A core capability in a Product Information Management (PIM) solution is the ability to work with product classification, meaning having a way to group products for multiple purposes like how to present products in meaningful groups to potential customers and how to make sure all relevant product attributes are present for a similar group of products. This is a daunting task, usually much more demanding than the technical implementation of the PIM solution itself.
Ironically, we are also having trouble with grouping solutions for handling product data into meaningful groups. One challenge is the overlap with surrounding disciplines as discussed in the post How MDM, PIM and DAM Stick Together. This post deals with classifying solutions as Master Data Management (MDM), Product Information Management (PIM) and/or Digital Asset Management (DAM).
Then there is the selection of Three Letter Acronyms starting with P and ending with M:
- PCM: Product Content (or Catalog) Management
- PDM: Product Data Management
- PIM: Product Information Management
- PLM: Product Lifecycle Management
A recent post from the declared PIM vendor Venzee examines PCM vs. PIM: Which One Does Your Ecommerce Business Need? (The blog does not exist anymore).
In here Venzee states: “You will occasionally see PCM solutions presented as if they were actually PIM platforms. Don’t get fooled. Yes, there are similarities and terminology overlaps, but PCM is not PIM. Think of PCM as PIM’s little cousin — it’s a place to house and enrich your data, but that’s about it. Ecommerce vendors that really want to manage, optimize and distribute their data need a good PIM platform”
In my current venture called Product Data Lake a challenge is explaining what kind of solution it is. I usually call it PIM-2-PIM, as it is a solution that can make two different PIM solutions at two different trading partners interact. But it might as well be PIM-2-MDM or PLM-2-PIM or DAM-2-PCM or any other available combination. Anyway, I have put our solution on The Disruptive MDM/PIM List here.
PS: If you have a solution covering Master Data and Product Information, you can register it on The Disruptive MDM/PIM List here.
Liliendahl on Data Quality 