We recently hosted a webinar on product data – what it costs a business when product information is spread across spreadsheets, inboxes, the ERP, and the eCommerce backend, and what the fix looks like on real projects.

One story from the session shows the problem better than any definition. A retailer’s eCommerce team kept learning about new products from customers tagging them on Instagram. The products were already on the shelves and the data was already in the ERP, but nobody told the eCommerce team. Three to five days later someone retyped the details by hand into a spreadsheet, then waited for copy and images from a third party. About 40% of that retailer’s range was not for sale online. We’ll recap the main points of what this means in this article, or you can watch the recording here:

How many places is your product data in

Two to five, for most webinar attendees, according to the poll result when Ana asked how many places they store or manage product information today. When you need a product detail, how many places do you go to get it? Usually more than one.

Product data arrives from suppliers, factories, the ERP, content teams, and translators. It lands in spreadsheets, inboxes, shared drives, and the eCommerce backend. Every copy drifts a little from the others, and after a while nobody is sure which version is right. Each new sales channel adds one more place to keep updated.

Where the cost shows up

Manual work

There are usually teams of one to five people whose only job is managing product data by hand. That is a payroll cost before anything else, and it grows with every new market and channel.

Late launches

During the webinar, hosts used an example of a North American manufacturer with a large store network. One full-time employee creates products in the eCommerce system. For each product he contacts roughly nine departments. He asks marketing for photos, content for descriptions, and the product team for ingredients and manufacturing data, then goes back to marketing to turn those ingredients into language a shopper understands. The company adds few products a season, and launching one is still a project.

Often the information exists. It is in a manufacturing format that cannot go straight onto a product page, and the enrichment step gets stuck between approvals, marketing, legal, and translation.

Lost sales

The retailer above was missing 40% of its range online. A US distributor of packaging and industrial supplies had only 10% of a large catalog on its site before its PIM project, with descriptions and images missing on part of that. Its full range is online now. Every day a product is on the shelf and not on the site is a day of revenue the business does not get.

Returns

Wrong or missing product information means customers get something they did not expect, and they send it back. The return is a lost sale plus the cost of handling it.

The reverse holds too. For Sportland, user research showed product pages were short on descriptions. scandiweb redesigned the pages, expanded the attribute sets in the PIM, reworked the size guides, and A/B tested the result. The new product page, which the team calls the super PDP, lifted sales by 39%.

Growth and AI

Every new market, channel, or product multiplies the places that need updating, so a setup that works today becomes a brake as the catalog grows. AI has the same problem. It handles messy data better than it used to, but with three versions of the same product it cannot tell which one is true.

What the fix looks like

One record per product, with the descriptions, images, documents, translations, and approval workflows attached to it. Every channel reads from that record.

It’s like a spreadsheet row with anywhere from 20 to several hundred fields, where each department owns its own cells. The photographer uploads images in their own view. The designer assigns images to products. The content team writes the descriptions. Teams can work inside the PIM or keep the tools they already use and connect them through an API, as long as the PIM holds the master copy.

Companies are organized by function, and product information does not belong to any one function. It is between several teams, so it needs a shared place where each team adds its part without making a mess somewhere else.

A product’s journey through a PIM

Here are the four stages a product passes on its way from a supplier file to a customer’s screen, with screens from live projects.

Getting data in

One client takes product data from many suppliers, each in a different format, and did not want to change how those suppliers work. So each supplier got an SFTP folder. They drop in their XML files, the client’s team runs the import, and the products appear in the PIM.

Not every supplier sends XML or has an API. Some send PDFs. Maris said AI extraction now pulls product data from those with good accuracy.

The PIM then normalizes what came in. A US packaging distributor sells box tape that suppliers list as either 5 centimeter or 2 inch. Its customers search in inches, so every tape now shows as 2 inch and sits in the same results. The same applies to shoe sizes or clothing sizes, and to any attribute that arrives in more than one standard.

Attribute sets define which fields every product of a type needs, with validation, so a new team member creates a product the same way as everyone else. Variants inherit everything from the parent product except what makes them different, such as color and size.

A food, drink, and restaurant equipment supplier in Latvia and Estonia ran several domains on two platforms, with ERP data moved between them by hand. scandiweb consolidated the domains into one store, added a Pimcore PIM with a two-way sync to SAP, and gave suppliers a file upload with automated product creation behind it. Over 20,000 products moved into the new setup, and the suppliers kept working the way they were used to.

Enriching it

In Pimcore, the asset management and the PIM are linked, so a size guide or spec sheet is dragged in once and connected to its product. Nobody hunts for the right file later.

Descriptions can be generated from the product’s attributes and images with AI, at least as a draft, and editing a draft is faster than starting from a blank page.

Translations run per language, get reviewed and approved, and update the main product and every variant that inherits the text. scandiweb has also built scheduled AI translation across an entire catalog for some clients.

Controlling it

Once data is in and enriched, user roles, permissions, and workflows decide what goes out. If a product is not approved, it does not reach the customer.

A Lithuanian cosmetics retailer had product data in its eCommerce platform and ERP, plus a few spreadsheets, with several teams needing to sign off before anything went live. In Pimcore, scandiweb set up roles for supplier managers, product data managers, the eCommerce team, and the translation team. A new product arrives from the ERP with its SKU, price, and stock level, and the right person gets notified. They fill in the attribute set, the supplier manager adds what they know about the brand, translations are reviewed and approved, and the product goes live. Price and stock changes from the ERP update the record on their own.

Reports show what is pending approval and which products are missing which fields in which language, so the person responsible opens the right product straight from the list.

Distributing it

The record feeds the website, marketplaces, print catalogs, distributors, and franchisees. For external partners, a brand or partner portal is safer than a backend login. They see the data and assets you choose, download what they need, and build collections for their own team.

One school photography company used the same approach for more than product data. Student and staff records and the photos themselves lived in different repositories and went out by email. scandiweb built a master data backbone in Pimcore with single sign-on, plus a portal where each school logs in, downloads its photos, and edits or uploads student and staff records without seeing anyone else’s.

What a PIM project takes

Discovery first. Every team has different data, workflows, stakeholders, and output channels, so scandiweb starts by mapping how the business works today and how it wants to work. Only then come the data model, the data cleanup, the system connections, and the training and rollout. scandiweb uses Pimcore for many of these projects because it bends to the way a team already works.

Our rule is to find the gap the PIM fills and shape the PIM around the existing teams. If the goal is only to put product data in one place, the project can be fairly simple. If the content has to be created inside the system, as with a fashion brand where photo shoots and image approvals need defined roles at each stage, it is more involved. Most projects land somewhere between the two.

If you want to see how a PIM would handle your own catalog, request a free PIM prototype. Upload a sample spreadsheet if you have one, and our team will build the prototype on your data and walk you through it, including how different roles see different parts of the catalog.

The post Webinar Recap: What Fragmented Product Data Costs You & How to Fix It appeared first on scandiweb.

If your best rep can tell a buyer in ten seconds which seal replaces a discontinued part, and your website can’t tell anyone anything until they log in, you have two problems that look like one. Buyers who research before they call can’t find your products, and the knowledge that wins orders lives in a few people’s heads. B2B eCommerce for manufacturers fixes both with the same work: publish the product facts your reps repeat every day as structured data, and keep only prices, terms, and account details behind the login.

Buyers want to do that research alone. In a 2026 Gartner survey, 67% of B2B buyers said they prefer a rep-free experience. Search engines and AI assistants such as ChatGPT can only recommend what they can read, and they don’t log in.

This guide covers what to publish and what to keep gated, the 20 questions your reps answer most, and how to turn those answers into product data with a PIM, using Wainbee’s 600,000-product catalog as the example.

What is eCommerce for manufacturers?

eCommerce for manufacturers is selling and supporting industrial products online, to distributors, dealers, and end customers, through a store or ordering portal connected to the ERP. In B2B it covers more than checkout: searchable product data, customer-specific prices and terms after login, reorders, quotes, and self-service for documents and spare parts.

Most manufacturers already have part of this. The weak spot is usually the catalog. Platforms handle carts, price lists, and approvals well, but they can’t invent the product knowledge that is spread across ERP records, supplier spreadsheets, PDF data sheets, and people. That knowledge decides whether a buyer finds you and orders without calling. Our overview of B2B eCommerce trends for 2027 shows how fast that research has moved online.

Why a gated B2B catalog is invisible to Google and ChatGPT

A catalog behind a login is invisible because search engine crawlers and AI assistants don’t sign in. If product names, specs, and documents only appear after login, Google can’t index those pages, and ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity can’t read or cite them. At the research stage, your products don’t exist for the buyer.

That research stage now decides most deals:

• In a Semrush survey of 622 US B2B professionals, 66% said they regularly use AI to research vendors. Semrush sells SEO tools, so treat the exact figure with care.
• 6sense found that 94% of buying groups rank their preferred vendors before they contact anyone, and they buy from that early favorite 77% of the time.

