As an owner or manager of a webshop, you've probably heard of PIM systems. In the e-commerce sector, these central storage and management systems for product information have become indispensable. But what exactly is a PIM system and why is the use of such a system a good idea if you want to make your webshop available in multiple languages? You can read about it in this blog post.
For a multilingual webshop, a PIM system is a very useful tool. We would be happy to tell you how you can save time and money with a smart implementation. Contact us now or request a non-binding quote.
PIM stands for Product Information Management. A PIM system enables companies active in e-commerce to manage large amounts of product information in one central location and use it in all relevant environments and tools (the website, Google Shopping, Google Ads, social media, automated emails, administrative processes, etc.). Thus, adding and managing product information is no longer fragmented across multiple systems, but takes place in a centralized manner. Moreover, due to the extensive linking possibilities, the information is immediately available where it is needed. Updates are also implemented immediately in all tools and environments. You can imagine how much time that saves and how this benefits consistency! Virtually all common e-commerce platforms, ERP systems, CRM systems and accounting software can work perfectly well with a PIM system. It's the same the other way around: most PIM systems are very flexible and can be completely set up according to your needs and wishes.
PIM systems are primarily used by companies that manage large numbers of products. At leading e-commerce players, hundreds of items are added, changed or deleted every day. For example, a company like Bol.com, with hundreds of thousands of items in its assortment, uses the PIM system ProductFlow. Other online shopping giants like Amazon would also be completely bogged down without a PIM system. Yet not only large companies benefit from PIM systems. Even for medium-sized and even smaller companies, implementation of such a system can be a very sound investment.
The big advantage of a PIM system is centralization. Product information only needs to be added, changed or deleted once. In the linked tools and environments, changes are then made automatically and often almost in real-time. Speed, convenience, timeliness - product inventory can also be maintained via the PIM system! - are key concepts. And so is consistency: customers see the same information on different platforms, which enhances the shopping experience. In addition, PIM systems are usually very powerful and thus future-proof (maybe you have 100 items in your webshop now, but are aiming for 10,000?).
All PIM systems support multilingualism. This means that you can have the product information in your PIM system translated and the translated information is then available in the same flexible way as the original product information. Often you can also link your PIM system to a translation management system. Then, when you add or modify text in your PIM system, the modified sentences are "checked out" and presented for translation. After translation, you check these sentences back in and that's it. The use of automatic translation (via Google Translate or DeepL, for example) is also possible.
Checking out product information is usually done through an API, an Application Programming Interface. This is a piece of software that allows your PIM system and your translation environment to communicate with each other. The product information to be translated is retrieved from your PIM system via the API, then you have it translated and then imported back into your PIM system via the API. Depending on how the translation is done - by a "real" translator or automatically - new or updated product information is available to customers in other countries within minutes or only a few days.
Hard to say. There is a wide choice of PIM systems today. Each system has its own pluses and limitations. The 2 most widely used PIM systems in the Netherlands are Akaneo and PimCore. Other commonly used systems are SAP Hybris, Informatica, Riversand and IBM InfoSphere. Which PIM system is best for your company depends on your requirements and needs.
Are you already using a PIM system and would you like to use it optimally for your multilingual webshop? Or are you considering implementing a PIM system, but do not yet know which one? Then contact us. We will give you sound advice.
