The new role of PIM in SAP-driven organizations

Why SAP alone isn’t enough for modern product experiences

As SAP notes itself, its main function is to centralize data management. This helps companies manage complex business processes while giving them a single source of truth for their data. And while company data includes product information, it’s generally not optimized for modern customer experiences.

While the data organized by SAP may be accessible, it’s not:

• Tailored for use across various distribution channels
• Enriched with company assets and other marketing materials
• The right fit for telling a product’s public-facing story

While SAP excels at backend processes, it doesn’t offer the kind of actionable product data your brand needs to thrive in the modern, customer-oriented market.

What today’s commerce landscape demands from product data

Modern commerce demands agile product data that can adapt to the varying needs of different platforms, partners, and consumers. That means product information not only needs to be up-to-date, relevant, and accurate, but also:

• Timely – In the era of instant access and AI chatbots, two-thirds of consumers expect near-immediate answers to their questions. Organized data that’s already optimized for customer access can help clients solve their own queries—or help you provide quick, accurate assistance at a moment’s notice.
  
• Ubiquitous – Omnichannel marketing is the modern standard. Most consumers encounter your brand across six to eight touchpoints (such as ads, social media, and more) before pulling the trigger. Your product information should be individually optimized for each to maximize resonance. 
  
• Personalized – Your content needs to be optimized for individual buyers as well as distribution platforms. 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions from brands—such as recommendations that fit their purchasing patterns.
  
• Consistent – That personalization should follow consumers from touchpoint to touchpoint to deliver a consistent, unique experience of your brand and products.

SAP simply isn’t designed to provide the kind of refined, accessible product data necessary to inform such enriched content. Luckily, intelligent PIM systems are.

Enter the modern PIM: Bridging operational data and customer experience

SAP operational data has the potential to be client-facing—it just has to be refined to become relevant and presentable. That’s where PIM systems come in.

PIM leverages SAP’s wealth of backend data to power evocative front-end product experiences. From adding compatible parts to reporting sustainability data, PIM bridges the gap between operational information and your customers’ own interests. 

Think of it like building a house: SAP constructs the foundation, support beams, and load-bearing walls while PIM applies the trim, paint, and other finishing touches that wow the customer. Of course, you want the finishing carpenter to be just as skilled as the initial builder—and that’s why you should choose Inriver as your PIM solution.

How Inriver complements and extends SAP capabilities

Inriver works hand-in-hand with SAP to optimize your product content for the customer experience. With the Inriver SAP Commerce Cloud adapter, you can quickly:

• Enrich product data – Consumers are up to 30 times more likely to view image-based data sources (like infographics) than they are to read plain-text articles. Whether it’s photos, videos, diagrams, or even AR/VR experiences, Inriver enriches your marketing materials with the digital assets your customers crave.
  
• Govern access – From stakeholders to employees and even the general public, Inriver lets you dictate access to product information as necessary to support your organizational goals.
  
• Remain flexible – The backend data offered by SAP is primarily suited for rigid, preset internal processes. As Inriver is tailored to optimize the customer journey, it can quickly integrate with and adapt to new technologies, platforms, and behaviors. 
  
• Syndicate to various platforms – Meet your customers where they are with enriched content customized and catered for different platforms—from social media to physical retail to online commerce.

Inriver Commerce Cloud adapter integrates seamlessly with SAP to share data, power customer experiences across commerce channels, and help you scale your business—all assets you should look out for when choosing a PIM.

Key considerations for SAP users evaluating a PIM

When picking out a PIM to complement your SAP infrastructure, choose a system that’s:

• Integration ready – Your solution should run straight out of the box without painstaking personalization or a drawn-out setup.
  
• Scalable – PIMs empower you to capture more contracts and reel in more customers—ensure they’re also scalable to handle your brand’s sustained growth. 
  
• Equipped with effective governance tools – Role-based governance lets the right employees and partners access the correct assets while safeguarding against leaks and unauthorized users. With Inriver, you can even assign content to SAP’s Customer Experience portfolio for easy client access. 

If you’re already using SAP, there’s only one PIM that’s tailored to integrate with and improve your ERP: Inriver.

Inriver PIM software blends seamlessly with SAP to pick up where it falls short—including content enrichment, optimized channel syndication, and more. Bolster your SAP ecosystem and enhance your customer experience with Inriver today!