PIM Glossary

PIM technical terms

Here is a selection of the most popular terms in Product Information Management:

• Attribute: Attributes or product attributes are features that characterise a product and distinguish it from other products. Typical product attributes are name, product ID, size, color or weight of a product. For services, for example, the duration offered.
• Attribute Mapping: The process of assigning product attributes to the corresponding fields in a PIM system or other data sources.
• API: API is the abbreviation for “Application Programming Interface” and the technical term for a programming interface. APIs are used to connect independent software programmes (e.g. PIM and ERP) so that they can communicate with each other and exchange data.
• Article: In the context of Product Information Management (PIM), an article refers to a specific product or product group that is managed in a PIM system. Each article is characterised by a number of unique attributes, such as product descriptions, prices, images and technical specifications, and can be synchronised across multiple sales channels.
• BMEcat: BMEcat is a standardised exchange format specifically for catalogue management. This allows catalog and product data to be exchanged between companies. BMEcat was developed on the initiative of the “Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik e.V. (BME)”, hence the abbreviation “BME”, and is based on the XML format.
• Catalogue Management: The management and organisation of product catalogues, including the creation, updating and distribution of product information via various sales channelsweg.
• Composable PIM: Composable PIM is a flexible selection of core functions or components of PIM systems. Compared to a traditional PIM, a Composable PIM creates a targeted focus that enables companies to achieve top performance in their respective, individual PIM use cases. Composable PIM gives companies the ability to incorporate Best-of-Breed applications such as digital asset management, data quality, hierarchy management, and supplier onboarding alongside broader solutions such as order management, pricing, and campaign management.
• Customer Journey: The customer journey describes a customer’s journey across various contact points or touchpoints before they make a purchase decision.
• CSV: CSV, short for comma-separated values, is a file format for simply structured data. The core task of CSV files is to describe the structure of a text file for its storage. This makes it possible to merge data, lists or tables that are not directly connected to each other. In addition, CSV is also used to import and export data from different systems. As the name „Comma-seprated values“ suggests, commas are used to separate the data records.
• DAM: DAM stands for Digital Asset Management. This refers to the management of all digital content such as images, photos, logos, graphics, audio, videos or documents (InDesign, PDF, Word, PowerPoint etc.). It is also known by the abbreviation MAM or Media Asset Management.
• Data Enrichment: The process of improving or supplementing product data by adding further information, e.g. from external data sources or user-generated content.
• Data Mapping: The process of combining data fields from different data sources into a consolidated view to ensure consistent data integration.
• Data Normalization: The process of standardising data formats and structures to ensure consistency and comparability between different data sets.
• Data source: In the context of data processing and information technology, the term data source refers to the origin or storage location from which data originates or is retrieved. A data source can be a database, a file, a web service or another system that provides information that can be used for analysis, processing or reporting purposes.
• Entity: An entity is a term used in various scientific and technical disciplines to describe a clearly defined, distinguishable and independent unit. In the context of computer science and data processing, an entity often refers to an object or unit of data that is identifiable in a database or information system.entities have specific properties, known as attributes, and relationships to other entities.
• ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): An ERP system integrates and manages many of a company’s business processes, including production, sales and accounting. It enables centralised management and analysis of data from different business areas.
• Family: A (product) family is defined as a collection of products that have similar functions and fulfil comparable market requirements. It functions as a classification framework in which the attributes and properties of products are organised and managed.
• GTIN: GTIN, short for Global Trade Item Number, is an international standard number for the identification of trade items developed by GS1. GTINs are contained in barcodes and facilitate the global identification and tracking of products in retail.
• Classification: Classifications help to structure product attributes. This sorts the characteristics of a product into higher-level groups.
• MDM: MDM is an abbreviation and stands for Master Data Management. It is also known under the term Master Files Management. It is a method of linking all master data or business-critical basic data of an enterprise to a reference point. The aim is to improve the quality of master data, avoid redundancies between different systems and enable optimized data exchange.
• Media Asset: Media asset is a generic term for every type of digital media. In more detail, a media asset can be an image, a photo, a graphic, a diagram, a video or audio file, a text module or an entire document.
• Media-neutral: Media-neutral is a term that characterises data that is not intended for any particular output channel. Media-neutral data is managed in a platform-independent manner and forms the basis for various output situations (web, print, social, etc.) in omnichannel marketing.
• Omnichannel Marketing: A marketing strategy that aims to provide customers with a seamless and consistent experience across multiple channels (e.g. online shop, physical shops, social media).
