Flexibility, automation, control

Common PIM systems store generally valid and media-neutral product data. As a module of a comprehensive PXM solution, pirobase PIM works differently by matching product information to various contexts. pirobase PIM supports the information contexts, language, market and customer.
For example a notebook retailer: He will provide standard data of this item such as computing power, storage, product images, countries and equipment. But he will also need to provide additional context information for business customers. This target group is particularly interested in the different target markets, for example information about different plug-ins that are sold in different countries. Consumers, on the other hand, relate more to graphics performance and content that they can personally connect with. A system that allows separate attribute definition for the notebook tailored to the needs of business customers and private customers is therefore needed. It also must permit differentiation between these groups during output and always provide the appropriate information. Different languages and markets are also taken into account.

The data model provides the framework for your product data management. It needs to map the logical structure of your product range as precisely as possible, with maximum differentiation to deliver highest flexibility to the customerbase of pirobase PIM.
Data models can be created internally via the pirobase PIM graphical user interface or defined externally and then imported into pirobase PIM.
A data model can be imported and exported which allows you, for example, to create and check your individual data model in a secure testing environment. The tested data model can then be transferred to the production environment. External administration of your data model and gradual transfer into your systems is also possible.
With pirobase PIM you can create several parallel data structures which could, for example, depict different parts of your company. Each structural element has an owner that can be used to organise the access management.

A PIM that doesn’t offer a classification often results in an unwieldy data model. In the case of complex product ranges, it might be necessary to add more product classes. This in turn increases maintenance effort, error rates and returns. pirobase PIM, on the other hand, offers classification of products which you can use to map your range in all variants without redundancies or unspecified classes.
 
Take e-bikes as an example. These, are included among the category “bikes” in several product classes such as “mountain bikes”, “city bikes” and “trekking bikes”. To describe them correctly, additional attributes such as “battery capacity” and “engine output” are required, which do not apply to any of the other bikes in a product class. Does this mean that a supplier must create additional item types for e-bikes? For pirobase PIM the answer is: no! Those attributes are assigned to classification classes. This way the provider can additionally assign a mountain bike to the e-bikes classification group – or even several classification groups – if attributes are only required for certain channels, for example. Or if suppliers classify their range according to standards such as GS1’s Global Product Classification.

To catch the attention of customers in times of growing competition on all digital channels, suppliers implement shorter and shorter product cycles. This makes it all the more important to plan product communication for the long-term.
For example, a manufacturer would like to introduce a new product in time for a trade fair. Or other marketing channels are to run in sync with the bi-annual release of the new edition of the product catalogue. To achieve this, data for new product generations must be available in good time and rolled out aligned.
However, as fast as versions are released the variety of output channels increase the risk of overlooking outdated product data. With pirobase PIM, you can maintain an overview of all product generations at all times and control version changes without loss of quality in communication.
Product versions in pirobase PIM are based on a validity date. After this cutoff date, only the valid version is automatically exported. Every version can be edited independently, releases can be shifted within a version so existing data is still valid within the given timeframe. Quality checks according to defined criteria guarantee the integrity of the final release of new data records

Multimedia content is the key to emotive, vivid product communication. Whether images, videos, manuals or CAD drawings are involved: a dedicated digital asset management system (DAM) is important given the large data volumes and complex management of file archives. Thanks to open interfaces you can easily integrate your DAM into pirobase PIM.

The right integration can help to avoid duplicate data: instead of saving media files separately, pirobase PIM sets a direct link to your DAM. In this way you can always see where media files are linked in your product data.
Another advantage: if, for example, you replace a product image in your DAM all product data records are updated automatically. No outdated product images will be displayed because you no longer have an overview of the data records to be updated.

When importing, you can choose either to upload a media file to your DAM first and then link it in pirobase PIM, or you can import it directly into your media management system via pirobase PIM. When exporting product data, you can output the media files as well or just the link to DAM.

The Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) ensures that trading partners worldwide exchange article master data according to common standards. Local, certified data pools store participants’ master data. A central directory, the GS1 Global Registry, identifies the data pool containing the master data you are looking for. pirobase PIM is your key to this network and takes over the publication of your data for you.

Simply enter all GDSN attributes in pirobase PIM as a separate classification class across all products. The data structure of your portfolio remains untouched and is also not bloated unnecessarily. Using classification classes significantly reduces maintenance.

pirobase PIM takes care of all GDSN communication for you. You always have a full overview of the publication status of your products and can concentrate on data maintenance.

Customers’ purchase decisions are significantly linked to the quality of your product data: only product data has is up-to-date, accurate and consistent form a basis for a compelling product experience.


Every customer knows that feeling of disappointment: you open the box and the product doesn’t match the photo on the website. The product text in the shop then turns out to be wrong because it described the previous model. Experiences like these increase the return rate and undermine customer relations.

With pirobase PIM, such issues are a thing of the past. pirobase PIM systematises quality management of your product data for large product ranges and omnichannel marketing.

Automised quality checks ensure that only product data that meet your standards is published. Each error triggers a defined countermeasure: for instance, the editor is notified during data maintenance that a certificate required by law is missing. The product entry can be saved, but it can only be published when the certificate is available.

