Why integrate PIM systems with automation?

The main mistake made during PIM (Product Information Management) system implementation

When implementing PIM systems, especially if it is a company's first attempt, one of the most common problems is an incorrectly defined scope of functionality.

Those initiating the implementation usually need to secure budget approval from the board or management first. As a result, initial project costs are often consciously limited to lower the barrier to entry and facilitate the decision to proceed.

Phasing a project is not a mistake in itself. On the contrary, implementing a PIM system step-by-step is often much safer than trying to launch all features at once. However, the problem arises when subsequent stages are not accounted for in the system architecture from the very beginning.

To lower initial costs and shorten the time to launch a product information management system, companies often postpone elements such as:

• connecting all required data sources,
• automatic generation and processing of product images,
• automated testing of system integrations,
• automated creation of technical descriptions using artificial intelligence,
• automated data quality validation,
• integrations with additional marketplaces and various sales channels.

Limiting the initial scope makes it easier to get project approval and launch a basic version of the system faster. However, problems often start later, when the company wants to gradually add new processes, integrations, and automations to the existing PIM system. And don't get us wrong – we are not against phased implementations. Quite the opposite. We believe, however, that even a phased implementation requires a proper architecture and a system development plan.

When we try to expand an existing product information management system with additional custom features, every change may require interfering with existing processes, data structures, and integrations. Testing changes also becomes more difficult, as one modification can affect several other elements of the entire environment. Over time, another problem may arise: the PIM system begins to be responsible not only for managing product information but also for an increasing number of processes for which it was not originally designed.

As a result, the complexity of the entire solution increases. The system may run slower, maintenance becomes more expensive, and in some cases, the company must upgrade to a higher and more expensive plan for the chosen PIM tool just to handle the additional processes.

A common problem is also vendor lock-in, where a company's operations become dependent on a single software provider. If your company turns the PIM system into the sole center for business management, you may quickly find that you lose control over your budget. Why? Because most SaaS providers periodically raise their subscription fees, and when they reach a level that is unacceptable for your company, you may find that switching to another solution is no longer easy. Migrating all functionality to a different, cheaper system is often not only a time-consuming but also a costly technological project for companies. That is why, in key areas of your business, it is worth thinking about how to protect yourself from such a situation. You can read more about how to achieve digital sovereignty in e-commerce in our article: https://www.sagiton.pl/en/blog/digital-independence-in-e-commerce

At Sagiton, we propose a different approach to our clients: instead of placing all processes inside a single system, it is worth connecting the PIM with an external automation layer. This allows the management system to perform its primary task—storing, organizing, and sharing product data—while separate tools handle process automation, integrations, and the flow of information between systems. We will talk more about this approach in the next paragraph.

Architecture for product information management automation

The traditional approach often assumes that the PIM platform should be the central hub to which all other company systems are directly connected. In this model, the Product Information Management system integrates with the ERP, online store, marketplaces, warehouse systems, marketing tools, and various other data sources and recipients. Over time, further process automations are added to this same environment.

At first, this solution may seem the simplest. In the long run, however, it can lead to an excessive dependency of the entire infrastructure on a single system.

An alternative is an architecture where the PIM system remains the central source of product information but does not have to handle all the processes surrounding that data on its own. Between the PIM and other tools, there is an additional automation layer responsible for transferring, transforming, validating, and synchronizing information. In such a model, you can, for example, pull data from an ERP system, process it accordingly, verify its accuracy, and only then send it to the PIM system. Subsequently, other automations can retrieve the ready-to-use product information, adapt it to the requirements of a specific marketplace, and pass it on.

The greatest advantage of this architecture is its flexibility.

If a company wants to connect a new marketplace, it does not need to rebuild the PIM system's functionality. An additional automation process can be created to handle the new sales channel. If, after some time, the company decides to stop using a particular tool, it can be disconnected without interfering with the rest of the infrastructure. Replacing one solution with another works in a similar way. This allows subsequent elements to be relatively freely added, removed, and replaced, without the need to rebuild the entire product information management architecture.

