Modern Product Information Management Best Practices

Key takeaways: 

• Successful PIM is about more than implementing software. It requires strong data governance, defined workflows, and cross-functional alignment.
• Clean product data is a growth enabler. Accurate, standardized information drives faster launches, more accurate quoting, improved cross-selling and upselling, and better customer experiences.
• A single source of truth eliminates friction. Centralized, real-time product data eliminates manual work, conflicting records, and downstream errors across teams.
• AI readiness starts with product data quality. AI and automation initiatives rely on structured, governed, and reusable product information to deliver reliable, deterministic responses and actions you can trust.
• Modern PIM supports the entire organization. The most effective PIM strategies empower enterprise teams with trusted data where they already work.

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Product information scattered across ERPs, spreadsheets, and legacy systems slows product launches, introduces errors, and traps teams in hours of manual work. Though these traditional approaches may have kept pace for a time, they break down once catalogs grow, organizations expand into new markets, and customer expectations rise. 

Modern product information management (PIM) software replaces these fragmented processes with intelligent tools that centralize product information from disparate sources, enforce data governance, and coordinate workflows across teams. 

That way, PIM becomes about creating a single, trusted source of truth that scales across teams, digital experiences, and AI-driven initiatives, serving as both an operational foundation and a strategic enabler for growth, automation, and smarter decision-making.

Below, we'll outline some best practices your enterprise can start leveraging today to get the most out of your PIM systems.

Establish a single source of truth for product data 

A modern PIM solution centralizes all product data, so teams no longer need to chase updates across spreadsheets, ERPs, or legacy tools. Instead, everyone works from the same reliable information. Updates happen faster, errors drop, and sales, service, ecommerce, and marketing teams can work more confidently. It's no wonder 70% of brands rely on a PIM system to centralize their information.

But when data is scattered, the opposite happens: 

• Duplicate SKUs create ordering errors — and when only one SKU is updated to reflect new product details, the issues compound. 
• Conflicting attributes confuse sales and service teams. 
• Inconsistent pricing or specs trigger inaccurate quotes, misaligned marketing materials, and frustrated customers. 

In fact, inconsistent or missing product information leads to purchase abandonment (43%) and product returns (up to 33%), proving just how serious their consequences can be for business.

PIM software solves these challenges by keeping product information up to date and in one place. Teams can access real-time data directly, without manual exports or delays. Changes propagate instantly so that every department can work seamlessly from the same source.

Clean, reliable product data is also what powers today's AI tools. AI agents and automations depend on structured information to deliver accurate recommendations and take the right actions. For example, identifying a correct replacement part, placing the order, and shipping to the correct address with minimal human involvement. When your product data is unified, AI does what it's meant to do, and your teams can move faster with more confidence.

Make product data accessible where teams work 

Teams that rely on product data do their best work when that data is easily accessible in the tools they use every day.

• Without easily accessible product data, they'd have to check multiple systems — each one potentially returning conflicting details that would slow down work and increase errors. 
• With product data accessible in Salesforce, teams can generate quotes faster, update orders accurately, and resolve customer issues without ever leaving the platform. 

A CRM-native PIM tool like Pimly, which is built into Salesforce, simplifies product information management by giving teams real-time access to product data. Pimly gives product managers the ability to update product information in one place and apply updates to downstream channels all at once. For enterprises running on Salesforce, this also empowers sales, ecommerce, marketing, and service teams with clean, consistent data without needing to switch tools.

Design product data with governance from day one

Governance refers to the policies and practices surrounding how your PIM software operates and is maintained. It's critical for scaling confidently, as it provides the framework for keeping your product data current and accurate, and ready to use. 

To design product data with governance from day one, start by defining attribute ownership alongside your data model. Then, establish required-field validation rules before launch and document approval workflows as part of implementation. Build governance into the structure, not as an afterthought.

When every product attribute has a clear owner and updates follow straightforward approval workflows, downstream errors vanish. Readiness reports based on validation rules ensure required fields are complete and formatted correctly before products go live, while audit reports provide visibility into who edited a product attribute and when. Version control keeps everyone aligned, so teams aren't wasting time reconciling duplicates or second-guessing which information is right.