Many B2B stores gate the whole catalog for reasons that make sense on their own: prices differ per customer, distributors don’t want to be undercut, and nobody wants competitors reading every spec sheet. All three concerns are about prices and terms. Those can stay behind the login while the product facts go public.

Our B2B SEO guide covers the search side in detail: crawling, AI crawlers, and how to check whether AI assistants name you. The rest of this article covers the commerce side: what to publish, where the data comes from, and how to get it out of your reps’ heads.

What to publish and what to keep behind the login

Publish everything that describes the product, and keep everything that describes the customer relationship behind the login. Product names, specs, compatibility, substitutes, pack sizes, standard lead times, certifications, and documents go public. Customer prices, contract terms, account stock, order history, and quotes stay gated.

List price is the one real judgment call. A visible price helps buyers qualify you quickly, and AI shopping answers often include price. If your distributors sell at list, a public price can start a channel argument you don’t need. Many manufacturers launch with “log in for your price” and revisit the question once the catalog is open and working.

Tribal knowledge: what your reps know that your website doesn’t

Tribal knowledge is the know-how experienced people carry in their heads that nobody has written down. In manufacturing sales, it is which part fits which machine, what replaces a discontinued item, which pack size a customer actually orders, and which certificate a food plant will ask for. When that knowledge isn’t in product data, every buyer question has to go through a person.

A 2018 survey by Panopto, a video platform vendor, found that 42% of institutional knowledge is unique to the individual employee. In a catalog business, that is the difference between a quote in five minutes and a quote that waits until Monday because the one person who knows is on vacation.

Replacing that person is getting harder. Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute estimate that US manufacturing will need up to 3.8 million workers between 2024 and 2033, and that 1.9 million of those jobs could go unfilled. When a senior rep or applications engineer retires, the replacement is rarely as experienced, and the knowledge often leaves with them.

Reps stay in the process, in a different role. Gartner found in 2026 that 69% of B2B buyers prefer to validate AI-generated insights with a sales rep. Buyers will research alone, then ask a person to confirm fit, price, and availability on a big or technical order. That check is a better use of a senior rep’s hour than reading out pack sizes over the phone.

The 20 questions your reps answer most

Start with the questions buyers already ask by phone and email. These 20 come up in most industrial catalogs. Each answer belongs in a specific product data field, so it shows on the product page, in feeds, and in what search engines and AI assistants read.

Use the list as a test. For each question, open a public product page for one of your top sellers and check whether a buyer could answer it there without calling. If you get fewer than 10 yes answers, your reps are doing work your catalog should do. Your own list will differ by industry, so swap in the questions your team hears most.

How to turn rep knowledge into structured product data

Turn rep knowledge into product data in six steps: collect the real questions, turn each answer into a field or a link between products, make a PIM the single source, let reps review the data, publish it to product pages, structured data, and feeds, and measure how many questions still reach sales.

1. Collect the questions from email, quotes, and calls

Pull three months of sales inbox threads, quote requests, CRM notes, and support tickets, and tag every product question by type. Add your site search log, especially searches that return nothing, because those are questions buyers tried to answer alone. Then spend an hour with each of your three most experienced reps and walk through your top-selling and most-returned products. Ask what buyers get wrong and what they always ask.

2. Turn each answer into a field or a product relationship

A rep’s answer is usually a sentence: “The 316 stainless version fits the same housing and comes in packs of 10.” In product data, that sentence becomes a material attribute, a compatibility link to the housing, and a pack size with a unit. Write answers as fields and links between SKUs, and keep marketing copy for the description.

The relationships matter most, because they hold the knowledge that is hardest to replace: fits, replaces, replaced by, equivalent to, spare part for, and consumable for. Store values with their units as separate fields, so “10 bar” can be filtered, converted, and read by machines.

3. Make a PIM the single source for product data

A PIM (product information management system) collects product data from the ERP, suppliers, and your own teams, lets people enrich and approve it, and publishes it to every channel. A PIM for manufacturers is where rep knowledge becomes shared data. The ERP keeps prices, stock, and orders. The PIM keeps what a product is and how it relates to other products. Our guides on choosing PIM software and PIM and eCommerce integration cover the selection and the connection.

Wainbee shows what that changes for a large catalog. The largest distributor of Parker products in Canada, it had only 10% of its products online. Suppliers sent CSV and XLS files in different structures, so the formats had to be standardized before anything could go online. We set up Pimcore as the central PIM, took supplier data by API, CSV, and XLS, connected order processing to the ERP, and synced product attributes 1:1 with Magento through our Pimcore connector. Product updates no longer require anyone to log in to Magento, and Wainbee can now see 100% of its 600,000+ products available online.

Read more: Case Study: Unifying Product Information with Pimcore PIM

4. Let your reps review the data

Reps rarely have time to write product content, and they shouldn’t have to. Give them a review queue in the PIM for their product lines, with drafts your product data team has prepared, and ask them to correct and approve. A rep who fixes a wrong substitute in two minutes has saved every future buyer the call. Name an owner for each attribute group, so corrections don’t wait for a committee.

5. Publish to product pages, structured data, and feeds

Show every field on the product page in plain text, with specs in a table and relationships as linked products. Then add product structured data, so search engines and AI tools read the same facts without guessing. schema.org already has the properties a manufacturer needs: mpn and gtin for part numbers, isAccessoryOrSparePartFor, isConsumableFor, and isSimilarTo for relationships, hasCertification for certificates, and additionalProperty for any spec without its own property. Our guide to product structured data explains the setup.

The same PIM data then feeds Google Merchant Center, marketplaces, and your distributors’ sites, and it is the data that agent protocols such as the Universal Commerce Protocol will read. In the EU it also covers much of what a digital product passport will require.

6. Measure what stops reaching sales

Track a few numbers each month: the share of inbound product questions a buyer could have answered on your site, site searches with no results, online orders and reorders without rep contact, and quote requests that arrive with complete specs. Add a monthly check of the buyer prompts you care about in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to see whether your products are named. The B2B SEO guide shows how to run that check.

How to open the catalog without hurting distributors or sales

Open the catalog in phases, keep prices and terms behind the login, and send buyers who aren’t your customers to the right distributor or rep. Distributors usually gain from a public manufacturer catalog, because their customers find the product faster and still buy through them, as long as your online price doesn’t undercut theirs.

• Open one category first, with good data and a high volume of rep questions.
• Give every product page a next step for buyers without an account: find a distributor, request a quote, or open an account.
• Send distributors your PIM data as a feed, so their pages match yours and nobody sells from an old spec.
• Credit reps for online orders from their accounts. Reps who gain from the portal send customers to it.
• Agree with sales and channel managers before launch which prices are shown, to whom, and why.

Opening the catalog is day 0. Buyers return when the data is right, the price after login matches the quote, and stock matches what the ERP says. Our guide to eCommerce ERP integration covers how prices, stock, and orders stay in sync.

FAQ about eCommerce for manufacturers

Should manufacturers show prices on their website?

Show customer-specific prices after login, and decide on list prices with your sales and channel teams. A visible list or “from” price helps buyers qualify you and appears in AI shopping answers, but it can clash with distributor pricing. Many manufacturers start with “log in for your price” and publish list prices later, once the open catalog is working.

Will a public catalog hurt our distributors?

Usually not, if prices and terms stay behind the login. A public catalog helps buyers find and specify the product, then a “find a distributor” route sends them to your partners. Share the same product data with distributors as a feed, so their pages match yours and buyers see the same specs, documents, and substitutes everywhere.

Do manufacturers need a PIM for B2B eCommerce?

Most manufacturers with more than a few thousand SKUs, several suppliers, or several sales channels do. A PIM collects product data from the ERP and suppliers, lets your team enrich and approve it, and publishes it to the store, feeds, and distributors. Without one, product knowledge stays split across spreadsheets, PDFs, and the people who remember it.

How can ChatGPT find our products if the catalog is behind a login?

It can’t. ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google only read pages that are open to crawlers, so products behind a login don’t appear in their answers. Publish product names, specs, compatibility, and documents on public pages with product structured data, keep prices and account details behind the login, and allow the AI search crawlers in your robots.txt.

What product data do B2B buyers need most?

B2B buyers need full specs with units, compatibility with their equipment, substitutes for discontinued parts, pack sizes and units of measure, standard lead times, certifications, and downloadable documents such as data sheets and CAD files. These answer the questions buyers otherwise phone or email a rep about, and they are the facts AI assistants quote when they recommend suppliers.

How long does it take to open a gated B2B catalog?

It depends on your data more than your platform. If specs and documents already exist in the ERP or supplier files, a first category can go public quickly, because the work is mostly mapping and review. Catalogs with missing attributes take longer. Start with your best-documented category, then expand while reps fill in the gaps.

eCommerce for manufacturers starts with what your reps know

B2B eCommerce for manufacturers works when the catalog answers the questions your reps answer today. Open the product facts to buyers, search engines, and AI assistants, keep prices and terms behind the login, and move the 20 questions from people’s heads into a PIM. The same data then feeds your product pages, distributors, marketplaces, and the AI tools buyers now use to build a shortlist.

