other tools for simplification.
The database is developed in Java and PHP as an open source system. The VARTA MMS and the applications fed from it have been leading the industry for many years and have set standards.

PartnerLIFT Machine Finder: PartnerLIFT is an international association for suppliers of work platforms, construction machinery, cranes, and forklifts. All types of equipment in these groups are classified according to specific criteria and structured with all performance data. Users can find the most suitable machine for their needs based on all the data available, filtering for criteria such as environmental data and performance capabilities. More than 150 partner companies list their fleets here centrally.

Technical data sheets for the respective machines are generated on the fly according to the association's layout or the layout of the respective partner company.
The database can also be used by member companies as a source for their own websites, so that they only have to enter the data once. Clients can not only view the machines with all their data, TDS, and documents, as well as their possible applications with images. They are also given a contact person for the rental station closest to the place of use for each machine and can inquire about renting the machine directly here. A used machine market is also connected. The database is developed in PHP and maintained via TYPO3.

SweetFamily product and recipe database: Nordzucker AG is one of the largest sugar producers in Europe and worldwide. With this website, we designed and developed a product and recipe database for the consumer brand SweetFamily. Users can search for delicious, high-quality recipes for cooking, baking, and preserving and are offered a wide range of criteria: by time, season, difficulty level, all types of ingredients such as fruit and vegetables, sugar content, and much more. Each recipe links directly to the products.

The system has been very well received thanks to our development and design. Use of the website has increased significantly, mainly due to this application. This is due to the significantly improved performance in search engines. However, the many features are also extremely popular with users and encourage many to visit the site again. This is also a very popular feature in feedback on social media. SweetFamily has been recognized as a top brand by industry associations.
The database was developed in TYPO3 and is also maintained in this way. No special knowledge is required for maintenance; “simple” editors work with it, who of course have the necessary product know-how, as with all other applications in this area from DRIVE.

PIM systems for the ALTANA Group: We designed and developed global websites with product information systems for the ALTANA Group. Products are created and managed for all media and various customer groups. Specifically, these include

Product database with product output and search function and TDS generation
Product management system with customized shop and customer profiles for ordering products in customized combinations and batch sizes
Ordering and management systems, also for services

PAESE – Information management system for preventive research on global cultural assets: The State Museum of Hanover was tasked with setting up a project website and database for the joint project “Provenance Research in Non-European Collections and Ethnology in Lower Saxony” (PAESE). The project was to be presented to the public, and tools had to be created to organize and coordinate the activities of the various partners and other sub-projects internally. The third step was to document the project results internally and externally. Our task: Development of the web-based database, including uploading various media types, adding keywords, export options, and import from other systems.

Sennheiser: Spare parts finder for global markets: The SENNHEISER spare parts finder now helps all users find the right spare part for their durable products. Thanks to a simple user interface, the spare parts required for high-quality headphones, microphones, and business solutions can now be ordered in just a few steps. Our challenge was to merge the various database systems and connect the shop with the dealers. We created and implemented a great design based on CD specifications. As an extension, we developed an automated return process (RMA) for devices in need of repair. In addition to the user-friendly search and selection of spare parts, the repair of products should now also be easy for clients, while ensuring an improved processing process and higher data quality for the client. Since the spare parts finder already has a very good product selector, the process could be based on this functionality. In the new “Service and Spare Parts” section, users can find the product that needs repair using the efficient search function, specify a service option (warranty, non-warranty, battery replacement, Neumann maintenance, etc.) and add further products if necessary. The development is carried out in TYPO3, and the data comes from various internal data sources. The application is multilingual.

... and more. DRIVE has more than 20 years of experience in the development of P.I.M. applications.