Just as important, strong governance supports compliance. Teams can trust the data they're using and feel confident it will remain reliable and compliant as the business grows.

Balance control and flexibility 

A modern PIM tool gives teams the control they need to keep pace with workload demands. With it, teams can manage hundreds of thousands of product records quickly, while customizing details for different channels, regions, or product lines.

For example, you might launch a product line globally, then adjust it for specific regions or sales channels — all while knowing that every end user, from customer to sales and service teams, sees the same accurate, updated information. Pimly's readiness reports make it easy to audit catalogs and confirm products are market-ready without disrupting day-to-day tasks. 

Without a flexible, governed system, companies risk losing this control that drives speed and innovation. And in the AI era, that matters a lot. AI tools can't automate or respond reliably if the underlying data is filled with errors.

Prepare product data for AI and automation

AI performs only as well as the data it uses. When product information lives across multiple ERPs, spreadsheets, or disconnected systems, AI agents struggle to respond accurately or automate tasks effectively.

"AI-ready" product data is consistent, contextual, and machine-readable. Centralizing it in a hierarchical model ensures AI agents can find what they need to take the correct action or answer questions accurately.

That's thanks to a strong PIM. A solid platform centralizes product data, enforces quality, and automates updates so AI tools like Salesforce Agentforce can rely on accurate information.

By keeping product data clean and accessible in the same system your teams use every day, AI agents can deliver smarter recommendations, automate quoting, power intelligent search, and perform the right actions to increase efficiency — all without manual effort.

Support intelligent, unified experiences 

Centralizing product information in a single system gives every enterprise team instant access to the same accurate, up-to-date details. And that doesn't exclude AI agents. 

When data is consistent and connected, AI can power intelligent experiences across every channel. Personalized recommendations, automated service responses, and smarter workflows all become possible because every tool and every agent is working from the same trusted source. 

Let's say a sales rep at an industrial equipment manufacturer is helping a client select a new conveyor motor. Instead of manually searching catalogs, the rep turns to Agentforce for instant recommendations on motors that match the client's required voltage, load capacity, and safety certifications. 

Because the product data is structured, enriched, and trustworthy, the AI doesn't just suggest generic options. It understands technical specifications and compliance requirements, enabling the sales rep to make accurate recommendations quickly and effectively. 

PIM is no longer just a back-office system. It's the foundation for the intelligent enterprise, enabling faster, more efficient operations that benefit customers, employees, and the business.

Standardize and enrich product data for reuse

Product data is only useful when it's consistent across teams and channels. That's why standardizing information from the start is so important. 

Imagine a customer sees a magazine ad for a bookcase described as "sturdy, dark wood." They call sales for pricing and dimensions. When the rep looks it up, the system only lists bookcases labeled cherry, mahogany, and walnut. Each looks different, and the rep can't tell which product the customer saw. The conversation slows while the rep asks follow-up questions, confidence drops, and eventually the customer walks away to find something clearer online.

Clear attributes, naming conventions, and reusable data models make sure the same information flows smoothly across all teams and channels that use it. That way, teams spend less time searching for the right product or reconciling discrepancies and more time on work that actually drives results for the business.

Enrichment works the same way. Automated AI tools can help keep product records complete, accurate, and detailed with minimal human involvement. This is why choosing a PIM with built-in AI enrichment matters. Pimly continuously cleans up inconsistencies and enhances records automatically, keeping product information complete and reliable without adding manual work.

That ongoing enrichment is what powers better cross-sell and upsell opportunities, improves service resolution, and ensures that every team — and AI-driven tool — can rely on the data they need, whenever they need it.

Plan for global expansion and market-specific requirements

Expanding into new countries ramps up product challenges fast. Teams must juggle different languages, currencies, local regulations, and market-specific attributes. 

Let's say you want to launch a new commercial HVAC unit in both the U.S. and the U.K. While the core design stays the same, the electrical standards, efficiency ratings, safety certifications, refrigerant regulations, and documentation required by region are different. You'll need to localize manuals and specifications to meet these different standards, turning one product into multiple regional variants.

In these situations, spreadsheets and other disconnected systems simply can't keep up. Updates happen too fast and get lost. Errors creep in. Product launches — along with sales — slow down.

