Managing product information across multiple platforms, channels, and teams can quickly become overwhelming. As your product catalog grows, so does the complexity, with details getting duplicated, inconsistent, or lost entirely. That’s where product information management (PIM) software comes in.
A PIM solution acts as a centralized repository to store, organize, and distribute accurate product data everywhere it needs to go, whether your eCommerce site and marketplace listings or your digital asset management (DAM) system. In this blog, we explore the best PIM software options and how integrating PIM with DAM helps you take control of your product content and optimize how it’s managed across your business.
Key takeaways
- The best PIM software, such as Salsify, Akeneo, Inriver, and Stibo, each offer unique strengths and all integrate with Bynder DAM to enhance workflows and maintain brand consistency across all touchpoints.
- PIM and DAM systems serve different roles but work best together, with DAM handling rich media like images, videos, and documents, and PIM handling structured product data like SKUs and specs. Integrating them improves content delivery and creates a consistent customer experience no matter where they shop.
- Key features to consider when choosing a PIM include centralized data management, omnichannel support, localization, integration capabilities, and scalability.
1. Salsify
Salsify is a leading cloud-based PIM built for companies that sell across multiple channels, offering centralized product data management. With Salisfy, organizations can syndicate product content across all sales and marketing channels, supporting everything from detailed product specs and images to pricing and channel-specific requirements. With built-in workflows, collaboration tools, and real-time data validation, Salsify helps teams stay aligned to get products to market faster while meeting the growing demands of digital commerce.
At Bynder, we have the largest DAM integration marketplace, with comprehensive capabilities from pre-built components to RESTful API, SDKs, and a highly established partner network. The Bynder and Salsify integration allows brands to connect rich media assets with product content. Bynder’s DAM capabilities enable teams to link approved images, videos, and documents directly to products in Salsify, ensuring that visuals are always up to date and in line with brand guidelines. This integration bridges the gap between content creation and product management, optimizing workflows and reducing the risk of outdated or inconsistent assets being published.
Molson Coors, one of the largest beverage companies in the world, integrated Bynder’s AI-powered DAM with their Salsify platform. With Bynder serving as a single system of record, Molson Coors established consistent, automated, and scalable processes, reducing market silos and manual processes to ensure assets are sent to customers as efficiently as possible.
2. Akeneo
Akeneo is another one of the best product information management software, great for mid-size to enterprise businesses needing flexibility to manage complex catalogs across multiple languages and sales channels. Akeneo’s user-friendly interface, customizable data models, and built-in validation rules make it easy to improve data quality and enhance product launches, all while keeping product information accurate and consistent.
Bynder’s integration with Akeneo brings digital assets directly into the product enrichment process. Through this integration, users can link Bynder-stored images, videos, and other assets to corresponding products in Akeneo without manual uploads or duplication, ensuring the most current and approved assets are connected to the right products. This unified approach helps teams maintain brand consistency and deliver richer, more engaging product experiences across every channel.
3. Inriver
One of the best PIM systems is Inriver, a cloud-based platform designed to help businesses manage complex, omnichannel product content efficiently. Known for its flexibility and scalability, Inriver supports everything from onboarding and enrichment to syndication and catalog publishing. Inriver is especially well-suited for businesses with large or evolving product assortments that need to deliver consistent information across eCommerce, print, store, and partner channels.
Bynder’s integration with Inriver connects digital asset management directly to the product content lifecycle. With Bynder’s DAM sitting at the heart of your martech stack, you can easily connect images, videos, and marketing collateral stored in your DAM to their corresponding products in Inriver, ensuring brand-approved assets are always synced with product data. Plus, you can configure bi-directional synchronization based on file name or customize it to your organization’s unique workflows to enhance asset exchange between Bynder and Inriver. Native Dynamic Asset Transformation (DAT) compatibility also enables users to generate optimized assets on demand to enhance asset delivery and performance.