Have a catalog behind a login and a senior rep who answers the same questions every day? Tell us about your catalog, and we'll show you which product data to publish first.

The post B2B eCommerce for Manufacturers: Why ChatGPT Can’t See Your Catalog appeared first on scandiweb.

If you sell physical products in the EU and someone has just asked whether the digital product passport applies to you, the answer depends on what you sell. The EU’s DPP Registry went live on 20 July 2026. Batteries need a passport from 18 February 2027. Steel, textiles, tyres, furniture, and most other product groups follow between 2028 and 2030, once the Commission adopts the rules for each group and the 18-month transition runs out.

That leaves time to prepare, and the data work usually takes longer than teams expect. Most of the data a passport needs already exists somewhere in your ERP, your PIM, or your suppliers’ spreadsheets. The work is pulling it into one place, and the same work also feeds e-invoicing, product feeds, and the AI assistants that buyers now use to find suppliers. This guide covers what a digital product passport is, the dates for each product group, who is responsible, what data it holds, and how to get your systems ready.

What is a digital product passport?

A digital product passport (DPP) is a digital record for a product, linked to the physical item through a data carrier such as a QR code. It holds information about the product’s origin, materials, safety, repairability, environmental performance, and recycling, and it is registered in the EU’s central DPP Registry. The legal basis is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and each product group gets its own data requirements.

The European Commission describes the passport as a digital container for products, components, and materials. Different people see different parts of it. A consumer scanning the QR code might see care instructions and recycled content. A repairer sees spare parts and disassembly steps. Market surveillance authorities see compliance documents.

Two details matter for planning:

• ESPR is the framework, the rules come later. The regulation, (EU) 2024/1781, sets up the passport. The actual data fields arrive through a delegated act for each product group, and companies get at least 18 months after each act before it applies.
• Some passports come from other laws. The battery passport comes from the Batteries Regulation. Toys, construction products, detergents, and packaging each have their own law that can require a passport.

When does the digital product passport become mandatory?

The digital product passport becomes mandatory product group by product group. Batteries are first, on 18 February 2027. For other groups, the Commission first adopts a delegated act, and the obligations apply at least 18 months later. Based on the Commission’s current timeline, most product groups will need passports between 2028 and 2030.

Source: the European Commission’s passport timeline. “Passport needed from” is our estimate, adding the minimum 18-month transition to the planned adoption date. The exact date for each group will be in its delegated act.

The unsold textiles ban is a separate ESPR rule

Since 19 July 2026, large companies can no longer destroy unsold clothing, clothing accessories, and footwear in the EU. Medium-sized companies follow in 2030. This rule comes from ESPR too, but it is separate from the passport. It matters for the same reason: you will need to report what happens to unsold stock, and that reporting also depends on clean product and inventory data.

The passport also joins other EU rules that affect online stores right now, including the European Accessibility Act, the EU withdrawal button, and the EU AI Act.

Who is responsible for the DPP?

The company that places the product on the EU market is responsible for the digital product passport: usually the manufacturer, or the importer or authorised representative for products made outside the EU. That company creates the passport, attaches the data carrier to the product or its packaging, registers the passport in the EU DPP Registry, and keeps the information accurate for the product’s lifetime.

Everyone further down the chain has a smaller role. The Commission lists distributors, dealers, and fulfilment service providers among the economic operators involved. For online sales, it is explicit: “When products are placed in the EU market through distance selling, online marketplaces will need to make DPPs accessible,” according to its guidance for economic operators.

In practice, this means:

• Brands and manufacturers own the data and the registration.
• Importers of non-EU products take on the manufacturer’s duties for the EU market.
• Retailers and online stores need to give customers access to the passport, usually a link or QR code on the product page.
• Marketplaces need the passport identifier or link from each seller so they can show it on the listing.

What data goes into a DPP?

A digital product passport contains the information set out in the delegated act for that product group, so the exact fields differ between batteries, textiles, and steel. Across the battery passport and the draft rules discussed so far, the same types of data come up again and again.

• A unique product identifier. Each passport is tied to a persistent identifier at model, batch, or item level, depending on the product group.
• Compliance documents. Declarations of conformity, technical documentation, and certificates.
• Materials and substances. Material composition, recycled content, and substances of concern.
• Origin and manufacturer details. Where the product and its main components were made, and by whom.
• Environmental performance. For some groups, such as batteries, a carbon footprint figure.
• Use, repair, and end of life. Care and repair instructions, spare parts, disassembly, and recycling information.

Access comes in levels. The battery passport, the first one with full rules, splits its data into information anyone can see, information for people with a legitimate interest such as repairers and recyclers, and information only for authorities. Expect later product groups to follow a similar split.

For most companies, very little of this data is new. Composition sits in the PIM or in supplier specs, origin and certificates sit with procurement or quality, and the identifier logic sits in the ERP. If those systems don’t talk to each other yet, our guide to eCommerce ERP integration covers the options. What is missing is one place where all of it is complete, current, and linked to the right product.

What the DPP means for your online store

For an eCommerce team, the DPP turns into four practical jobs: show the passport on the product page, carry the identifier in feeds, keep the data in sync with the PIM, and give marketplaces what they need to show it.

1. Product pages. Add a passport link or embedded section for every affected product, so customers can open it before they buy. The QR code on the physical product covers the moment after purchase.
2. Product feeds. Marketplaces and comparison sites will need the passport identifier or URL. Add it as a field in your product feeds now, so it is ready when a channel asks for it.
3. One source of truth. The passport, the product page, and the feed must say the same thing. That only works when all three read from the same product record, usually in a PIM.
4. Variants and batches. If a product group needs passports at batch or item level, the storefront has to handle more than one passport per SKU.

The same data pays for e-invoicing and AI search

The data work behind the digital product passport also covers two other EU-driven changes, so it makes sense to plan them as one project. E-invoicing mandates force your order and invoice data into a structured format, and AI search and shopping assistants recommend the suppliers whose product data they can read.

Sources: SPS Commerce for e-invoicing, the European Commission for the battery passport.

Once invoices arrive in a structured format, matching them against purchase orders becomes a good first job for automation. One wholesaler we work with on Dynamics NAV now matches 87% of supplier invoices with nobody touching them, using OperaLayer.

AI tools add a commercial reason to the regulatory one. Buyers increasingly use ChatGPT and similar assistants to research products and suppliers, and those tools work from the data they can read on product pages and in feeds, including product structured data. We cover that shift in our B2B eCommerce trends for 2027 and our guide to ChatGPT shopping.

How to prepare for the digital product passport

Start by finding out which of your products are in scope and when, then fix the product data you already have before choosing any passport software. These six steps work for most manufacturers and brands.

1. Map your catalog to product groups. List which of your products fall under batteries, textiles, steel, furniture, tyres, construction products, toys, or another group, and note the expected date for each.
2. Audit the data you already hold. For each in-scope product group, check which of the likely fields (composition, origin, certificates, repair, recycling) exist, where they are stored, and how complete they are.
3. Fix the product data foundation. Bring product data into one PIM, with clear ownership per attribute and a workflow for supplier data. This is the slow part, so start it first. Our guide to product catalog management covers how to organize it.
4. Decide on identifiers. Choose how you will give each product, batch, or item a persistent unique identifier, and how it maps to your SKUs.
5. Choose where the passport lives. Some companies will use a DPP service provider, others will publish passports from their own systems. The Commission plans rules for DPP service providers in 2027, so keep this decision flexible.
6. Connect the channels. Link the PIM to your storefront, feeds, and marketplaces, so the passport link and the product data stay in sync everywhere.

Steps 2 and 3 decide how hard the rest will be. Läderach, the Swiss chocolate maker with more than 250 stores worldwide, used to need 10 to 20 manual data entries per product. With Pimcore between its Comarch ERP and Magento 2, enrichment now happens once at parent level and flows down to each market, and enriching a product takes minutes instead of hours.

Read more: Managing 250+ Stores’ Worth of Product Data with a Pimcore Enrichment Platform

Supplier data is often the bottleneck. Wainbee, the largest distributor of Parker products in Canada, had only 10% of its 600,000+ products online because supplier data arrived as CSV and XLS files with no common structure. A Pimcore PIM connected to the ERP and supplier feeds standardized the formats and put the full catalog online.

Read more: Case Study: Unifying Product Information with Pimcore PIM

Duplicates are the other common problem. Rocket Industrial, a US packaging distributor, had records split between its ERP and Magento 2. Merging duplicates with attribute-based matching grew its unified catalog from 70,000 to 81,000 complete records.

Read more: Case Study: Centralizing Rocket Industrial’s 80K+ Products with Pimcore

If you are choosing a PIM for this, our guides to the best PIM software and PIM and eCommerce integration cover the options and the setup.