A strong PIM system addresses this by providing global teams with a single source of truth to work from. With modern, AI-powered PIM software, teams can easily keep core information consistent across all regions while tailoring market-specific details — like local language descriptions, regional pricing, or compliance requirements. That way, all team members and customers can access the exact information they need, no matter where they're located. 

With this level of control and flexibility, enterprises can launch hundreds or even thousands of products in new markets confidently, knowing they can trust every piece of data put out there. 

Build PIM workflows to power cross-functional teams

Product data shouldn't exist in a vacuum. It touches far more teams than just digital product owners. Sales, service, marketing, and ecommerce teams all rely on accurate, up-to-date product information to generate quotes, resolve customer issues, launch campaigns, manage online catalogs, and more.

That's why PIM workflows should be designed to keep every function in sync. Best practices include:

• Aligning update and approval processes
• Assigning clear ownership for each product attribute
• Connecting systems so changes flow automatically from one team to the next

Plus, with shared visibility, every team sees the same data and real-time updates to that data, bottlenecks disappear, errors drop, and projects move faster. Cross-functional collaboration turns product information into a tool that drives results across every business unit.

Eliminate manual work and handoffs

Manual updates and repeated handoffs slow teams down. Enterprise teams often spend hours reconciling spreadsheets, tracking approvals, or fixing errors — work that adds no value and delays launches.

Automation and workflow orchestration take that burden off teams: 

• Approvals happen on schedule.
• Updates flow automatically across systems.
• AI agents — like Salesforce's Agentforce — can handle routine updates or surface product information in real time.

Map your current handoffs and approval steps, then configure rule-based workflows within your PIM software and CRM tool. Define triggers, assign owners, and activate AI support where repeatable tasks suck up the most time for your teams.

With these processes in place, teams launch products faster, avoid errors, and trust that every system is working from the same information. Streamlined workflows not only save time but also build trust and keep all teams moving forward together.

Measure success beyond data cleanup 

Implementing PIM software is just the start. Real success shows up in the outcomes your business achieves, not just in completed tasks. That's why you should look beyond implementation milestones and focus on results: 

• Faster time-to-market
• Smoother sales processes
• Quicker service resolution
• Measurable revenue growth

In the AI era, customer satisfaction becomes another key metric. Are your AI agents taking the right actions and giving accurate answers that your business can rely on? Pimly ensures they can, so every interaction reflects trusted product information. 

A mature PIM program does more than organize data; it drives growth, streamlines operations, and makes AI-powered systems reliable and effective across your business.

Drive growth with stronger product information management 

Product information management is a strategic investment, not just a maintenance task. Clean, governed, AI-ready product data helps teams execute faster, deliver better customer experiences, and lay the groundwork for future innovation. 

When data flows freely across every team instead of sitting in a silo, it becomes a growth engine. Sales, service, marketing, and ecommerce teams all work from the same trusted information, reducing errors, speeding decisions, and powering smarter automation.

Pimly's Salesforce-native architecture makes this possible by providing real-time access, strong governance, and cross-functional workflows that help teams overcome fragmentation, manual handoffs, and gaps in AI readiness.

With everything centralized and connected, teams move faster, collaborate more effectively, and trust that AI agents and automation act on accurate, up-to-date product information.

Unlock your product data's full potential: Book a demo with Pimly today and see how your teams can work smarter, faster, and more confidently.

FAQs

How does product information management support revenue-generating teams like sales and service?

A strong PIM foundation ensures sales and service teams always have access to accurate and complete product data, enabling faster quoting, more confident recommendations, and quicker issue resolution. AI-enabled tools for sales and service also depend on this accurate, structured information to provide actionable recommendations and automate workflows. Over time, this consistency supports cross-sell and upsell opportunities while improving customer trust and satisfaction.

What role does PIM play in AI-driven customer and employee experiences?

PIM provides the structured, governed product data that AI tools depend on to deliver reliable responses, recommendations, automation, and actions. Without clean product information, AI initiatives risk producing inaccurate or inconsistent outputs that erode trust.

How should organizations approach PIM as they scale globally or add new product lines?

As complexity grows, PIM becomes essential for managing variations in attributes, languages, regions, and compliance requirements. Best-in-class approaches focus on flexible data models and governance that scale without creating bottlenecks.