PIM & PLM: Two Halves of a Whole
Many companies are trying to get the most out of their product data by incorporating either a Product Information Management (PIM) system or a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system. Although public perception may lead you to believe that you need to choose between the two systems, we have found that, for manufacturers, the best approach is to integrate PIM and PLM together.
Contrary to popular belief, your PIM does not replace your PLM. Ideally, your PIM should complement the data in your PLM. Integrating an industry-specific PIM system like ours with your existing PLM system offers several key benefits and increases consistency across all business functions.
One key benefit of integrating both systems is that it allows for centralized data management. A PIM system should consolidate product data from various upstream sources (e.g. engineering), providing a unified source of truth. With both systems working together, you can not only enhance data accuracy and consistency, but especially completeness, as PIM focuses on enriching product information and marketing content for Sales and eCommerce, while PLM manages part design lifecycle data and technical attribution.
This integrated approach also encourages streamlined processes and enhanced collaboration through automated data flow between product development and marketing, enabling faster time-to-market. This allows changes in product specifications to be reflected in marketing materials faster. It also means better communication across teams (e.g., design, marketing, sales), ensuring that everyone is working with the most current product information. A centralized approach with PIM ensures that product information is consistent across all sales channels, improving customer experience and brand integrity.
Another key benefit of integrating PIM and PLM is that it allows for more comprehensive analytics by combining lifecycle data with product information to provide deeper insights into data quality, product performance, and market trends. This can help decision-makers ensure they are making informed choices based on better, more complete, and accurate data. Improved reporting from PLM will help identify gaps in the supply chain before they cause disruptions. Improved reporting from PIM can identify and intercept data gaps to ensure customers see complete and accurate product information as well.
A combined PIM and PLM architecture can more easily manage increased complexity and volume, helping to scale operations efficiently as your business and products evolve. Over the years, we've encountered multiple B2B customers who struggle with large volumes of data projects because they cannot keep up with challenging amounts of data. By using PIM and PLM together, they can overcome these struggles with our assistance. By leveraging an integrated approach across these systems, customers also have the benefit of staying compliant with industry regulations by ensuring that all product data is up-to-date and accurate, especially in industries with strict guidelines such as HVAC and Aerospace.
By integrating PIM with PLM, organizations can use these benefits to create a more agile and responsive product management strategy. As long-time partners of both Siemens and PTC, our PIM solution easily integrates with either Teamcenter or Windchill to allow your company to maximize the benefits of their product data. Through our team of data specialists and dedicated taxonomists, we can enrich and cleanse your data and increase your company's overall efficiency, lower costs, and increase product sales.
Ready to unite your PLM with the best B2B PIM in the market, or switch to a PIM better suited to your industry that complements your current PLM? 📝 Contact us for a free demo today!