Did you know that over 87% of online shoppers consider detailed and accurate product descriptions a key factor influencing their purchasing decisions? On the other hand, poor product information management costs e-commerce companies thousands of euros annually just on manual work. In the dynamic world of omnichannel commerce, where the consumer expects consistent and engaging data across multiple platforms, traditional spreadsheets or even standard Shopify tools are no longer enough.

This article is a must-read for every e-commerce owner, director, and manager who feels their team is drowning in data. We will consider why PIM (Product Information Management) and DAM (Digital Asset Management) systems have become an absolute "must-have" in a mature business. After reading this text, you will learn not only the definitions of these key systems, but above all, the practical benefits, hidden costs, and specific signals that will tell you that the ideal moment has come to implement PIM in your organization. Prepare for knowledge that will help you revolutionize your approach to product management in Shopify and accelerate your brand's growth.

What are PIM and DAM? Definitions You Must Know

‍In the thicket of e-commerce acronyms, it's easy to get lost. Before we get to the heart of the matter, let's clarify the key concepts:

• PIM (Product Information Management): This is nothing other than a system for managing product information. Think of it as one central, cloud-based location (single source of truth) where you store all data about your products. This can include technical attributes (size, color, material), marketing descriptions, SKUs, or logistical information.
• DAM (Digital Asset Management): This, in turn, is a system for managing digital assets. You store and organize all media related to products, such as photos, videos, 3D graphics, or PDF files.

Initially, PIM and DAM were separate tools, but today, in the era of e-commerce, their integration is crucial. An integrated solution, such as Plytix, allows you to manage product attributes and their assigned media in one cohesive environment. Why is this so important? Today, a single photo is not enough for sales – customers expect galleries, videos, and even 3D visualizations, and media has become just as essential as the descriptions themselves.

Three Reasons Why PIM Has Become a "Hot" Topic

Just a few years ago, at the wecanfly agency, conversations about PIM were sporadic. Today, practically every sales conversation with Shopify Plus clients sooner or later concerns data management. Where does this sudden increase in interest come from?

The Challenge of Multi-Channel Commerce

The first and most important catalyst is the transition from single-channel e-commerce to multi-channel commerce. 20 years ago, businesses had a physical store and its digital counterpart. Today, to reach the customer, you have to be everywhere: on your own Shopify store, on Amazon, on Google Shopping, on TikTok, and in hundreds of other places.

"Traditionally, companies had their website, which was the digital version of their physical store. Now, when we deal with so many marketplaces and customer touchpoints, like TikTok or Instagram, having one centralized source of data to manage information and distribute it across all channels is absolutely essential."

Without one central system, managing product descriptions in different languages and with different requirements across multiple channels becomes a nightmare, leading to errors, inconsistencies, and wasting valuable time.

The AI Revolution and Its Appetite for Data

AI is changing the rules of the game in e-commerce, but for artificial intelligence to generate valuable content – e.g., product descriptions tailored to different markets or personas – it needs good quality input data.

"The most important thing in the context of AI is having a good source of information that you provide to the tool to create content consistent with your brand."

The PIM system provides an ideal data foundation for AI. When you have centralized, consistent product information, you can easily use AI to automatically generate descriptions, titles, or meta tags. PIM also provides a place where this generated content is stored, validated, and then distributed to the appropriate sales channels.

Digital Product Passport (DPP): New Regulations, New Opportunities

The European Union is introducing regulations aimed at increasing transparency throughout the product life cycle. The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is an obligation to provide consumers with detailed information about the origin, carbon footprint, and production stage of a given product.

• What does this mean for you? You will need to store and share even more data about your products.
• How can PIM help? A PIM system is the ideal place to collect and manage all the information required by the DPP. Moreover, modern systems can automatically generate QR codes with a link to the digital product passport, which can then be placed on the tag or packaging. Instead of just being a requirement, the DPP becomes an opportunity to build trust and transparency, which is extremely important for conscious Generation Z.

PIM vs. Shopify: Why is Shopify Not Enough as a "Single Source of Truth"?