FAQ about the digital product passport

Is the digital product passport mandatory?

Yes, but only for product groups covered by a delegated act or a specific EU law, and only from the date that act applies. Batteries are first, from 18 February 2027. Iron and steel, textiles, aluminium, tyres, construction products, furniture, and other groups follow, mostly between 2028 and 2030. Until your product group’s rules apply, a passport is voluntary.

When will textiles need a digital product passport?

The Commission plans to adopt the textiles delegated act in the second half of 2027. Companies then get at least 18 months to comply, so textile and apparel brands should expect the passport requirement from around 2029. The delegated act will set the exact date and the data fields.

Does the DPP apply to companies outside the EU?

Yes. The passport applies to products placed on the EU market, wherever they are made. For products made outside the EU, the importer or the authorised representative takes on the duties of the manufacturer, including creating and registering the passport, so non-EU brands selling into the EU need the data ready too.

Does a digital product passport need a QR code?

The passport needs a data carrier that links the physical product to its digital record, and the Commission names the QR code as the main example. Each delegated act sets the exact carrier and where it goes, on the product, its packaging, or accompanying documents. Online stores also need to give access to the passport before purchase.

Who can see the data in a DPP?

Different users see different parts. Consumers can see public information such as materials, care, and recycling. Repairers and recyclers can see more detailed information when they have a legitimate interest. Public authorities, such as market surveillance, can see compliance information. The battery passport is the first to define these access levels in law.

Do online stores need to show the DPP?

Yes, for products in scope. The Commission’s guidance says online marketplaces will need to make passports accessible when products are sold through distance selling, and retailers need to give customers access as well. In practice, that means a passport link or embedded section on each affected product page, plus the passport identifier in product feeds.

Getting your data ready for the digital product passport

The digital product passport arrives in waves, batteries in 2027 and most other product groups from 2028 to 2030, and every wave depends on the same thing: complete, consistent product data in one place. Map your catalog to the timeline, fix the product data in your PIM, and connect it to your store and feeds. You will meet the passport deadlines with work that also pays off in e-invoicing and AI search.

Not sure how much of your catalog is passport-ready? Tell us which product groups you sell in the EU, and we'll show you where the data gaps are.

The post Digital Product Passport: Deadlines and the Data You Need appeared first on scandiweb.

Most teams shopping for PIM software start by asking which tool is “the best.” That is the wrong first question. The best PIM is the one that matches your catalog size, your channel mix, and the way your team already works. Pick on brand reputation alone, and you can end up paying enterprise rates for capabilities you never switch on.

Is managing product data across platforms starting to feel heavy? Are you trying to expand into new markets while keeping a large catalog accurate? Choosing the right product information management (PIM) software is central to growing an online store while keeping data accurate and your team’s workload manageable.

This guide breaks down what to look for in a PIM solution as your business and catalog grow. It covers what PIM does, the features that matter, how the leading platforms compare, a step-by-step way to choose, and the mistakes that derail most rollouts, whatever your industry or size.

What is product information management (PIM), and what does it do?

What is PIM software?

Product information management is the central hub for all your product data. A PIM collects, organizes, and distributes product information across every sales channel so the data stays accurate and current. It becomes the one reliable record for your catalog, which matters for both the customer experience and daily operations, keeping product details consistent, updates fast, and time-to-market short.

PIM benefits for eCommerce

A PIM brings concrete gains in eCommerce, operations, and marketing, including:

• Centralized data management that keeps large catalogs consistent across every platform
• Faster product launches, cutting time-to-market by up to 60%
• Real-time updates that keep data quality high and stale information out
• A better customer experience built on accurate, current, personalized product details
• Simpler SKU additions and integration with eCommerce platforms as you scale
• Faster localization, translating product information up to 70% faster for new markets
• Quicker customer quote generation, improving response time by around 67%
• Less manual work for product teams, which frees them for higher-value tasks
• Cleaner product data that improves search rankings and drives more traffic

With a working PIM in place, a business can respond to demand faster, run leaner, and stay flexible. For a deeper look at how PIM fits an eCommerce stack, download the free guide on PIM and eCommerce integration.

Is PIM the right choice for your business?

PIM vs ERP, MDM, CMS, CRM: understanding the differences

Many companies assume they already run software that does what a PIM does. They often confuse PIM with enterprise resource planning (ERP), master data management (MDM), a content management system (CMS), or customer relationship management (CRM).

Each one serves a distinct purpose:

• PIM manages and centralizes product-specific data so the customer experience stays consistent across channels
• ERP handles operational data such as finance, inventory, and HR to run day-to-day processes
• MDM manages all types of business data, like customer and supplier records, to keep one shared view across the organization
• CMS organizes website content such as articles and media so everything looks cohesive across digital platforms
• CRM manages customer interactions, tracking sales, service, and outreach to strengthen relationships

A PIM acts as the backbone of eCommerce operations, connecting product data from CRM, ERP, suppliers, and sales channels into one centralized record. It keeps product-specific information accurate, consistent, and accessible everywhere, from ERP to CRM to CMS. That single source cuts data duplication, holds consistency in place, and keeps systems in sync. The result: faster product launches, smoother operations, and a better customer experience across channels.

When to consider a PIM system

A PIM system is worth a serious look if your business is:

• Struggling with inconsistent product data across platforms
• Handling a high volume of SKUs
• Trying to keep frequent product updates accurate in real time
• Aiming for a consistent omnichannel experience to raise customer satisfaction

The global PIM software market is in strong double-digit growth, with several research firms putting the market in the high-teens to mid-twenties USD billions by 2026 and compound annual growth in the range of roughly 13 to 19% through the early 2030s, depending on scope and methodology (Mordor Intelligence, Fortune Business Insights, and SkyQuest PIM market reports). The direction of travel is clear even where the absolute figures vary: more catalogs, more channels, and more pressure on clean product data.

PIM features every eCommerce business should consider

Scalable PIM for a growing store

As your online store grows with new products and markets, a strong PIM should grow with it without slowdowns. Look for solutions that absorb rising SKU counts and new channels while holding speed and reliability.

Customization with open-source PIM platforms

Open-source PIM platforms like Pimcore and Akeneo give you room to tailor the software to your needs without vendor limits. If you have unusual requirements or an in-house development team, open-source can be the right fit. For teams that want help, our guide to Akeneo PIM for eCommerce walks through what a tailored build looks like in practice. For the best result, work with an agency that knows PIM development and support so every detail fits your business.

Integration capabilities for clean data flow

A PIM with broad third-party integration options, such as Sales Layer or Akeneo, connects directly to ERP, CRM, and eCommerce platforms. That keeps data moving across channels and every department working from the same numbers.

API-first PIM for real-time updates

If you need real-time data sharing across platforms, look for API-friendly PIMs like Informatica Product 360. This setup lets the PIM talk to other tools directly, which makes automated updates and workflows straightforward.

Multi-tenant capabilities for distributed teams

Multi-tenant PIMs let many users access and manage data at once, which matters for global brands. Teams in different locations can work in parallel without losing speed or accuracy.

Pricing: SaaS vs on-premises PIM

SaaS PIMs like Salsify ProductXM and Sales Layer suit businesses that want easy scalability and low maintenance. On-premises solutions give more control but usually carry higher setup and upkeep costs. A SaaS model simplifies budgeting by bundling hosting, licensing, and updates into one subscription. Even so, a PIM rollout is involved and can add costs: data migration, complex integrations, or customization can introduce extra fees, especially with specialized workflows or large data volumes.

Enterprise PIM is almost always custom-quoted. Annual contract values typically run from around $25,000 to $90,000 or more, and year-one implementation can match or exceed the license fee (inRiver, “How much does PIM software cost? A complete pricing guide”). Budget for the work, not just the seat.

Digital asset management (DAM) integration for rich media

If your business leans on visuals, choose a PIM with DAM capabilities. That lets you store and organize images, videos, and other media inside the PIM, holding a consistent brand look across channels.

Governance and data quality control

PIMs with governance features let you enforce data quality standards and assign user roles to keep records consistent. This helps large operations and businesses in regulated industries where data accuracy is non-negotiable.

Localization and multi-language support

If you are going global, choose a PIM that supports localization and multi-language content. This handles translations, regional pricing, and tailored product descriptions so your brand reads naturally to customers in every market.

How leading PIM solutions compare

Whatever the brand, most PIM systems aim to centralize and simplify product data. Where they differ is in the features built around that core: customization, integration options, scalability, and support for specific needs such as digital asset management and multi-tenant setups. Implementation detail sits on the Pimcore Magento integration and BigCommerce Pimcore integration pages.