In pirobase PIM, providers can store separate sets of rules for each item type
Validation rules:
pirobase PIM allows you to use specially defined rules to ensure and continuously maintain data quality.

 

Nowadays it’s about addressing customers as personally as possible. And that all starts with the right language. But the more languages used, the more effort involved in managing the product data. pirobase PIM simplifies maintenance of different language versions with intelligent tools such as data inheritance.

Some product attributes are available in several language versions, such as detailed description texts. In pirobase PIM, you can inherit the contents of such attributes from one language to another. For example, pirobase PIM inherits the product text from the primary data record in German (de-DE) to the language versions for Austria (de-AT) and Switzerland (de-CH). Inherited texts can simply be overwritten by other texts if required.

The inheritance hierarchy can be freely determined in pirobase PIM. This allows you to transfer content from the German to the English or Chinese language version, for example. Plus, the German source text can be useful for several purposes at the same time: it serves as a template for the translation, can be used as a placeholder in the layout or flag missing translations. But inheritance can also be used for other things besides language versions. pirobase PIM makes it possible to define specifications for attribute values. These can be restricted specifically for one product class. And if an attribute is language-dependent, inheritance also takes place along the language inheritance chain.

Product communication is a teamwork effort. This also applies to the technical infrastructure. Companies process product data in a whole range of systems and in turn publish it on a variety of marketing platforms and distribution channels. Thanks to open interfaces, pirobase PIM networks with all output channels, thus providing a data hub for your product communication.

After importing from ERP, marketing systems, catalogue systems or Excel files, for example, the data can be corrected, supplemented, checked and released by the user. Finally, pirobase PIM converts and exports the quality-assured product data for the output channels and target groups.

Data from third-party systems can be added during the export process. Product prices are a good example of this. If a customer-specific price catalogue is to be created, the product contents for the catalogues are identical but the prices are different. In this case, these prices can be supplemented from a third-party system.

A data model can be imported and exported. This function enables you to create and check your individual data model in a secure test environment, for example. The tested data model can then be imported into the production environment. External administration and gradual transfer into your systems is also possible.

  

Large ranges, shorter product cycles, numerous source systems and output channels: given this complexity, the quality of your product data can’t be left to chance. With defined workflows, pirobase PIM can be extended to include effective automatisms and safeguards for data quality and adherence to deadlines.

Diagrams of your workflows provide you with an overview of all work progress at all times. Tasks within the workflows can be assigned to individual users in order to create, check, release or publish data records, for example. This creates an orderly process, which pirobase PIM can trigger as soon as data is imported. Along the workflows, automatic controls monitor data quality and escalate in the event of errors. The result: every product data record you publish meets your quality standards.

The pirobase PIM search function is an intelligent, flexible tool. Not only does this tool permit rapid researching of products in the system, it also simplifies the overview of a work area or enables sharing and delegation of tasks between users.

pirobase PIM allows you to specify a search using a combination of search parameters. You can save your specific search in a search profile and reuse it later.

The results of the search profiles can change as the database changes. Alternatively, you can also save a fixed number of product data records and use them for exports.

Saved search profiles can be shared with other users and groups of users. By using these search profiles, you can assign responsibilities for data maintenance uniquely and easily.

You can also use this tool to monitor work progress. This could mean you identify the need to extend the team or have to reallocate tasks if a team member is hindered. Saving and customising shared search profiles locally makes this task redistribution possible.

Catalogues were the classic guide to product ranges back in the analogue age. But they also provide an overview and orientation in digitalised product communication. Of course, this applies in a PIM environment too. The catalogue tool allows you to structure your products for export.
 
pirobase PIM makes it easy for you to create and edit catalogues. You can link your products directly to the catalogue from item management or within the catalogue management. You can also assign attributes to catalogues so as to describe them in more detail.

When working from product management, access to the catalogue can be restricted to certain employees to ensure that only authorised employees are able to create and manage catalogues.
pirobase PIM exports catalogues in full or as individual subtrees. This, for instance, could give you the flexibility to create spare parts catalogues directly from the main catalogue. All you would then need would be an appropriate template for the adapted presentation in print.

But catalogues in pirobase PIM can do even more: they also provide a useful aid to navigating through product data. The clear structuring within a catalogue allows very complex product classes to be displayed more easily and thus provide helpful assistance to occasional users.

Product data maintenance for a large range involves complex intertwining of work processes. Conscious control by human stakeholders alone cannot guarantee order or quality of results. Effective safeguards and structures are needed to control collective efforts. pirobase PIM ensures that employees and teams only process the data areas that they’re supposed to.
 
The pirobase PIM rights model describes three levels: roles, users and groups. Roles define action rights such as “edit” or “release”. Roles can be assigned to individual users and groups. Users are the individual users. These can be combined to form groups. Joining a group automatically assigns users the roles and rights assigned to the group. Groups also provide an overview of their members and their roles. A group can contain further groups, thereby allowing action rights to be inherited efficiently.

Moreover, pirobase PIM allows PIM to restrict rights for individual actions; to the owner of a data element, a specific output language or a defined attribute, for example.