Implementing a new ERP system for your organisation requires a real commitment in terms of planning and execution. Migration to Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a project involving a number of stakeholders companywide, delegating responsibility across the board.
Understanding the benefits of developing this project alongside a PIM solution may seem like more work, but in fact, will result in delivering efficiency, automation, cohesion and connection from not just both your ERP and PIM, but other channels and systems too.
Utilising a headless solution will even further benefit your team in the future, as any upgrades won’t require a full remapping of each single platform.
Why consider Product Information Management?
A PIM system compliments your ERP system to boost competitiveness and streamline a whole range of workflows, including:
- Creating materials and product information before utilising them in Dynamics 365
- Easy exportation of product information to all media channels
- Quick updating and changing materials, product information, product groups
From a process perspective, it is widely beneficial to consider adding a PIM solution at the beginning of your ERP upgrade project. Having both systems working in tandem enhances functionality from both, essentially using each systems key advantages, to your advantage. For example:
- Integrated system management of product group hierarchies, material information and simplified data creation
- Fewer changes required in the standard Dynamics 365
- Improved performance from ERP to transactional data
Recognising the type of product information that Dynamics 365 is not designed to manage and transferring that to a system specifically designed to make product information management as effective and easy as possible is essential to innovating your processes.
The result is a less complex upgrade project with fewer modifications required. Implementing and maintaining data within PIM solutions often requires neither internal nor external consultants. Users can do the work themselves, finding it much easier to create and update data.
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6 daily tasks in ERP which become a lot easier with a PIM system
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One Single Source of Truth for product information
Significantly simplifying product information work throughout your organisation will enable quick and easy access for your staff to all product data in one place. Ensuring tat all product category managers are working with the same updated data to avoid mistakes, also known as the single source of truth. This therefore allows your IT department to focus on what matters most, transactional data.
Access up-to-date product data easily
A Best-of-Breed PIM solution integrated into Dynamics 365 allows you to access all product data (descriptions, images, specifications, etc.) as well as transactional data from the ERP system, mirroring product information stored in your ERP.
Wave goodbye to a situation where redundant data on the same product is still live in your system. This is due to a PIM solution brining a cohesive method, allowing all departments dealing with product information to use a tool removing the use of incorrect or outdated data.
A product information management solution works in real-time with your ERP data, so prices and stock levels are always up to date.
Dynamics 365 is not “polluted” with irrelevant products
Dynamics 365 will not be charged with products until they are actually ordered. Use the PIM platform as a sandbox for new products that are still under development. When a product is ready for sale, it is not released by the PIM system in Dynamics 365 until the first time it is sold. This way, you avoid your ERP system dealing with products that may never be sold.
PIM increases competitiveness
Whether B2B or B2C, your product data sets you apart from the competition online. Data and documentation requirements will grow significantly as a result of digitalisation and increasingly become a competitive factor, as customers place higher demands.
An efficient, seamlessly integrated product information management solution helps to decide who wins the customer. If you are migrating to Dynamics 365 and add a PIM solution, it strengthens both marketing and sales:
- Marketing staff will find that exporting product data for all channels, webshops, websites, apps and online portals becomes much easier when done from one single system. Meaning that employees can use all their working time to carry out value-adding tasks instead of searching for data manually.
- Sales has access to up-to-date product information and sales can quickly create brochures and data sheets in print-ready PDF format themselves and send them by e-mail – with up-to-date data directly from the PIM system and Dynamics 365. If customers ask for sales material on specific products, they will receive it in their inbox almost instantly.
Guide:
6 daily tasks in ERP which become a lot easier
with a PIM-system
Learn how a good PIM system can optimize your product data management.
In the guide "6 daily tasks in ERP which become a lot easier with a PIM-system", we review six everyday scenarios and show the difference between working with an SAP system or PIM system.