Simplot, a global leader in food and agriculture, integrated Bynder with Inriver to automate and accelerate the distribution of digital assets valued at an estimated $800 million across its digital ecosystem. As a result, validated in Simplot’s annual DAM ROI report, Simplot drove cost savings amounting to $2.3 million. Bynder CX Omnichannel makes this possible by automatically transforming and optimizing assets for the right channel and audience, instantly making changes across Simplot’s content ecosystem.
4. Stibo
To complete our list of the best PIM software, we have Stibo. Stibo is a cloud-native SaaS PIM system that helps teams manage and share product data across their organization, made possible by its strong data governance, scalability, and flexibility. Teams can also benefit from support for multilingual content, complex data models, and omnichannel publishing with Stibo, as well as ensure data quality and accelerate product launches.
Bynder’s integration with Stibo brings rich media assets into the structured world of product data, allowing users to pull approved assets directly from their DAM to the correct product records in Stibo. It ensures consistent, high-quality visuals are used across every channel while eliminating duplicate uploads and manual asset management. Stibo helps brands enhance the customer experience, support innovation and growth, and build a strong foundation for digital transformation.
Features to consider in a PIM solution
Similar to choosing a digital asset management solution, there are several key features to consider in a PIM solution to ensure it meets your needs.
- Centralized product data management: A strong PIM system will serve as a system of record for your product data, eliminating scattered spreadsheets and siloed systems, making it easier to manage, update, and maintain consistency across teams and channels.
- Omnichannel support: Look for a solution that can publish and adapt product information for multiple channels, such as eCommerce, marketplaces, print catalogs, and in-store systems, to give customers a consistent experience no matter where they shop.
- Bulk editing and version control: Managing thousands of SKUs is much easier with tools that let you edit multiple products at once. Choose a PIM software with bulk editing and version control that lets you track changes, roll back to earlier data when needed, and maintain a clear record of user behavior.
- Localization and multi-language support: If you sell internationally or across regions, you’ll need a PIM solution that supports multiple languages and localized content.
- Integration capabilities: Your PIM solution should easily integrate with your existing martech stack, such as DAM, eCommerce platforms, and other marketing tools, to automate data flow and reduce manual data entries and errors.
- Scalability: As your business grows, so will your product catalog, meaning you’ll need a PIM solution that can handle increasing data volume, new product lines, and expanding channels.
Connecting PIM with DAM
When it comes to DAM vs. PIM, both solutions serve different but complementary purposes. A PIM system handles structured product data, such as SKUs, descriptions, specifications, and pricing information, while a DAM system enables better content management of unstructured content like images, videos, audio files, PDFs, and brand assets, keeping them organized and easily discoverable. While PIM handles the “what” about a product, DAM handles the visuals and documents that support that product. Your DAM solution, such as Bynder, sits at the heart of your martech stack, serving as a system of record for all brand-approved assets and powering consistent, high-quality content experiences across every customer touchpoint.
Some of the benefits of integrating PIM and DAM:
- Channel-ready assets: Automatically deliver product images, videos, and documents that meet the specific format and size requirements for each channel or reseller, reducing manual work and ensuring compliance.
- Improved product content workflows: Optimize the creation, enrichment, and distribution of product content by linking structured data from your PIM with rich media from your DAM in one connected ecosystem.
- Consistent brand assets across all channels: Ensure the most consistent, approved assets are used everywhere your products appear, maintaining brand consistency and reducing the risk of outdated or off-brand content.
- Easier collaboration between marketing and product teams: Create a connected digital ecosystem where marketing and product teams can work together and align on product details and creative assets, speeding up launches and improving coordination across departments.
Unifying PIM and DAM: Driving smarter product content
Choosing the best PIM software is a crucial step in managing product content effectively, especially as your catalog expands with your growing business. Whether you’re looking to improve data accuracy, improve content workflows, or deliver a consistent brand experience, PIM software, especially when integrated with a DAM platform like Bynder, can make these business goals achievable.
As you look for the best option for your brand, look for a solution that meets your team’s needs today and in the future. Integrate your PIM with Bynder’s AI-powered DAM to get products to market faster, collaborate better, and deliver a stronger product experience everywhere you sell.
