Why PIM is critical for scalable catalog management

When product data changes faster than your catalog management systems can process it, accuracy drops, and customer trust weakens. Outdated catalog management tools slow collaboration, create version errors, and limit your ability to scale. Modern PIM solutions close that gap by managing growing data with speed and consistency. 

This guide explores how PIM enables scalable catalog management across e-commerce and B2B environments while connecting AI and integration capabilities for continuous growth.

What’s the need for PIM in catalog management?

Mordor Intelligence projects the global Product Information Management (PIM) market to reach USD 17.56 billion by 2025 and more than double by 2030. The growth reflects how quickly businesses are scaling their digital operations and the pressure that puts on outdated catalog management software that can no longer keep pace.

As brands expand across channels and regions, the volume of product attributes, translations, and compliance data multiplies. Spreadsheets and static databases can no longer manage this complexity, leading to version errors and inconsistent product information that weaken performance across the omnichannel digital shelf strategy.

Businesses now recognize the need for a smarter catalog management solutions that scale with demand. A SaaS-based PIM provides that foundation, ensuring product data remains synchronized, accurate, and ready for every sales environment. Instead of managing catalogs reactively, you can evolve them continuously—turning product information into a strategic driver for growth.

How can PIM turn catalog management into a growth engine?

Over time, growing product complexity makes scalability reliant on how efficiently information moves between your systems and teams. A PIM platform structures that flow, transforming disconnected product catalog management processes into a single, coordinated data model. 

When catalog processes align under a unified data model, scalability becomes a natural outcome of how you manage product information.

What are the benefits of PIM for catalog management?

Scaling your catalog operations means building the proper foundation for accuracy, agility, and growth. With a modern PIM, such as Inriver, this becomes the foundation, connecting your teams, channels, and data into a single source of truth that supports long-term performance and measurable ROI. 

1. Faster time to market

Every product launch demands precise coordination between your teams and systems. When each of your channels relies on separate data, it creates delays that slow market entry. A PIM eliminates those roadblocks by streamlining enrichment, approval, and syndication within a single, connected environment.

Case study: Carhartt

Carhartt manages more than 50,000 SKUs across multiple sales channels. Fragmented spreadsheets and inconsistent data governance delayed product launches and caused costly retailer chargebacks. With Inriver and Valtech, Carhartt built a unified data model and automated workflows that cut publishing time in half. Centralized validation now ensures accuracy across all channels, reducing manual work and directly improving e-commerce revenue.

“The most important aspect of PIM implementation is the change management and understanding its implications on people, processes, and governance. Let the people and process design the technology; don’t let the technology dictate your approach.”

– Melissa Dyke

Product Data Information Data Steward at Carhartt

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2. Consistency across channels

As catalogs expand, maintaining a single version of the truth across regions becomes essential. A PIM provides a single, synchronized view of product data, ensuring that every dealer, distributor, and partner has access to accurate, up-to-date information.

Case study: Yamaha

Yamaha manages thousands of products across a global dealer network. Spreadsheet-based catalog management created inefficiencies and inconsistencies between markets. With Inriver, Yamaha centralized product data, automated updates, and connected its European and North American systems. Dealers now access reliable information instantly, strengthening accuracy across every channel and reinforcing Yamaha’s single source of truth.

“We knew we had to find a way to not only automate the storage but also the distribution of product information… We went to look for a single source of truth—some way to store that information and distribute it such that everybody who used it was using a piece of truth.”

– David Meeler

Technical Marketing Manager at Yamaha

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3. Compliance and data governance

Growing catalogs introduce regulatory risk. A PIM standardizes product information and embeds governance into daily workflows to maintain compliance without slowing productivity.

Case study: Prysmian Group

With more than 300,000 SKUs across multiple regions, Prysmian struggled to maintain consistent classification and compliance. Partnering with Inriver, the company built a centralized governance framework that reduced catalog production time by 75% and expanded language support from 9 to 25. The PIM now supports its global B2B PIM operations, ensuring accuracy across all markets.