This is particularly important in e-commerce, where sales channels and the tools used change regularly. The more integrations and automations are located directly within the PIM system, the harder it becomes to replace the platform, connect a new solution, or modify an existing process later on. An external automation layer mitigates this problem while also helping to avoid overloading the PIM with excessive functionality and becoming overly dependent on a software vendor. It is also worth remembering that an overly complex system can be not only harder to maintain but also less user-friendly for employees who have to navigate an increasing number of functions and processes.

Therefore, it is worth separating responsibilities: the PIM should primarily serve to manage product data, while more complex integrations and automations should operate outside its scope. This does not mean that every automation (e.g., the process of entering and approving product data) must be moved externally – the key is rather not to try to turn the PIM into a system responsible for every process in the company. 

Of course, it is not like all automations should be located outside the PIM. Simple processes directly related to managing product data are often worth keeping within the platform. However, the key is not to force one system to become the tool responsible for every process occurring in the organization.

The best results are often achieved with a hybrid architecture: the PIM system as a stable source and hub for product data management, combined with a flexible automation layer that connects it to the other elements of the company's technology stack.

We wrote more about this approach to PIM system architecture in our article: "How to implement a PIM system cost-effectively?"

Which PIM automations are worth using?

When it comes to PIM automations, some are available as ready-made modules or extensions for popular PIM systems. However, this is not always the best solution – in some cases, a dedicated PIM automation operating outside the platform itself may prove to be simpler, more flexible, and even cheaper. It sometimes happens that a company upgrades its system package to a higher tier for just one feature while not using the others, causing the subscription cost to double. Therefore, before implementing any new functionality, it is worth conducting at least a brief analysis of the process, costs, and the planned development of the PIM system.

Automatic product data acquisition

One of the most time-consuming stages of working with a PIM system is often the collection of data needed to create a complete product card. Automation can pull information from supplier files, catalogs, emails, PDF documents, or other available sources, and then organize it before passing it to the appropriate system. Such automated data management reduces manual re-entry of parameters and allows for a larger number of products to be added to the offer more quickly.

Integrations with ERP systems and other data sources

Integrating PIM with ERP systems allows for the automatic exchange of information between tools, eliminating the need for manual file exports and imports. Depending on the architecture, this can include basic product data, codes, purchase prices, supplier information, and other parameters required for downstream business processes. An additional layer of automation can also transform data, standardize formats, and verify accuracy before it is saved in the PIM system.

Automatic data validation and quality control

Simply gathering information does not mean a product is ready for publication. Automation can check for the completeness of required attributes, the presence of images, and the correctness of formats, units, codes, and other product page elements. Rules can be tailored to specific categories and sales channels, making it easier to maintain product data consistency even with a very large catalog.

If the system detects an issue, it can mark the product as incomplete, block its publication, or automatically assign the task to the appropriate person.

Automatic data and category mapping

Integrations with e-commerce systems and marketplaces often require data to be adapted to completely different structures. The same information may have a different name, format, or place in the category structure depending on the sales channel.

Automatic mapping allows data stored in a PIM system to be transformed into the format required by a specific application. As a result, scaling your omnichannel strategy doesn't have to mean manually preparing separate files for every store or marketplace.

Automated generation of technical descriptions and other product content

Structured data within a PIM can serve as the foundation for automatically generating content using artificial intelligence. This enables the automated creation of technical descriptions, product copy, specifications, meta titles, meta descriptions, and shorter content tailored for specific sales channels.

The process can incorporate both technical product data and pre-established brand voice guidelines. This allows the same product to have a more specialized description for a niche industry store and a different version for a marketplace. When choosing to use AI in this way, it is important to design appropriate quality control measures, especially for technical information where accuracy directly impacts customer decisions.

Translation and content automation for different markets

For international sales, automation can support not only the translation itself but also the adaptation of content to the requirements of individual markets. Based on information stored in the PIM, you can prepare localized versions of product names, descriptions, parameters, and SEO content.

This process can account for brand-specific terminology, local keywords, and differences in how products are presented. Consequently, expanding sales into new markets does not have to mean a proportional increase in the volume of manually prepared content.

