The product data challenge in the age of omnichannel
In an environment where e-commerce sites, marketplaces, mobile apps and print media keep multiplying, companies have to meet a major challenge: ensuring the consistency and reliability of their product data across every channel.
Technical sheets, visuals, descriptions, prices, sales arguments… each medium uses the same product information, but in a different format and context.
Yet without solid data governance, inconsistencies multiply: errors in catalogues, delays in updates, uneven customer experiences, loss of credibility. This is where centralising and automatically distributing product data become essential performance levers.
PIM: the foundation of product data
The PIM (Product Information Management) is the heart of the product data strategy. At Numendo, we have mastered the integration of PIM solutions such as Quable and Akeneo for our clients thanks to our command of omnichannel. This expertise allows our clients to obtain a reliable product database that can be used across every medium — an essential prerequisite for any successful omnichannel strategy. It makes it possible to centralise, enrich and structure product information in a single repository, guaranteeing the reliability of the content distributed across all channels.
Thanks to a PIM, companies:
- eliminate redundancy and scattered Excel files,
- make their data reliable through validation workflows,
- and become more responsive when updating their products across every touchpoint.
But centralisation alone is not enough: that data still has to be distributed smoothly across the digital and print ecosystem.
DAM: taking control of product visuals and media
The DAM (Digital Asset Management) complements the PIM by providing centralised management of visuals, videos, technical documents and packshots. Solutions such as Keepeek and Grand Shooting give you flexibility and hand control of media back to the business.
In an omnichannel environment, it plays a key role in guaranteeing brands’ visual consistency, whatever the distribution medium. Connected to the PIM, the DAM automatically feeds product sheets, catalogues and e-commerce pages with the right media, in the right format and the right language. An essential approach at a time when visual quality directly influences brand perception and conversion.
From PIM to publishing: automating multichannel distribution
While the PIM structures the data and the DAM manages the media, publication represents the final step: formatting and distribution across the various channels.
This is where publishing automation solutions such as those from J2S come into play.
They make it possible to:
- automatically generate catalogues, product sheets and point-of-sale material from PIM data,
- guarantee compliance with brand guidelines,
- considerably reduce time-to-market,
- and avoid errors or inconsistencies between media.
This automation does not replace creativity: it frees up time for higher value-added tasks, while ensuring the reliability of the data published.
A necessary synergy: towards a PIM + DAM + publishing ecosystem
The challenge is no longer simply to manage data well, but to make information flow smoothly between systems.
A connected ecosystem between PIM, DAM and publication tools allows companies to:
- speed up updates to their materials,
- ensure complete consistency between digital and print,
- keep production costs under control,
- and deliver a unified customer experience, whatever the channel.
This integrated approach is now being adopted by many brands wishing to strengthen their agility in the face of the proliferation of media and languages.
To find out more: the J2S × Numendo webinar
In order to shed light on this strategic subject, J2S and Numendo recently held a webinar dedicated to distributing product data in an omnichannel world.
The experts presented their shared approach to connecting the PIM, the DAM and publishing solutions, and unveiled in particular Publishing Campaign, a J2S application available on the Akeneo App Store, designed to automate the production of communication materials from PIM data.
Watch the webinar on replay or talk to the J2S and Numendo teams to find out how to connect your PIM, DAM and publishing ecosystem to your omnichannel strategy.
In summary
Product data is far more than a technical asset: it is the engine of the customer experience.
In an omnichannel world, the best-performing companies are those that know how to link their systems together in order to turn their data into consistent, up-to-date and relevant content — from web to print. PIM, DAM and publishing are no longer three separate building blocks: they are the pillars of a unified, high-performing product data strategy. Our Product Data team is on hand for all your needs.