Here is a quick read on standout options for different needs:

• For high flexibility, open-source platforms like Pimcore and Akeneo let you shape the software to your requirements
• For businesses leaning on ERP and CRM, Sales Layer and Akeneo offer strong third-party connectivity for clean data flow
• For real-time data sharing, Pimcore and Informatica Product 360 have strong API support, useful for syncing across a wider tech stack
• For multi-region teams, Salsify ProductXM and inRiver offer multi-tenant capabilities so teams manage data from one source
• For low-maintenance scale, SaaS options like Salsify ProductXM and Sales Layer give cloud scalability with lighter upkeep
• For visual-heavy catalogs, Pimberly and Contentserv ship DAM features for storing media right inside the PIM
• For regulated industries, Salsify and Akeneo lead on governance

If you want a wider view of the discipline before committing, our notes on product catalog management cover the data-hygiene work that pays off no matter which platform you pick. As of this writing, the “best PIM software” search results are led by review aggregators and vendors such as G2, Gartner reviews, Akeneo, and inRiver, which confirms this is a comparison-and-decision search, not a single-answer one (Google SERP data, G2 best PIM software listings).

How to choose the right PIM solution, step by step

Step 1: Define your eCommerce goals and data requirements

Start by writing down exactly what you want from a PIM. Clear goals keep the choice anchored to your day-to-day needs. Consider:

• The scale of your product data
• Your omnichannel requirements
• The level of customer personalization you need

Step 2: Assemble your cross-functional team

Get input from every key department, including marketing, sales, IT, and product management. This team helps identify which features serve each area and makes adoption across the business easier.

Step 3: Shortlist PIM vendors and schedule demos

With goals set, shortlist the vendors that meet your criteria. Use the comparison above as a starting point, or if you are still unsure, book a free consultation with one of our eCommerce specialists. Request demos and ask pointed questions, for example:

• How does your PIM handle product information for multiple channels?
• What integrations are available with our current ERP or CRM?
• Can it be customized to manage our data the way we need?

Step 4: Evaluate ROI and total cost of ownership

Look at every cost: subscription fees, support, training, and extras. Weigh those against the return, whether that is better data accuracy, faster time-to-market, or higher efficiency. That comparison tells you whether the investment makes sense.

Step 5: Run a pilot or test implementation

Before you commit fully, run a test phase. A pilot lets your team see how the PIM behaves in a real setting, surfaces issues early, and confirms the solution fits your eCommerce needs.

Common PIM mistakes and how to avoid them

Not prioritizing user training and change management

Rolling out a new PIM without a structured training program and change-management plan leads to friction. If users are not trained or ready for the switch, adoption stays low and efficiency suffers. Put a solid training program in place for everyone who will use the PIM. Clear guidelines and ongoing support go a long way toward a smooth transition across teams.

Choosing a one-size-fits-all solution

Every business is different, so a generic setup may not fit your needs. Look for a platform with customization options so you can adjust features to your industry and demands. That way the PIM supports your specific goals rather than covering only the basics.

Ignoring data migration complexity

Moving product data into a new PIM can be tricky and slow if it is not planned. Migration without preparation produces incomplete or inconsistent records that disrupt operations. Plan ahead: check data quality, confirm format compatibility, and test integration with other sources. A little preparation upfront makes the migration far smoother.

How to future-proof your PIM choice for eCommerce

As eCommerce changes, choosing a PIM that can grow is the difference between a system you keep and one you replace in two years. A few capabilities decide whether your PIM stays useful over time.

Cloud-based PIMs

Cloud-based PIMs are hosted online, so you get real-time updates and scale on demand: add SKUs, reach data from any device, and grow without hard limits. As the catalog expands, the PIM expands with it, keeping multichannel access steady.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning

AI now works like a fast assistant inside the PIM, automating repetitive tasks such as categorizing products or flagging inconsistencies. Recent industry analysis points to AI-assisted enrichment and predictive product content as the defining PIM trend, with a large share of companies using predictive tools to tune product content to customer behavior (AtroPIM, “Product information management trends shaping the market”). Machine learning also helps you understand customers, which supports more personalized experiences.

Product experience management (PXM)

PXM is about delivering consistent, tailored product content. It lets you control how product details appear on every channel, from social platforms to your store, so the brand stays cohesive wherever customers meet it.

Multi-domain support

If you manage more than product data, multi-domain support is worth considering. It lets you handle product, supplier, and customer data in one place, which saves time and keeps procurement, marketing, and other teams working from the same current information.

Composable and headless architectures

Composable and headless setups let you adapt quickly to new channels and technology shifts. Instead of being locked into one monolith, you get modular components you mix and match as needs change, which keeps you flexible in a fast-moving market.

How to implement PIM for successful eCommerce operations

Rolling out a PIM can look like a big task, but a clear plan keeps it manageable. Here is a practical step-by-step way to get a PIM up and running: For Shopify stores, the Shopify Plytix integration and Shopify Salsify integration pages cover what the connection involves.

1. Audit your existing product data sources to remove inaccuracies and standardize information for consistency
2. Identify the core PIM features your goals require, such as data management and multichannel distribution, to pick the right solution
3. Connect the PIM to ERP, CRM, eCommerce platforms, and other channels for clean data flow across tools
4. Train users on PIM functionality and data workflows to lift adoption and efficiency
5. Run a pilot, gather feedback, refine the setup, then tune for performance before a full launch

Launching a PIM is involved, and doing it right makes a real difference. Working with experienced PIM specialists can simplify the process with tailored advice, guidance through each phase, and help tuning the setup for the biggest impact on your operations.

Case studies: how PIM software drives real results

Not sure a PIM will move the needle for your business? Here is how scandiweb helped clients reach new results with tailored PIM solutions.

Technodom: real-time updates for a successful Black Friday

Technodom, a top electronics retailer in Central Asia, needed a way to manage a vast catalog across multiple channels: 60,000 products, 15,000 attributes, and 4,000 categories. Implementing Akeneo PIM let Technodom run real-time updates and apply rapid price changes across the catalog for time-sensitive events like Black Friday. The result:

• Real-time updates applied discounts to 15,000 products instantly during Black Friday
• 20% increase in organic traffic from improved SEO and data consistency
• 11% lift in conversion rate from more accurate, timely product data

Byggmax: building customer trust with reliable stock and pricing

Byggmax, a major DIY retailer operating across three Nordic countries, needed a reliable PIM to give customers accurate stock and pricing on the website. With inRiver PIM, Byggmax gave customers real-time access to current product details, improving the experience and driving conversions. The result:

• Accurate product information raised conversions as customers trusted the data they saw
• A unified experience across all three countries for products, services, and support
• 99.8% operational uptime, backed by scandiweb’s 24/7 support across every channel

Rockar: pioneering online car sales with custom PIM

Rockar, an innovator in online car sales, needed a way to offer a fully online car-purchase journey for both manufacturers and dealers. scandiweb’s custom Pimcore-based platform let Rockar onboard clients quickly and offer flexible, multi-tenant checkout journeys without separate code bases. The result:

• Multi-tenant functionality enabled fast onboarding for new clients on a single code base
• Customizable checkout options improved the experience across diverse client needs
• Stronger platform efficiency supported a smooth online vehicle-purchase process, setting a new industry bar

Conclusion

Choosing the right PIM software changes how an eCommerce business runs. It brings cleaner data management, more consistent customer experiences, and steady distribution across every sales channel. Pick a PIM that maps to your business goals and you are set up to scale, reach new markets, and stay competitive. Implementation can get complex, so expert guidance helps a great deal: it keeps the setup smooth, protects your return, and positions you for the long term.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best PIM software?

The best PIM depends on your needs. Akeneo is known for ease of use and multi-language support. Pimcore is flexible with open-source options, and Salsify is strong on integrations for complex workflows. Match the choice to your catalog size, channels, and team.

How much does PIM software cost?

PIM pricing varies widely. Entry-level SaaS tools start around $99 a month, while enterprise contracts are custom-quoted and often run from roughly $25,000 to $90,000 or more a year, with year-one implementation that can match the license fee.

What is the difference between PIM and CRM?

A PIM manages product data, things like specs, attributes, images, and descriptions, so every channel shows consistent information. A CRM manages customer data and interactions across sales and service. They solve different problems and often work side by side.

What does a PIM do?

A PIM (product information management) system centralizes, enriches, and syncs product data across sales and marketing channels so information stays consistent and accurate everywhere customers see it.

Are there hidden costs with PIM software?

Yes. Extra costs can include data migration, support, and integrations. Cloud-based SaaS options usually include maintenance, while on-premises setups may add costs for setup and upkeep.

How do you implement PIM?

Start with an audit of your product data, define your goals for consistency, and decide which systems, such as ERP or CRM, you will integrate. Run a pilot to test compatibility, then train your team to manage and update the PIM. Partnering with experts streamlines the setup and helps every feature work together.

About scandiweb

scandiweb is an eCommerce agency offering full-service solutions, from web development and digital strategy to PIM implementation. With over 18 years of experience and a team of 500+ specialists, scandiweb has helped companies worldwide tighten operations, clean up product data, and improve customer experiences. scandiweb is an award-winning Akeneo partner and a recognized Platinum Partner of Pimcore.

