Product information is a key component for succeeding at omni-channel sales. Having consistent product information in all channels is an essential part of creating a great customer experience, building trust with customers and giving them the information they are looking for where they want to connect with vendors.

1. PRODUCT INFORMATION MATTERS
Product information is a key component for succeeding at omni-channel sales. Having consistent product
information in all channels is an essential part of creating a great customer experience, building trust with
customers and giving them the information they are looking for where they want to connect with vendors.
A PIM (Product Information Management) solution supports enterprises with content creation and distribution
by enabling the production and customization of content for any current and future sales channels. With PIM,
vendors can build a robust foundation for high-quality content.
ONE SOURCE FOR FULL CONTROL IN ALL CHANNELS
Unlike other systems used in a sales process, a PIM system enables the creation of product content in a generic
way, but not restricting the use of it for a specific channel. With PIM as the product information engine and single
source, information can be easily adapted to any
requirement a channel might have. How the product
information is displayed in the channels is managed
by the channel itself, but with PIM as the backbone,
the product information is always up-to-date and
consistent across channels and can be used, re-used
and repurposed at any time for e.g. e-commerce,
m-commerce, websites, printed matter, in-store
displays etc.
PIM IN THE SYSTEM LANDSCAPE
PIM brings structure and process to handling product
information within an organization. The PIM system
can easily be implemented as a standalone project
and it is often advantageous to implement PIM before
making any major changes to your channels, as the
content managed in your PIM seamlessly integrates
to any future channel investment or investments in
channel-specific systems.
By implementing PIM first and setting up an efficient PIM process, structure, and marketing model, vendors gain
total flexibility when managing and supplying product information for existing channels and planned omni-channel
initiatives. A PIM system handles the creation and management of product information independent of channels
- always handling content once, for all channels. With all product information in a PIM, vendors can quickly
populate new channels with high-quality product information, make changes to the information in one place, and
update all channels with the new information directly from the PIM system.
A PIM system also facilitates the channel-independent development of digital sales and marketing strategies.
With a PIM system as the backbone, businesses can grow fast without limiting its capacity for managing
channels, while ensuring that the content can be adapted to any context.
Implementing a best-of-breed PIM system into a system landscape is a fast process, with easy integrations to
current and future channel-specific systems. By implementing PIM first - before any other channel investments -
vendors will more quickly leverage any future investments in the omni-channel sales process.
BENEFITS FROM IMPLEMENTING PIM FIRST
• Enabler for the overall content strategy of a product marketing and sales organization.
• Quality information always correct and up-to-date, deployed at any time across all channels
• Generic marketing model for managing product information, both for existing and planned omni-channel
initiatives
• Structure and information adapted to information-consuming systems/channels
• Full control over all channels at all times – new channels quickly populated with customized, channel-
specific product information
WHY PIM FIRST?PRODUCT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
ABOUT INRIVER inRiver is the market leader for simplifying Product Information Management (PIM) - by putting the power in the hands of
the user, we enable multi-channel commerce professionals to visually manage their product information. inRiver is fast to implement and easy to use,
radically facilitating the creation, maintenance, and distribution of product information to multiple sales channels in multiple languages. 180+ customers
with 750 brands around the world rely on inRiver’s PIM platform for efficiently controlling the product flow for their globally recognized brands.
inRiver was founded in 2007, and is today a well-recognized, rewarded, and rapidly growing company with an extensive partner network. The company
is headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, with offices in Chicago, Amsterdam and Stockholm. www.inriver.com