Shopify, while a phenomenal e-commerce platform, was not designed to be a fully-fledged PIM system. In Shopify:

• Bulk editing is limited. It is difficult to bulk edit products based on multiple filters, which becomes a nightmare with thousands of SKUs.
• Variant management is unintuitive. Changing an attribute (e.g., "blue color" to "sky blue color") for all variants requires manual work, which is time-consuming and risky.
• Maintaining data order is impossible. Want to find all t-shirts that don't have a tag assigned? Shopify won't allow you to do that.
• Metafields become chaos. Many companies try to use Shopify metafields as a PIM. This leads to clutter where data needed for Google Shopping mixes with data for other platforms, slowing down the store and hindering integrations.

The PIM system complements and optimizes Shopify, operating on the principle of a "single source of truth." PIM stores all attributes and variants, and only sends the data necessary to display the product in the online store to Shopify. This makes your Shopify store "light," and its data clean and organized.

The Hidden Costs of Not Having PIM: What's Not Visible in Excel?

Many companies do not realize how much the lack of a PIM costs them. These costs are not visible at first glance because they hide in manual labor and lost opportunities.

"One company we worked with calculated that they were losing about €130,000 annually on manually creating product data sheets for their B2B catalogs."

The lack of a PIM also means:

• Extended time to market: Manually creating data delays the introduction of new products to sales. PIM allows this time to be shortened by as much as 20 times.
• Higher return rate: Inconsistent and incomplete data across different channels lead to customer frustration and a greater number of returns.
• Wasting team potential: Managers, instead of focusing on strategy, waste time on tedious and repetitive tasks.

When to Implement a PIM System? Signs You Need Help

There is no single magic number that says when to implement a PIM (e.g., "starting from 500 products"). Instead, consider the combination of two factors: the number of products and their complexity.

How to Implement PIM Quickly? Towards "Friday Afternoon Implementation"

Traditional PIM implementations, such as Pimcore or Akeneo, could last up to half a year and cost a fortune. These were projects comparable in scale to a re-platforming. This is the baggage of experience that makes many managers afraid of PIM.

Modern solutions, such as Plytix, are changing this approach. Thanks to a dedicated app on the Shopify App Store, you can implement PIM and synchronize data from your store in just a few minutes. The goal? Instead of multi-month projects, PIM is meant to become another SaaS application that you install as soon as you feel the need.

The Future of Data Management: AI in PIM

AI is not just a tool for generating descriptions. In the future, PIM systems, such as Plytix, will be equipped with intelligent AI agents that will act as virtual product data managers.

Imagine being able to give a command like:

"Prepare these 15 new products for implementation on Amazon. Generate descriptions optimized for the Amazon search engine and fill in all missing attribute fields using the product information."

The AI agent will automatically perform this entire task, saving you hundreds of hours of manual work.

FAQ

1. What is the difference between PIM and the Shopify platform?
   Shopify is an e-commerce platform for running an online store, whereas PIM is a system for managing and centralizing all product data, which can then be sent to Shopify as well as to other sales channels.
2. Does a small Shopify store need PIM?
   If you have fewer than 50 products, you might not need PIM. However, if your offering grows (to 200-500 products) or if you plan to sell on multiple markets and platforms, PIM will become an essential tool for scaling your business.
3. Can PIM help with SEO?
   Yes. PIM ensures that your products have complete and consistent data. Optimized descriptions and attributes in PIM translate into better positioning in search engines because Google rewards complete and credible product information.
4. What are the key functionalities of a good PIM system?
   Key functionalities include easy bulk data editing, management of attributes, variants, digital assets (DAM), and simple, no-code integrations with other systems (e.g., via data feeds).

Summary

‍In the world of e-commerce, product data is the new "commodity." Companies that neglect its management incur huge, often hidden, costs: wasted time, extended time to market, team frustration, and brand image inconsistency. The PIM system, combined with DAM, is a tool that allows you to take control of this chaos and turn it into a competitive advantage.

Thanks to one central source of truth, you can effectively scale sales, enter new markets and channels, and accelerate processes. What's more, investing in PIM is preparing your company for a future where AI and new regulations (like the Digital Product Passport) will become commonplace.

Don't let outdated work methods hinder your growth. It's time for PIM, time for order.

Want to learn more about how to implement PIM and optimize your business on Shopify? Watch the full interview with Trever Chidester from Plytix on the "Flying With Shopify" podcast. See how this system can revolutionize product management in your company.

If you feel your business needs a professional audit or PIM implementation plan, contact the wecanfly agency. We are a Shopify Plus expert and would be happy to help you optimize your e-commerce strategy.