Automated product image processing

PIM automation can also extend to visual assets. Once a photo is added, the process can automatically recognize the product, assign the file to the correct item, change its format and size, remove the background, or prepare variants required by specific sales channels. It is also possible to generate product images in lifestyle settings—for example, a single piece of furniture can be shown in both a retro and a classic interior without the need for any product photoshoots.

For large product catalogs, this eliminates many repetitive tasks associated with manual editing and file management. For more advanced image processing, however, it is worth maintaining a human-in-the-loop quality check, especially when automation alters the appearance of the product itself.

Automation of technical file management processes

Automation can also cover CAD files, BIM assets, and other technical resources linked to products. The PIM system provides product data that can be used to automatically modify model geometry, generate file variants, prepare language versions, and adapt materials to the requirements of different recipients. A similar automated process is implemented by BIMStreamer – our system for managing BIM libraries.

Automatic data publishing across multiple channels

Managing omnichannel sales requires not only descriptions, parameters, and other product data but also information on stock levels, availability, lead times, and current pricing. Not all of this resides in the PIM—some may come from ERP and warehouse systems, while more complex values, such as the final price, can be automatically calculated in dedicated modules based on the market, time, cart contents, or customer purchase history.

During publication, information from various sources can be combined "on the fly" with PIM data and then sent together to an online store, marketplace, or other sales channel. The same mechanism can handle subsequent updates and synchronization, so the team doesn't have to manually enter changes in multiple places.

Automatic process triggering upon data changes

Not every automation has to rely solely on transferring information between systems. A specific event in the PIM can trigger an entire downstream business process.

Adding a new product can trigger data validation and content preparation. Approving a product card can initiate publication across selected channels. Detecting missing information can create a task for an employee, and changing a key parameter can start a re-synchronization of data with external systems.

As a result, integrating PIM with an automation layer allows you to build processes that react to real-world events, rather than relying on your team to manually check the system and perform subsequent tasks.

Ultimately, however, the goal is not to automate every possible aspect of working with a PIM. The best candidates are usually repetitive, large-scale processes that require moving data between systems or are particularly prone to errors. Analyzing these should be the starting point when planning the next stages of automation and the further development of your PIM systems.

Example

Some automations triggered by data changes or order placement involve processes that a PIM system cannot handle on its own. If a product is made-to-order, automation can collect sales information, combine it with technical specifications or manufacturing models from a PDM system, and then pass the complete data set to production.

PIM systems typically house primarily marketing and sales information, while detailed production data remains in specialized systems due to its size and the need to protect company know-how. Similarly, it is better to perform competitor price analysis and automatic pricing policy adjustments outside of the PIM, sending only the final calculated price to sales channels.

When should you implement PIM automation, and when is it better to use an "off-the-shelf" solution?

Not every feature requires building a custom automation. In many cases, a ready-made module available within the PIM system may fully meet your company's needs and be the fastest way to launch a given process. However, before making a decision, it is worth conducting an analysis similar to the one we described earlier.

1. First, check whether your chosen system even offers the functionality you need. If not, it is worth verifying other available solutions and comparing their capabilities. It may turn out that a feature requiring additional automation in one platform is available as a standard feature in another.
2. The next step should be to check whether the functionality can work exactly as you have planned. It is worth consulting with a specialist experienced in implementing that specific PIM system. If the ready-made module does not map your process one hundred percent, you need to answer another question: can we adapt our way of working to the system's capabilities, and how much organizational change will that involve?
3. Finally, compare the costs of both options. On one hand, you can implement a custom automation tailored to your company's existing process, where the main cost is the one-time design and launch of the solution. On the other hand, you can use a ready-made PIM module, which may require a higher subscription fee or an additional monthly charge. It is therefore worth looking not only at the initial cost but also at the total cost of ownership over the coming years.

There is no single answer that is right for every company. The decision should depend on available features, the specifics of the process, the feasibility of adapting it, and the costs of both solutions. If you are unsure which approach will work for your organization, contact us. We will analyze the available options and help your company reduce PIM implementation costs by choosing a solution tailored to your actual needs and development plans.