6 ways Product Information Management (PIM) transforms manufacturing

As a manufacturer, you are juggling a lot. From raw materials to finished product, you need to keep control of every element – where it’s from, what it’s made of, what it does and what else it needs to work best. A PIM, or Product Information Management, system provides the vital link for keeping it all together.

PIM in manufacturing

The essence of a Product Information Management system is simple:

A manufacturing PIM takes all the data needed for product creation or assembly, plus provenance, technical details, marketing, sales and more, and centralizes it into a single source of truth.

Teams can then access the information they need for their specific purpose, share it with colleagues and partners, authorize and complete projects, all in a single system.

Why manufacturers struggle without PIM

Unfortunately, many manufacturers still lack this crucial tool – and struggle to adapt to customer needs as a result.

From out-of-date databases held in Excel spreadsheets, to emailed instructions and copy left in Word documents, manufacturers leave themselves wide open to a host of procedural and data missteps. Too many are using outmoded solutions that are no longer fit for purpose.

Using a PIM in manufacturing means your business isn’t just ready to meet today’s challenges and excel against the competition, but is ready to react to any future demands placed on it.

6 ways PIM transforms manufacturing

Product Information Management can be successfully implemented in a whole range of sectors and industries, but it really flexes its muscles in manufacturing.

Understand your product’s origin story with PIM

Traceability in manufacturing is everything. Knowing where your components are, and are from, is vital to the smooth running of your organization.

In a Product Information Management system, you can store and retrieve the information about not just the finished article, but all of its elements, allowing you to do anything from refine your product composition to confidently promote its effectiveness, innovation and safety.

Product Information Management to streamline operations

From speeding up workflows to improving the whole business’s cost effectiveness, a PIM is an essential tool for giving teams the information they need, when they need it. Working with other systems such as a DAM (Digital Asset Management) or CMS (Content Management System), manufacturers can supercharge their information workflows. At a time when businesses need to work smarter, not harder, knowing how to make the most of each component can be the key to unlocking greater profitability.

Similarly, with automated workflows and permissioning, teams don’t get stuck in project log-jams, waiting for the correct information or approvals. With a centralized system, everyone who needs it has a full view of project progress and there is no time or data lost by having critical information left buried in team members’ email inboxes or spreadsheets.

Real-time information, real-time effectiveness

The ability to find information immediately cannot be underestimated. Even in the B2B world, the omnichannel is an ever-present challenge. Retail, agency, logistics partners, end consumers and more all need access to product information on-demand, through whatever channel suits. To be able to deliver that information, manufacturers need a PIM system that is robust enough to hold large volumes of information but also able to deliver it in real or near to real time, also in the correct format and at the right level of detail for a specific audience.

Limit liability

Weaknesses in a manufacturer’s product information processes aren’t just annoying, they can pose significant risk to the business and its end customers.

If a manufacturer chooses a component that is unsuitable for its proposed purpose due to a lack of available information or simply poor labeling, the end product may fail. This is of particular concern in sectors such as engineering or pharmaceuticals, where faulty products can have devastating consequences. Manufacturers leave themselves open to significant litigation if they fail to do due diligence when it comes to having the correct parts and processes. A PIM is one way to guard against such failure.

Improve customer and partner experience

Being able to deliver information quickly is only one piece of the puzzle. No product or service exists in a bubble. Partners and consumers want the contextual information around their product, as well as the product itself, to be able to gain full value. A PIM system is ideal for discovering links between complimentary items or content that can enhance the experience of the product.

PIM for robust ESG compliance

More than ever, a transparent supply chain is an essential component of the product experience. Manufacturers need to be able to reassure partners and end consumers that the provenance of items, right back to the raw materials, are from sustainable and ethical sources. Increasingly, regulation also demands that manufacturers are able to prove traceability and compliance. A robust PIM system is a vital tool to make sure manufacturers can meet their regulatory and consumer demands with minimal disruption to their day-to-day running, as well as using the information for competitive advantage against less well-prepared peers.

Censhare helps transform the way a manufacturer operates and, with its PIM for manufacturers, helps them reap all the benefits of a digital age.

Gain the upper hand with PIM for manufacturers today

With huge pressure on supply chains and diminishing loyalty, both from end consumers and retail partners, manufacturers must work harder than ever to make sure they have the right product on the right shelves. Every element of the product’s journey needs to be understood and documented.

With PIM for manufacturing, businesses can be confident that they are operating at the most efficient level, generating economies of scale, streamlining production, and adapting to customer needs. With censhare’s robust PIM system in place, your teams and partners have all the information they need to execute quickly and effectively while staying fully agile and responsive to future needs.