7 questions to ask PIM software vendors

January 20, 2025

Considering PIM software? Here are seven questions you need to ask before you sign on the dotted line.

So, you’ve decided to invest in a Product Information Management (PIM) system and consign inaccurate product listings, overstocks, and manual compliance processes to the history books. Now what? 

The PIM software market is crowded and competitive. This gives you a lot of choice, but also makes it important to ask prospective vendors the right questions. Using the latest IDC MarketScape for PIM Applications for Commerce as a guide, here are seven questions to help you zero in on the right PIM solution for your business. 

Read the IDC MarketScape for PIM

Get a complete overview of the PIM space with this analyst report.

1. How flexible and scalable is the PIM? 

A sophisticated PIM system will enable you to adapt to new use cases and meet evolving market dynamics and consumer expectations faster. You should be able to onboard large volumes of raw data, manage it within a single centralized source, enrich it with ease, and then finally distribute it across your digital shelf seamlessly without impacting performance. 

When weighing up PIM software, consider whether it is aligned with MACH principles. There are many benefits of choosing a MACH Alliance vendor, but in short it means the PIM system has the agility, flexibility, and scalability you need built-in. This is essential for creating more engaging customer experiences and adapting to the ever-changing digital landscape. 

2. Can we trust the PIM with our data and compliance needs? 

Data security and compliance make it business-critical to manage product data on a robust centralized platform that automatically updates it at every endpoint, creating a single source of truth. This prevents inconsistencies in product listings that could alienate your customers and puts all your compliance data in a single place. 

This oversight and transparency help you take swift remedial action where necessary and meet compliance requirements, such as the EU’s regulation on Digital Product Passports (DPPs). Look for a PIM vendor that prioritizes strong data quality and governance controls, such as data validation processes, workflow standardization, and audit trails. 

3. Will the PIM slot neatly into my stack? 

Tech stacks can be complex beasts, and your PIM system needs to fit right in and add value from day one. It should integrate seamlessly with your other applications and systems, such as your enterprise resource planning (ERP), digital asset management (DAM), and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. 

Check out the vendor’s partner ecosystem. The most proactive PIM providers will have implementation and technology partners, simplifying the path for integration. 

MACH Alliance certification indicates that the PIM platform enables seamless data exchange and collaboration across various systems via APIs, microservices, and cloud-native technologies. Rather than being locked into the one-size-fits-all suite of tools from a single provider, MACH architecture allows you to choose the best-in-breed solutions that work for your organization. 

4. How will the PIM help my teams work together? 

From marketing and sales to IT and regulatory compliance, many teams need to use your product data. Your PIM system should ensure that everyone across the organization works from a single source of data truth. But a best-in-class PIM will go one better and bring teams together across the product life cycle to act on this goldmine of information. 

Look for a PIM platform that allows you to create workflows for complex processes that require cross-departmental collaboration and oversight. This might be for data enrichment, regulatory compliance, approvals, or even one-off assignments. The ideal solution will provide a user-friendly interface that enables colleagues from different teams to collaborate seamlessly without specialist training. 

5. Will the PIM give me the edge on the digital shelf? 

How visible are your products? Are they captivating and converting? Are they in stock? Which channels are working best and why? Does your brand inspire loyalty? How does it stack up against your competitors? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, getting up to speed should be a big priority. 

Advanced Digital Shelf Analytics (DSA) is a must-have PIM feature. It provides comprehensive intelligence on what customers want and whether your products are meeting expectations. With real-time insights, you can react fast, keeping your product listings optimized on all e-commerce channels and fine-tuning your strategic planning. 

DSA closes the loop between your organization and your customers, creating a virtuous cycle of information that ensures your products stand out in the crowded digital landscape. 

AI use in PIM software

6. Will the PIM help us go global? 

Translating your product information for new or existing markets takes significant time and resources. Now, you can do it in seconds by coupling PIM solutions with AI

To avoid translation bottlenecks, look for a PIM vendor that offers AI-powered automated translation services, ideally with advanced features that allow you to truly localize your content to cultural nuances and consumer trends in each specific market. 

With rules on sustainability, safety, and more mounting around the world and varying significantly between geographies, the robust centralized data management facilitated by PIM has become ever more critical. With an advanced platform, you can also set up workflows to streamline processes, such as internal auditing, to lessen the administrative burden of handling compliance demands in multiple markets. 

7. Can the PIM keep up with our evolving needs? 

A good PIM vendor will have a team dedicated to swift and rigorous testing, feedback gathering, and iteration of its innovations and be unafraid to drop a hyped idea that doesn’t solve a customer’s pain point. 

AI is a gift to PIM, automating tailored content creation, allowing for single-click syndication, and enabling advanced analytics of digital shelf performance. Likewise, MACH architecture represents a shift towards more nimble, scalable, and flexible technology solutions that enable businesses to adapt quickly. 

Look for a provider that is harnessing these and other technologies in a discerning way to drive continuous improvement. 

inriver: The PIM that’s always the right answer 

Inriver is widely recognized as a global leader in the PIM space. Our composable platform powers the entire product journey, providing businesses with a single, scalable source of truth for product information, AI-powered content enrichment, API-based single-click syndication, and advanced digital shelf intelligence. We are also a certified member of the MACH Alliance and have one of the biggest partner ecosystems of all PIM vendors, with over 160 implementation and 60 technology partners. 

In its 2024-2025 MarketScape for PIM Applications for Commerce, global market intelligence firm the International Data Corporation (IDC) singled out our AI-powered capabilities, MACH alignment, and B2B and DTC expertise as core strengths. It added: “Platform flexibility makes inriver an ideal choice for companies aiming to streamline product information workflows, automate compliance, and improve time to market.” For the full breakdown from IDC, read the latest IDC MarketScape for PIM Applications now.

want to see the inriver PIM in action?

Schedule a personalized, guided demo with an inriver expert today to see how the inriver PIM can get more value from your product information.

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