Ready to put product data on a footing that scales with your catalog? Plan your PIM with scandiweb and choose a platform that fits your channels, your team, and your growth.

The post Best PIM Software: A Complete Guide for eCommerce Managers appeared first on scandiweb.

Product data rarely stays in one place. It starts in a spreadsheet, gets copied for the marketplace team, duplicated again for the translators, and within a year nobody can say for certain which version a customer actually sees on the page. A PIM-eCommerce integration is what closes that gap. It connects your Product Information Management system to your storefront, marketplaces, and downstream channels so the same product data shows up consistently everywhere – and getting it wrong is why so many catalog launches stall halfway through.

Most teams scoping this work land on the same four questions: which PIM fits our stack, how long the integration takes, what it costs, and what actually changes once it goes live. The sections below work through each one, with the timelines, patterns, and trade-offs the scandiweb integration team sees on Akeneo and Pimcore projects.

Overview

• A PIM-eCommerce integration connects your Product Information Management system to your storefront, marketplaces, and downstream channels so product data stays consistent everywhere.
• The global PIM market is on track to reach $31.98 billion by 2029 at a 15.4% CAGR, driven by AI-led enrichment, headless architectures, and marketplace expansion.
• Standard Akeneo integrations ship in 8 to 12 weeks. Complex Pimcore deployments with ERP, DAM, and multichannel run 4 to 12 months.

What is PIM-eCommerce integration?

PIM-eCommerce integration is the connection layer that moves enriched product data from a Product Information Management system into your eCommerce platform and other downstream channels. The PIM is the single source of truth for SKUs, attributes, images, descriptions, and translations. The integration pushes that data into Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, or any marketplace your catalog needs to reach.

The integration usually moves data in three directions: PIM to storefront (product catalog, attributes, images), storefront to PIM (orders, returns, customer-driven attribute requests), and PIM to marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping feeds with channel-specific formatting).

How does a PIM connect to your eCommerce platform?

A PIM connects to your eCommerce platform through one of three integration patterns: a vendor-built connector, an API-led custom integration, or a middleware layer (iPaaS) that brokers data between both systems. The right choice depends on your platform, the complexity of your data model, and how much real-time sync your channels need.

Vendor connectors are the fastest path. Akeneo, Pimcore, and similar PIM vendors ship official connectors for Magento, Shopify, and SAP Commerce that handle the basic mapping out of the box. Standard Akeneo deployments with a single shop connection finish in 8 to 12 weeks (per Akeneo’s own deployment guidance).

Custom API integrations make sense when your data model has unusual attributes, when you sync more than one storefront, or when downstream channels need transformations the connector cannot handle. Most scandiweb Magento clients fall into this bucket.

Middleware patterns (using tools like MuleSoft, Boomi, or Pimcore’s own integration framework) work for enterprises running PIM alongside ERP, OMS, and DAM, where the integration is more about data orchestration than point-to-point sync.

What changed in PIM-eCommerce integration in 2026

Five shifts have reshaped how PIM-eCommerce integration works, and any team scoping a new project should account for all of them.

SaaS PIM is now the default

On-premise PIM is a legacy choice in 2026. SaaS deployments give you elastic storage as the catalog grows, automatic version upgrades, and 24/7 access without an internal infrastructure team. Akeneo and Pimcore both lead with SaaS tiers, and Gartner Peer Insights data shows Akeneo PIM at 4.7 out of 5 across 134 reviews and Pimcore at 4.1 across 10 reviews in the Product Information Management Solutions market.

Headless and composable architectures

Headless PIM decouples the data layer from the channel-specific frontend, so the same enriched product data can feed a Magento store, a Shopify B2B portal, an iOS app, and an Amazon feed without duplicating logic. This pattern is what makes scandiweb’s Pimcore connector for Magento work across multi-storefront accounts – one integration, many delivery surfaces.

AI-led enrichment in the PIM itself

Akeneo’s 2025-2026 releases added GenAI content generation for product descriptions, AI-powered attribute classification, and PX Insights for analytics – all in the Growth and Enterprise tiers. Pimcore added similar capabilities through its DataHub and Digital Experience platform. The practical effect: teams spend less time writing copy and more time on category strategy.

Channel-based pricing and offers

PIM systems now carry channel-specific pricing logic – the same SKU can show one price on the storefront, a different price on Amazon, and a marketplace-only promotion during seasonal events. The integration has to respect that conditional logic instead of pushing a flat price feed.

Real-time, not nightly, syndication

The old pattern was a nightly CSV export from PIM to storefront. The 2026 pattern is event-driven: a product update in the PIM fires a webhook, the storefront updates within seconds, and the customer sees current data on the next page load. Real-time sync is now the baseline for any retailer with marketplace exposure or fast-moving inventory.

PIM-eCommerce integration: a practical implementation playbook

The playbook below is what scandiweb’s PIM integration team runs on Akeneo and Pimcore projects for eCommerce clients across Adobe Commerce (Magento), Shopify, BigCommerce, and SAP. The order matters – swapping steps usually means rebuilding integration logic later.

1. Build a customer-centric data model

Start with what the customer needs to see, then work backward to the PIM schema. A buyer searching for “men’s wool overcoat 42R” needs material, fit, sleeve length, care instructions, size guide, and product images in a specific order. If your PIM schema does not carry those attributes natively, the integration will paper over the gap with custom mapping – which becomes maintenance debt within six months.

2. Organize and govern product data

Decide who owns each attribute. Merchandising owns category and price. Product marketing owns descriptions and translations. Operations owns dimensions and weight. Legal owns compliance copy. Without explicit ownership, attributes drift and the integration carries inconsistent data into every channel.

3. Use AI enrichment selectively

GenAI is excellent for first-pass descriptions, attribute classification on bulk SKU loads, and translation. It is a poor fit for brand-voice copy, regulatory descriptions, and high-AOV detail pages where buyers expect editorial polish. Use AI for the bottom 70% of the catalog and human writers for the top 30% – the integration should support both flows.

4. Choose your platform pairing carefully

The PIM-eCommerce platform pairing has a much bigger impact on total cost than the PIM choice alone. Akeneo with Shopify is a fast, vendor-supported pairing. Pimcore with Magento is the high-control option for complex catalogs. Pimcore with SAP Commerce is the enterprise-default for B2B distributors. See scandiweb’s best PIM software guide for the full pairing matrix.

5. Plan for evaluation, not just go-live

The integration is not finished at go-live. Run a 30-60-90 day evaluation against four KPIs: time to add a new SKU, time to launch on a new channel, attribute completeness, and content error rate. If any of those four trend in the wrong direction, the integration needs tuning, not a rebuild.

6. Align with SEO from day one

Product data is SEO data. The PIM attributes that feed structured data (schema.org/Product), faceted navigation, and on-page copy all influence organic rankings. Treat your Magento integration services brief as half-PIM, half-SEO when you scope the project.

PIM integration timeline and cost benchmarks in 2026

Three numbers anchor any 2026 PIM integration estimate.

Timeline benchmarks

• Akeneo, single storefront, standard data model: 8 to 12 weeks from kickoff to go-live (Akeneo’s own deployment guidance, validated across scandiweb projects).
• Pimcore, multi-channel, ERP-connected: 4 to 12 months depending on the number of source systems and data migration complexity.
• Custom API integration for enterprise Magento or SAP Commerce: 12 to 20 weeks when the PIM is new. 6 to 10 weeks when the PIM is already in production and only the integration layer is being built.

Cost drivers

The PIM license is rarely the dominant cost. Bigger drivers are the number of source systems (ERP, OMS, DAM, marketplaces), the data migration scope (how many legacy SKUs need cleansing), and the post-go-live evaluation period (most enterprise budgets underprovision this by 30 to 50%).

Market context

The global PIM market is projected to reach $31.98 billion by 2029 at a 15.4% CAGR, driven by marketplace expansion, AI enrichment adoption, and the shift from batch to event-driven integration. Vendor capability is consolidating around four leaders: Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify, and Informatica – the integration choice in 2026 is less about which PIM and more about which integration pattern fits your data flow.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a PIM and a CRM?

A PIM (Product Information Management) centralizes product data – attributes, descriptions, images, translations – and pushes it to your storefronts and marketplaces. A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) centralizes customer data – contact records, purchase history, support tickets – and powers marketing and sales workflows. Both can integrate with your eCommerce platform, but they solve different problems.

How long does a PIM-eCommerce integration take?

Standard Akeneo integrations with a single shop connection take 8 to 12 weeks. Complex Pimcore deployments with ERP, DAM, and multichannel syndication run 4 to 12 months. Custom API integrations for enterprise Magento or SAP Commerce typically take 12 to 20 weeks when the PIM is brand new.

Which PIM is best for Magento and Adobe Commerce?