“Thanks to the PIM, now we have a single source of truth, a single platform that collects all our product information, so now we can talk the same business language. With Inriver, we can now apply best practices to our product data to drive our business.”

– Stefano Brandinali

Chief Digital and Information Officer at Prysmian

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4. Scalability and ROI

Catalog growth shouldn’t compromise speed or data quality. PIM automates enrichment, localization, and syndication so your teams can focus on expansion rather than maintenance.

Case study: Brødrene A & O Johansen (A&O)

A&O manages over 800,000 SKUs, adding thousands monthly. Using Inriver, the company streamlined enrichment and achieved faster time-to-market while maintaining accuracy across 10 webshops. With more than 50 product assistants working from a single environment, A&O achieved measurable ROI from PIM by increasing efficiency and reducing manual effort.

“The Inriver PIM is actually quite an important system for us in the company. It contributes to the three pillars we have in the main strategy for the company. The Inriver PIM is just as important to us to have a very quick time to market for all our products.”

– Lars Gronemann

Head of Product Data at Brødrene A & O Johansen A/S

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How can AI make your catalog management smarter and scalable?

Scaling your catalog means handling constant change in e-commerce catalog management, from new data and channels to shifting compliance requirements. AI integrated into your PIM becomes the lever you use to scale efficiently, automate enrichment, control versioning, and maintain agility across every touchpoint.

Here’s how AI enables scalable catalog management:

• Automated enrichment
  AI fills data gaps and generates complete product details using verified sources. In Inriver’s State of AI in Product Information Management report, 80% of organizations using AI for PIM reported measurable efficiency gains within the first year. By applying AI to enrichment, you reduce manual work and maintain accuracy across every record, supporting advanced use cases in Generative AI and product content creation.
  
• Smarter validation and governance
  AI detects inconsistencies before publication, verifies data completeness, and automatically enforces governance rules. This creates a controlled data flow across regions while reducing manual oversight.
  
• Version control and catalog updates
  AI automatically manages version tracking, logging every change, timestamp, and approval. It validates new entries against master data to prevent duplication and synchronizes approved versions instantly across channels, keeping your catalog continuously accurate.
  
• Predictive performance insights
  AI analyzes customer interactions and search trends to identify which product attributes drive visibility and conversion. These insights inform enrichment priorities and optimize digital shelf performance, connecting directly with advancements in AI for e-commerce.
  
• Visible ROI and business impact
  According to Inriver’s research, 97% of companies have moved beyond AI pilot programs, and 80% report measurable revenue growth from applied AI in PIM. These results confirm the link between PIM, AI, and ROI, showing how automation delivers lasting commercial impact. 

How do you integrate PIM with your existing catalog management software?

As your business scales, your catalog management system must work seamlessly with the rest of your tech stack. The goal isn’t to replace your existing tools but to connect them through a single data foundation. 

Inriver integrates upstream and downstream systems, enabling information to flow automatically, from supplier feeds to e-commerce storefronts, with no manual intervention.

The table below shows how PIM fits across your ecosystem and the business impact of each integration:

When a PIM catalog serves as the bridge between your systems, catalog management becomes part of a connected ecosystem that supports accuracy, efficiency, and growth.

Power your catalog connection with Inriver

Scalable catalog management starts with the right foundation. Inriver connects data, systems, and teams within a unified platform that drives accuracy and control across every channel.

Your catalog becomes more than a static repository. It operates as an active growth engine, delivering consistent, validated product data wherever it’s needed. Updates, enrichment, and distribution happen continuously, giving your teams complete visibility and the confidence to move faster.

This connected model makes Inriver the complete PIM solution for catalog management at scale. As your digital operations grow, the next step is to extend that capability with PIM for e-commerce and create connected product experiences that drive measurable results.