• Onboarding: Onboarding refers to the process by which retail companies transfer, validate and manage digital data from suppliers into their existing systems. This process aims to integrate the data in a sustainable and efficient way to ensure smooth collaboration and data consistency.
• PIM: PIM is an abbreviation and stands for Product Information Management. This means the administration of all product-defining information and its provision for use in output channels. In addition to traditional product master data (item price, technical specifications, etc.), this information also includes advertising texts and associated image material. The supporting technology is called PIM system.
• PLM: PLM is an abbreviation and stands for Product Lifecycle Management. This is an approach that makes it possible to integrate all of a product’s information throughout its lifecycle – both product data and processes. PLM systems are used to manage and control the information. The difference between a PLM and PIM system is that a PIM system focuses on current product information and does not include all information about a product. Also, unlike PIM systems, PLM systems do not contain marketing data that supports sales. The focus of PLM is on the product life cycle phases (concept, design, production, maintenance and disposal) rather than on marketing.
• Product Data Governance: A structural approach to managing data quality and the processes that ensure product data is accurate, consistent and usable.
• Product Taxonomy: A hierarchical structure that classifies and organises products and their attributes to make them easier to find and manage.
• PXM: PXM is an abbreviation and stands for Product Experience Management. It supplements the PIM with the area of contextualization. What is meant here is that the descriptive texts and media of a product are provided to the customer individually or in relation to his application, depending on the context. The technical data of a product remain unaffected. PXM, as a further process step between product data enrichment and product data distribution, supports the information needs of customers for different benefits.
• Maturity Model: The maturity model refers to the maintenance levels of product information in relation to the respective output channel. It checks the product data for completeness and accuracy. The PIM system only places the product data in the channels once these criteria have been met, i.e. the product data is ready.
• Single-Point-of-Truth: In the context of Product Information Management (PIM), the term Single-Point-of-Truth (SPOT) refers to the central depository where all product-related data is stored and maintained. This concept ensures that all departments and systems within a company have access to a consistent and up-to-date source of information, which increases the accuracy of the data and minimises redundancies and errors in data management.
• SKU: SKU, short for Stock Keeping Unit, is a unique identification number for each individual product in the warehouse. SKUs are crucial for inventory management as they allow specific items to be tracked precisely in an inventory system.
• Syndication: Syndication refers to the process of systematically distributing and disseminating information or content via various output channels or platforms. In the context of Product Information Management (PIM), syndication specifically means the distribution of consistent and up-to-date product information from a central data source (such as a PIM system) to various end points such as retailers, e-commerce platforms, marketplaces and other sales partners. This process ensures that all relevant channels receive synchronised and accurate product information, which strengthens brand consistency and improves the efficiency of product distribution.
• Touchpoint: In marketing, touchpoint refers to all possible points of contact with which a potential or existing customer comes into contact with a company, brand or product. This is why touchpoints are also referred to as points of contact. Touchpoints can be digital (website, apps, social media presence, etc.) as well as offline or on-site (retail store, service desk, etc.). They are differentiated into direct and indirect touchpoints. Direct touchpoints are controllable points of contact that a company can influence itself, as communication takes place directly between the customer and the company (SEA, newsletters, trade fair appearances, etc.). Indirect touchpoints, on the other hand, include all points of contact that a company cannot control or can only control to a limited extent, as an indirect level is interposed in the communication (rating portals, recommendations, editorial reports, etc.). The sum of the touchpoints forms the customer journey.
• Variants: In the context of Product Information Management (PIM), variants refer to the different versions of a basic product that differ in specific characteristics such as size, colour, material or other attributes. These variants allow companies to efficiently manage the same product base with different features and options, giving customers more choice and better customisation to their specific needs.
• Inheritance: In data structuring, inheritance refers to a mechanism in which general attributes are maintained within a base family, which are then automatically transferred to several product groups without having to be redefined. This method enables a consistent and standardised attribute structure across different product groups, which leads to considerable time savings and an improvement in data quality. However, products cannot be created directly from a base family; they must be generated from a specific, “concrete” family that uses these inherited attributes and can specify them further.
• Workflow Management: The automation and management of business processes and tasks related to Product Information Management to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• XML: XML stands for “Extensible Markup Language”. This is a text-based format for exchanging structured information. XML is derived from the older standard „SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), and is used as a markup language, like HTML, for marking up data. The difference between XML and HTML is that XML is used to structure and meaning data, while HTML focuses on the visual presentation and behavior of data on the Web.