Pimcore and Akeneo are both proven pairings with Magento (Adobe Commerce). Pimcore is the high-control choice for complex catalogs, B2B-heavy stores, and multi-storefront accounts. Akeneo is the faster, vendor-supported pairing when the data model is straightforward and the channel count is small. scandiweb’s Pimcore Connector for Magento 2 handles the multi-storefront and custom-attribute cases natively.

Do I need a PIM if I sell on Shopify?

If you sell 50 SKUs in one Shopify store, a PIM is overhead. If you sell 5,000 SKUs across Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and a B2B portal, a PIM saves more time than it costs within the first quarter. The breakeven is usually around 500 SKUs combined with two or more sales channels.

What does a PIM integration cost?

The license cost varies by vendor and tier (Akeneo starts low, Pimcore is open-source with a commercial enterprise tier, Salsify and Informatica are enterprise-priced). The implementation cost is typically 2 to 5 times the first-year license fee depending on integration complexity. The hidden cost is data migration – cleaning legacy SKUs before migration often accounts for 20 to 30% of the total project.

How does AI change PIM-eCommerce integration?

AI enrichment changes two things. First, it dramatically shortens the time to enrich bulk SKU loads – Akeneo’s GenAI generates first-pass product descriptions in seconds. Second, it shifts the integration’s role from “move data” to “validate and route AI-generated data” – the integration needs governance hooks so AI-enriched attributes get human review before they reach the storefront.

About this guide

Maintained by the scandiweb eCommerce team. Reviewed by Olha Cicek, Business Analyst.

Related reading from the scandiweb blog:

• How to choose the best PIM software – an unbiased buyer’s guide for eCommerce managers
• Akeneo PIM + Magento 2: connector, setup, and integration patterns
• Pimcore Connector for Magento 2 by scandiweb
• Product catalog management in 2026: tools, strategies, and what Pimcore/Akeneo partners actually use

Still weighing a vendor connector against a custom API build or full middleware? That call is usually the first thing worth mapping out. Tell us about your stack and the scandiweb team will talk through the integration approach that fits your Akeneo, Pimcore, or custom setup.

The post PIM and eCommerce Integration in 2026: A Complete Playbook appeared first on scandiweb.

Läderach sells premium Swiss chocolate in over 250 stores worldwide. Behind that experience is a complex product data operation spanning multiple markets, languages, and systems. We built the infrastructure to manage it properly.

About

Läderach is a Swiss chocolate and confectionery manufacturer crafting premium chocolate. With 250+ stores worldwide, its own chocolate museum, and a growing international presence in Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond, Läderach is one of the most recognized names in artisan chocolate.

scandiweb has been Läderach’s long-term digital partner. In this case study, we’ll focus on the implementation of Pimcore as a dedicated product enrichment platform, which marked a foundational step in modernizing Läderach’s product data management and distribution.

Also read:
Case Study: Elevating the Digital Chocolate Experience with Läderach’s Transformation Journey

Project goals

Läderach’s product catalog is sold across multiple markets, each with its own language, regional assortment, and SKU structure. Historically, all product data was in Comarch, an ERP system built for operations, not content enrichment. The main goal of this project was to implement Pimcore as a dedicated PIM layer between Comarch ERP and Magento 2, transforming it into the single source of truth for product content, while keeping existing operational flows in Comarch and storefront logic in Magento intact.

• Introduce a new product structure in Pimcore that merges market-specific duplicate SKUs into unified parent products, allowing enrichment to happen once and inherit across all relevant markets and languages
• Transfer product data management from the ERP to PIM, creating the ability to manage merchandising data, digital assets, and categories that were previously constrained by ERP limitations
• Integrate Pimcore bidirectionally with ERP and Magento 2, replacing legacy SOAP-based connections with a more maintainable architecture
• Enable faster product onboarding and lay the groundwork for expansion into new markets and languages

Problem

Läderach’s existing setup had Comarch ERP as the base of all product operations – inventory, pricing, order processing, and product data. While Comarch handled the operational side well, it was never designed for product content enrichment. 

Every product sold online required detailed descriptions, images, translations, and merchandising attributes. All of that had to be manually entered directly into Comarch, and because Läderach sells the same products across multiple markets, each with its own regional SKU, the same data had to be entered repeatedly. In practice, a single product could require 10 to 20 manual data entries.

Duplicate SKUs by design

The root of the duplication was a technical constraint. Comarch requires separate SKUs per market to generate country-specific product labels, and Magento’s order structure had to mirror that same SKU layout to keep refunds and order management working correctly. That meant every product existed as multiple records in the system, and every piece of content had to be managed for each one individually. There was no way to enrich a product once and have it apply across markets.

ERP constraints

Due to ERP constraints, some products simply couldn’t be published online at all. The direct Comarch–Magento pipeline left no room to add enrichment data, merchandising values, or category assignments that didn’t already exist in Comarch. If the ERP didn’t support it, Magento couldn’t show it.

With Läderach expanding into new markets and languages, the existing approach had to change. Adding a new market meant multiplying an already heavy manual workload, with no mechanism for inheritance, reuse, or automation. The team was spending time on repetitive data tasks rather than on product development.

Solution

scandiweb introduced Pimcore as an intelligent enrichment layer between Comarch and Magento. Comarch would remain the source of truth for inventory, pricing, and order data. Magento would remain the storefront. Pimcore would own everything in between. We held a three-week discovery process, including on-site workshops, to lay the foundation for every architectural decision that followed.

A new product structure

The solution centered on a custom parent–child product structure designed specifically around Läderach’s multi-market reality. Rather than managing each market SKU as a fully independent product, Pimcore now groups them under a single unified parent. Enrichment occurs at the parent level (descriptions, images, merchandising attributes, translations) and is automatically inherited down to each market-specific child SKU.

Child products can still be overridden individually and can revert to inheriting from the parent at any time. This single change eliminated the need to repeat enrichment work across every market variant, reducing what previously took hours to a matter of minutes per product. 

Importantly, the SKU structure pushed to Magento remains unchanged, meaning order management, refunds, and the Comarch integration all continue to work exactly as before.

Pimcore–Magento 2 integration

We built and maintained the integration between Pimcore and Magento 2, handling the full product and category data sync. The connector required significant custom development and troubleshooting during delivery, with several issues identified and resolved in parallel with feature development.

Data flows from Pimcore to Magento automatically on a scheduled basis, using a delta sync approach that pushes only what has changed, keeping the integration efficient and the storefront up to date.

Also read:
Get to Know The Pimcore Connector for Magento 2 by scandiweb

Comarch ERP integration

We built the receiving endpoint within Pimcore to accept product data pushed from Comarch. Pimcore applies validation rules during ingestion, which introduces a data quality layer that didn’t exist before, reducing the risk of incomplete or inconsistent product records reaching the storefront.

Custom interfaces and workflow tools

Beyond the core data architecture, we delivered a suite of purpose-built interfaces to support the enrichment team’s day-to-day work:

• Custom image management interface with inheritance support
• Product position management tool for controlling category display order
• Category assignment rule setup interface
• Structured product enrichment workflow to bring approvals and process visibility into the platform
• CSV import profiles for products and categories to support bulk operations
• KPI reporting dashboards to give the team visibility into data completeness and enrichment progress.

Results

With Pimcore set up, Läderach can add new markets and languages without multiplying the manual workload. The architecture supports multi-language inheritance out of the box, and the first expansion is already underway as part of ongoing development.

Product enrichment went from hours to minutes

The most direct outcome of the new parent–child structure is the time saved on enrichment, with a task that used to take hours now takes minutes, regardless of how many markets a product is sold in.

More products can go online

Products that were previously blocked from the online catalog due to ERP constraints can now be published. Pimcore enables the team to add merchandising values, digital assets, and category assignments independently, expanding what’s available to customers online without requiring changes to the ERP.

A single platform across markets

Pimcore serves as the central hub for all product content, with changes flowing automatically to Magento. The team no longer needs to access Magento directly for product updates, and content entered in Pimcore is never lost during ERP imports or Magento deployments.

This project is another chapter in an ongoing long-term partnership between Läderach and scandiweb. With the PIM layer now in place, the foundation exists for further automation and continued expansion, and we’re already there to support it. 

Ready to take control of your product data? As an official Pimcore Platinum Solution Partner with a range of PIM implementations across B2B and B2C, scandiweb has the certified expertise to integrate a product enrichment platform that fits your business. Let’s talk about what’s possible.

The post Managing 250+ Stores’ Worth of Product Data with a Pimcore Enrichment Platform appeared first on scandiweb.

If you are managing more than 1,000 SKUs across more than one sales channel, your own website, a marketplace, a wholesale portal, a print catalog, you have a product catalog management problem whether you call it that or not. The catch is that the cost of doing it badly is mostly invisible. Missed sales because the marketplace listing is stale, customer complaints because the size chart in the PDF does not match the website, support tickets because the warehouse SKU is wrong, all of it absorbed into general operating friction and never billed to a budget line.

