Introduction
The growing number of sales channels and customer requirements is pushing companies to review the way they manage their product information. Inconsistencies, data-entry errors, delays in updates — all of these get in the way of an optimal customer experience. It is in this context that Akeneo PIM has established itself as an essential solution for centralising, enriching and effectively distributing product data.
This article guides you through the best practices for optimising your product management with Akeneo, and presents concrete use cases observed in the field.
Why has a PIM become indispensable?
In a context where e-commerce is booming and product references are multiplying, centralising data has become a strategic imperative. A PIM (Product Information Management) makes it possible to consolidate all product-related information in a single, structured repository that can be updated in real time. This guarantees greater content reliability, better quality control and faster time to market.
Akeneo has established itself as one of the market’s benchmark solutions thanks to its intuitive learning curve, its flexibility, its dynamic community and its ability to interface with a wide range of third-party tools such as ERPs, DAMs and e-commerce platforms. It therefore makes it possible to reduce publication errors, improve the quality of product content, accelerate time to market and distribute data to a multitude of channels, whether digital or physical.
The fundamentals of a good Akeneo implementation
To take full advantage of Akeneo, certain key steps must be observed.
The first is to define a robust data model suited to your offering. This means structuring product categories, sub-categories, families, variants, attributes and the various distribution channels. This modelling phase is essential to guarantee the consistency of information throughout the publication chain.
Next, clarifying roles and responsibilities is decisive. A PIM project is always cross-functional, involving IT, marketing, product and commercial teams alike. You need to define validation workflows, appoint owners for each product family and adapt access rights to everyone’s needs.
Finally, the technical dimension must not be neglected. Akeneo reveals its full power once integrated into your digital ecosystem: synchronisation with the ERP for master data, interfacing with a DAM such as Keepeek for managing visuals, or automating publication to a Shopify or OroCommerce site. Using APIs or standard connectors makes it possible to set up these flows without redundant manual data entry.
Three illustrative use cases
One of the most frequent cases is that of a distributor wanting to launch a marketplace. In this type of project, Akeneo plays a central role by making it possible to standardise the catalogues supplied by the various partners, create content validation rules and automate the publication of thousands of product references on a single platform.
Another scenario is that of a cosmetics brand operating in more than a dozen countries. As each country has its own linguistic, cultural and regulatory specifics, Akeneo was used to enrich product records with localised content, while managing differentiated versions for each geographical area.
Finally, a B2B manufacturer faced with product information scattered across several media (e-commerce site, PDF catalogues, internal technical data sheets) was able to harmonise its data thanks to Akeneo. The tool made it possible to centralise visuals and technical descriptions, synchronise updates in real time and automatically feed each medium according to the formats required.
Best practices for a successful Akeneo project
To maximise the benefits of the tool, it is better to adopt a step-by-step approach. Starting with a limited scope — one product family or a single channel — makes it possible to move forward iteratively while measuring results.
Buy-in from teams is also essential. Training tailored to users’ day-to-day work — whether they are product managers, e-commerce managers or developers — will make adoption easier. It is also advisable to take advantage of Akeneo’s advanced features, such as completion rules, data quality indicators and monitoring dashboards.
Finally, it is important to document your data governance processes in order to ensure the longevity of your PIM, especially in a context where the catalogue and sales channels are constantly evolving.
Client case study: Emosia & Numendo, winners at the Akeneo Awards 2025
To illustrate the benefits of a well-run Akeneo project, let us take the example of Emosia, a leading player in the decoration and lifestyle sector. Working with Numendo, Emosia undertook a complete overhaul of its product information management, with Akeneo as the cornerstone.
The main challenge: structuring and harmonising data from several brands so that it could quickly be used across different sales channels, in several languages. Thanks to a content enrichment strategy, the automation of flows and the governance put in place, the project was a real success, rewarded with the Akeneo Leadership Award 2025.
Winners at the Akeneo Awards 2025
Emosia and Numendo were awarded the Leadership Award 2025 at the Akeneo Awards, for their collaboration on a product information management (PIM) project.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about Akeneo PIM
1. Is Akeneo suitable for SMEs, or only for large groups?
Akeneo is aimed at SMEs and large companies alike. There is a free Community edition, ideal for small organisations, as well as Enterprise editions for more advanced needs.
2. What is the difference between an ERP and a PIM?
The ERP manages transactional information (stock, prices, orders), whereas the PIM centralises and structures products’ marketing and technical information.
3. Can Akeneo be connected to any e-commerce platform?
Yes. Akeneo has numerous native connectors (Magento, Shopify, OroCommerce, etc.) and a REST API for building bespoke integrations.
4. What are the main mistakes to avoid during an Akeneo project?
Common pitfalls include failing to formalise the data model upfront, neglecting to involve the business teams, and trying to automate everything too soon.
5. How long does it take to implement an Akeneo PIM?
That depends on the scope. A pilot project can be up and running in a few weeks. A global rollout generally takes three to six months.
6. Can several languages be managed in Akeneo?
Yes, Akeneo handles multilingual content natively and makes it possible to tailor content to each market.
7. Can Akeneo manage images and technical documents?
Yes, but for advanced asset management it is advisable to connect a DAM such as Keepeek.
8. Which profiles should be involved in an Akeneo project?
Product managers, marketing teams, e-commerce managers, data owners and IT teams all need to be mobilised.
9. How can data quality be ensured in Akeneo?
The tool offers validation rules, completion scores, review workflows and dashboards for steering data quality.
10. Is it possible to add custom features to Akeneo?
Absolutely. Even though Akeneo is a SaaS solution, it was designed to be extensible. Thanks to its open architecture, we can develop bespoke modules or custom apps to meet your specific business needs: automated processing, data enrichment, interfaces dedicated to particular users, integration of internal tools, and so on. This flexibility makes it possible to adapt Akeneo to your existing processes without compromising the stability of the platform.
Conclusion
Akeneo is not merely a product data management tool: it is a genuine strategic lever for guaranteeing the consistency, quality and performance of your information across all your channels. By structuring your data correctly, involving the right stakeholders and connecting your ecosystem effectively, you will lay the foundations for a reliable, consistent and scalable product experience.
Do you have an Akeneo project, or are you considering structuring your product catalogue management? Let’s talk it through.
