When you’re responsible for managing the data for a wholesale business, there is a lot you need to consider.
Not only do you need to look after every single product sheet, but you need to make sure the information is correct and available in a variety of different formats and languages.
A Product Information Management, or PIM system can make sure all your product data and metadata remains up to date at any one time.
Let’s look at five of the most commonly found product documents in a wholesale company and how PIM can help you manage them efficiently and quickly.
Five types of product documentation you can manage with a PIM tool
1. Proof of traceability
If you work in an industry where it’s essential to verify the history of each individual product you sell, you need to be able to provide this information for transparency purposes.
For example, take the automotive or appliance industry. If a recall is needed, you can quickly share this information with your buyers, who can then share it with the customers who have bought from them.
PIM makes it easy to manage this data from one centralised place, giving you and your buyers peace of mind.
2. Product certifications
Over half of customers value quality over price. As a wholesale business, any certifications you can supply to show the products you sell are safe and of the best quality will benefit you.
PIM lets you manage and provide product certifications, including but not limited to, vendor certification, CE marking, BSI kitemarks and farm assurance. If product certifications change or are upgraded, it’s easy for your team to update them from one place.
Merrild Lavazza are just one of the wholesale companies that use the Perfion PIM system to easily manage different product certifications.
3. Environmental impact
If the products you sell are sustainable, it’s important to highlight this information to your customers. For example, if wood products are FSC-certified or textiles are Oeko-Tex certified.
You can manage all this product documentation with a Product Information Management system, and with one click, highlight it on your product description pages and specification documents.
Providing this type of metadata helps you achieve your statutory obligations as a wholesaler and can lead to additional profits. 63% of buyers prefer to purchase from businesses whose brand purpose aligns with their own beliefs.
4. Nutritional information and allergen information
People are more interested in their health than ever before. This means if you sell food and drink as a wholesaler, it’s essential to make sure your product information is as accurate as possible.
Companies that sell food and drink in the UK and EU must declare any allergens, such as nuts, gluten or eggs. Failure to do so can lead to negative publicity, expensive recalls and even worse, illness or death.
PIM provides an added layer of transparency, allowing wholesalers to ensure that information is managed correctly and stored, meaning customers have all the information they need.
For example, the Perfion PIM system helps UK-based wholesaler Liberty Wines manage specific data about each of their available wines. For example, whether a wine is organic, vegetarian or vegan.
5… Any data you want!
The great thing about PIM is that it is 100% flexible to your business needs. No matter what products you sell, what metadata is legally required or what information your customers want to see, you can model your data according to your very specific requirements.
A great PIM system works around your needs and not the other way around.
Find out more about Perfion’s data modelling functionality.
PIM and wholesale businesses: a perfect match
The wholesale industry in the EU currently turns over an incredible $10.4 trillion a year. If you’re looking to grow your profits and welcome new customers, a high-quality PIM can help you achieve this.
Apart from enabling you to meet your customers’ increasing demands for product documentation and technical documentation, a PIM will help you eliminate manual processes, so you can increase your range without extra administration. It will also allow your customers to serve themselves online and lower your time-to-market through effective onboarding and enrichment of new products.
More information on PIM for wholesalers
If you’re keen to change how you manage your metadata but aren’t sure how to go about it, then Perfion can help.
Not only can we help ensure your product data remains accurate across all marketing channels, but we can save you time and money too.