Antiquated PIMs vs the Next-Gen PIM

The world is in no short supply of opinions on the Star Wars movies. No surprise there.

It is a surprise, however, that the history of the three trilogies is also useful to understand the history of product information management, or PIM software.

The original Star Wars trilogy was groundbreaking. Lucas and the team weren't even sure if they were filming a farce or a legend while working on Episode IV, but their dauntless ingenuity paid off.

Then, there were the prequels. Sixteen years of anticipation led to scripts littered with gimmicky additions, but the world was nevertheless in awe to see the Star Wars universe revamped and expanded with the limitless capabilities of CGI.

Yet, CGI had its limits. Just a decade after the release of Episode III, right before the first Disney-directed episode, the computer graphics of the prequels were already a joke. The artwork looked like cumbersome animations wedged into live-action scenes, kind of like Roger Rabbit on steroids.

Everything since the release of Episode VII, all produced by Disney, has been a roller-coaster for fans. We won't weigh in on the quality because, frankly, it spans the gamut. What we can all agree on, though, is that cinema and entertainment have changed in the last decade, and Disney has responded creatively.

Next-Gen PIM Software

Before we reveal the conclusion of that analogy, let's introduce the Next-Gen PIM.

Product information management software was introduced in the early 2000s. This was when e-commerce was still relatively new, and a digital solution was the only answer to simplify your product data pooling and data handling for brands.

Legacy PIMs were programmed as software to be downloaded directly to a computer. The software pooled all the product data—hundreds or even thousands of SKUs—into a single source of truth.

This was innovative. The original PIM software had more than its 15 minutes of fame. It wasn't until cloud-based software became more widely adopted that Legacy PIMs started to show their age.

Then, cloud-based PIM software allowed more collaboration. Multiple departments could access the catalog data in a dynamic single source of truth that reflected changes anywhere by anyone as soon as they occurred.

This, too, was innovative.

Then, e-commerce picked up speed. In the first three months of the pandemic in 2020, e-commerce saw a decade's worth of growth in three months.

Consumers were shopping differently. More robust audio-visual-rich content like 3D renderings, video, and even AR became an expectation.

Cue: the Next-Gen PIM.

The Next-Gen PIM builds off the innovations of legacy product data pooling and cloud-based collaboration. It adds data scoring to pinpoint what data needs improvements; it adds digital asset management to connect the rest of catalog data; it also empowers in-app editing of product data with formulas, bulk editing, enhanced search, and dynamic and static lists.

Next-gen PIM software not only enables data poooling, but it also supports product data accuracy, completeness, and optimization. It's what drives omnichannel success.

See the Connection?

There are always external factors impacting markets. No brand operates in a vacuum. So, just like the Marvel Universe changed the world's expectations for serial films, the “next normal” of digital commerce has changed consumers' expectations for product data provided by brands.

Disney responded to fans with their new expectations, perhaps for better or worse, but it was always about the fans. The fans wanted something as cute as a baby Yoda. The fans wanted to see female empowerment. The fans wanted to see nostalgic references to the original trilogy and Easter eggs of obscure references from across the universe.

In the same way, today's consumers, for better or worse, have tripled their touchpoints with brands before making a purchase. They want product content like blogs and social media to get to know a brand and its products. They want personalization. They want to shop for the same product on multiple channels at once. And they want more imagery than ever.

To meet those new expectations, a next-gen PIM software is like Disney's production team is to the Star Wars universe. Get the right director in place, and you have the resources to make incredible things happen.

The Importance of the Next-Gen PIM's New Features

We mentioned some key features that Next-Gen PIM software has that a legacy PIM (or even a "prequel-esque" cloud-based PIM) does not have.

Let's look at why each of these is fundamental in digital commerce today:

• Channel-specific exporting: The Next-Gen PIM does away with managing multiple channels on multiple spreadsheets. You handle and manipulate data right in the PIM, and then export it in the right format for each digital channel with a few clicks.
• Digital assets management: Product photos, videos, ads, and other content are an integral part of e-commerce now. The Next-Gen PIM organizes all product data together so you and your team can work in one true single source of truth.
• Formulas and bulk editing: Because data editing in the PIM itself is one of the most novel developments in a Next-Gen PIM, that editing has to be superior to anything you could do in a spreadsheet to work, right? It is. Formulas and bulk editing are built into next-gen PIM software, then made even easier with saved lists and robust search and filter options.
• Dynamic and static lists: Speaking of lists, you can create and save both dynamic and static lists in the Next-Gen PIM. You can also control who has access to which list, and even what data fields they see.
• Enhanced data scoring: Data scoring was first introduced in cloud-based PIMs, then the Next-Gen PIM improved it. This essential element of new product data management allows you to instantly pick out what data is incomplete, inaccurate, or needs other optimizations. You can finally follow objective workflows instead of analyzing data line-by-line.
• Enhanced data import: Data import in the Next-Gen PIM includes import sources from multiple existing spreadsheets as well as data from an ERP and/or other software you use in operations.
• Enhanced search and filtering: The Next-Gen PIM software enables exacting data oversight. Advanced search and filtering options mean data can be picked apart by field, with if/then logic, through data scores, and more.

The Legacy PIM was innovative in its time. Just like the original trilogy of Star Wars, anyone who's been in e-commerce since the early 2000s will probably have respect and affection for the original PIM idea.

Times change, though, and nostalgia doesn’t stack up against optimized processes and more competitive sales.

To meet the “next normal” of digital commerce, there's no room for wistful schmaltz. E-commerce is moving fast, and the customer experience is constantly developing more touchpoints. To meet consumers where they're at and build a consistent and compelling buyer journey, brands must step up with complete, accurate, and impressive product data.

Managing that data requires the Next-Gen PIM. See it in action for yourself. https://www.amberengine.com/pim-software