PIM and DAM: what they have in common and what makes them different
What is Product Information Management.
PIM systems manage product information and how it is presented in a company's marketing and sales channels: product datasheets, printed catalogues, websites, e-commerce, reseller portals, social media and more.
With a PIM system, all product information is collected in one place so that all employees of the company can always find what they need. The PIM must ensure that the product information sent to customers and business partners is complete, correct, consistent and of high quality so as to facilitate the purchasing decision.
What is Digital Asset Management.
In contrast to the PIM system, DAM systems manage resources not focused on the product. These may include digital files such as images, videos and documents.
Sales and marketing departments use DAM systems to store advertising and marketing material so that images, drawings, videos and guidelines are accessible to those with permission and well protected.
When a company chooses to install a good DAM system, it becomes easier to manage and maintain the company's images and processes can become more efficient.
What Product Information Management and Digital Asset Management have in common.
To summarize, the first manages product information, the second the company's assets. Both systems function as a central and easily accessible database. Both have the task of organizing the data and providing interested people with easy access to it.
When to choose a Product Information Management.
Initially, PIM systems were developed to store product information, from technical supplier data to descriptive and marketing data. PIM systems are still particularly suitable for manufacturers and retailers and for companies that need to collect information about their products in one place or from many sources. It is also the ideal solution for companies with many product references: with a PIM, checking information and preventing errors is made easier. Therefore, with a PIM system the life of many departments of the company, including product development, sales and marketing, is simplified.
When to choose a Digital Asset Management.
For companies with many digital resources, DAM systems are very useful, because they can help to simplify access to resources, thus saving time.
We must not forget that an employee working in the marketing department, devotes much of his time to the search for digital images, checking that they are correct and branded and sometimes, he still has to create an archive on CD to send it to customers, suppliers, press offices!
DAM systems are ideal when you need to stream or publish video files to an audience. They are also perfect for archiving material and monitoring previous versions of a file.
PIM systems with integrated DAM functionality.
PIM and DAM systems have some functions in common but they are still different platforms, developed to meet different needs. We have seen that PIM systems are designed to manage product and product information while DAM systems are designed to manage digital files, such as logos, images and videos. It is important to keep in mind that these digital files are also product-related, which is why sometimes looking for information about PIM systems you will also come across DAM solutions. Another reason is that today there are systems like eTEAM that integrate the two features: DAM and PIM complement each other and so you can store and distribute all kinds of product-related resources, including multimedia files such as videos, images, audio files and more.