Here is how scandiweb sets up product catalog management for clients. We are official partners with Pimcore and Akeneo, the two PIM platforms that show up in 80% of mid-market evaluations. We have shipped catalog migrations from 100 SKUs to 81,000+ SKUs. We have run the audit on enough catalogs to know which problems are real and which ones consultancies invent to sell more software.

Summary

• Product catalog management is the operational practice of standardizing product data across every channel where you sell. Below ~1,000 SKUs you can manage it in your eCommerce admin. Above ~5,000 SKUs and 2+ channels, you need a PIM (Product Information Management) system.
• The four PIM platforms worth seriously evaluating in 2026 are Pimcore, Akeneo, inRiver, and Plytix. Each fits a different size of business and integration shape, not a feature comparison decision.
• The single highest-ROI catalog discipline is enforcing unique, structured product descriptions (rather than reusing manufacturer copy) on the top revenue-generating 100 SKUs. The lift typically shows up in 60 to 90 days.

What is product catalog management?

Product catalog management is the operational practice of organizing, enriching, and syncing your product data so that the same product appears consistently, same name, same description, same images, same specifications, same pricing, across every sales channel where you sell. The discipline covers product information (the descriptive side), digital assets (images and video), pricing and inventory (the operational side), and channel syndication (the distribution side).

For small catalogs (under ~1,000 SKUs, 1 to 2 channels), this lives in your eCommerce platform’s admin. For mid-market catalogs (1,000 to 10,000 SKUs, 3+ channels), it usually needs a Product Information Management (PIM) system. For enterprise catalogs (10,000+ SKUs across multiple brands, markets, and languages), PIM plus Master Data Management plus Digital Asset Management becomes the standard stack.

Why product catalog management matters in eCommerce

Five operational costs of bad catalog management, in order of how often we see them on audits:

1. Wrong product attributes on marketplaces. Amazon and other marketplaces increasingly de-rank or de-list products with attribute mismatches. The cost is invisible until you check your marketplace traffic and find it has dropped 20% over six months.

2. Stale prices and stock levels across channels. Customer orders something that is out of stock, you cancel, customer leaves. The conversion-rate hit on the cancellation flow is much bigger than the lost order.

3. Duplicate or near-duplicate manufacturer descriptions. Hurts SEO on competitive SERPs where you compete against the same description on dozens of other sites. See our duplicate content and SEO guide for the full picture.

4. Internal teams maintaining the same data in multiple systems. Catalog, ERP, marketplace, print catalog, each system has its own copy, each goes out of sync over time, and the team manually reconciles.

5. Time-to-market for new products. Without a centralized PIM, launching a new SKU across 5 channels takes 5 separate workflows. With a PIM, the same launch is a single record update.

Key components of effective eCommerce catalog management

Product information and digital assets

The descriptive layer: names, descriptions, specifications, images, video, documentation. PIM systems centralize this layer so every channel pulls from one source. The single highest-leverage improvement most teams can make is enforcing a structured attribute schema (size, color, material, weight, dimensions, certifications) consistent across every SKU, so search and filter actually work.

Multi-channel syndication

The distribution layer: pushing the centralized product record to your eCommerce platform, marketplaces (Amazon, eBay), social commerce (Instagram Shop, TikTok Shop), Google Shopping feeds, print catalogs, and partner systems. Modern PIMs do this through pre-built channel connectors plus customizable feed templates. The integration work scales linearly with channel count.

Data quality and consistency

The governance layer: workflows for who can change what, approval gates before changes propagate to production, automated validation (no product without a primary image, no SKU without a price, no description under 50 words), and audit trails. Without governance, the PIM becomes another source of stale data instead of the cure for it.

Strategies for optimizing product catalog management

Standardize the attribute schema before the PIM tool choice

The most expensive PIM migration mistakes are caused by importing inconsistent attribute structures from legacy systems. Spend two weeks on attribute standardization (one schema across all product categories, no free-text where structured options exist, consistent units of measure) before touching a PIM evaluation. The platform choice matters much less than the discipline you import into it.

Enrich your top revenue SKUs first

The Pareto split holds on most catalogs: 80% of revenue from 20% of SKUs. Spend your enrichment budget on the top 100 SKUs first (unique descriptions, multiple images, video, structured specifications). Long-tail SKUs can stay on manufacturer descriptions or basic templating without meaningful revenue impact.

Personalize the catalog presentation, not the data

Personalization belongs in the presentation layer (recommendations, ranking, search results) rather than in the catalog itself. Keep one source of truth per product. Personalize how that product is shown per customer segment, not what the product record says. This separation makes the PIM scalable and the personalization auditable.

Choosing the right catalog management tool in 2026

Four PIM platforms dominate mid-market and enterprise evaluations. Honest comparison from scandiweb’s partner work with all four:

Pimcore

Open-source platform that combines PIM, Master Data Management, Digital Asset Management, and Customer Data Platform in one stack. Strongest fit for enterprises that want one platform to absorb multiple data domains and can fund implementation. scandiweb is an official Pimcore partner. We have shipped catalog migrations into Pimcore on B2B and complex multi-brand estates. Our Pimcore implementation service covers the standard rollout path.

Akeneo PIM

Focused PIM with strong Magento, Shopify, and BigCommerce connectors. Most common mid-market choice for B2C and B2B-light catalogs in the 5,000 to 50,000 SKU range. scandiweb is an official Akeneo partner. See our Akeneo + Magento 2 integration guide for the technical pattern we use on most projects.

inRiver PIM

Enterprise-focused PIM with strong manufacturing and distribution use cases. Best fit when your product data flows back to print catalogs, distributor systems, and trade portals in addition to your DTC channels.

Plytix PIM

Cloud-based PIM with strong ease-of-use and lower entry pricing than the enterprise alternatives. Best fit for small-to-mid market brands (1,000 to 10,000 SKUs) where speed of implementation outweighs feature depth.

How to pick the right PIM

Three questions that drive the decision more reliably than feature spreadsheets:

1. How many channels do you syndicate to? 2 to 3 channels: any PIM works. Consider Plytix or Akeneo. 5+ channels including B2B portals and marketplaces: Pimcore or inRiver.
2. How much non-product data lives alongside the catalog? If you also need to manage customer data, asset metadata, brand portals, and editorial content from the same platform, Pimcore is purpose-built for this. Otherwise a focused PIM (Akeneo, inRiver, Plytix) wins on simplicity.
3. What does your engineering team know? Pimcore is PHP/Symfony. Akeneo is PHP/Symfony. inRiver is .NET. Plytix is SaaS without backend code. Pick the platform your team or partner can support post-launch, not just the one that wins the demo.

Popular catalog management software options

Beyond the four above, the wider catalog management category includes Salsify (strong on syndication to retailers), Productsup (strong on marketplace feed management), Bluestone PIM, Contentserv, and the major eCommerce platforms’ native catalog tools (Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce). For most mid-market merchants, the choice still narrows to Pimcore vs Akeneo. Our published Pimcore microservice case study documents how the platform absorbs catalog + commerce framework on a multi-brand vehicle sales operation.

Integrating catalog management with other eCommerce systems

Streamlining data flow with ERP, OMS, and eCommerce platforms

The standard PIM integration pattern: ERP is the system of record for SKU master data, cost, and stock. PIM is the system of record for product information, attributes, and assets. eCommerce platform and marketplaces are subscribers to both. Two-way sync (ERP and PIM) for the structured fields. One-way push (PIM to channels) for the descriptive fields. Get this topology right before any integration code, and the project ships on time. Platform-specific detail is on the Pimcore Magento integration, Magento Akeneo integration, and Shopify Salsify integration pages.

Improving customer experience through accurate catalog data

Catalog data quality shows up in the customer experience in three places: search and filter (broken if attribute schema is inconsistent), product comparison (impossible if specifications are unstructured), and rich snippets in SERPs (will not render if structured data is incomplete). The catalog discipline is the foundation. The customer-experience improvements are downstream effects.

How much does product catalog management cost in 2026?

PIM platform costs vary widely. Honest 2026 ranges:

• Plytix: from ~$1,000/month for entry tier. Scales by SKU count and channels.
• Akeneo Cloud: from ~$25,000/year for the SaaS edition. Community edition is free but requires self-hosting and meaningful engineering investment.
• Pimcore: open-source core is free. Commercial enterprise edition typically $30,000 to $100,000+/year depending on scope.
• inRiver: typically $50,000 to $200,000+/year for mid-market and enterprise deployments.

Implementation cost is typically 1 to 3× the annual platform cost in year one, dropping sharply in year two. The biggest cost variable is data-migration scope and channel integration count, not the platform fee. For projects that need both PIM + Akeneo deployment, see the standard Akeneo PIM implementation service scope.

Summary

Product catalog management is the operational discipline most eCommerce teams underinvest in until something breaks expensively. The fix is rarely the most expensive PIM in the evaluation. It is more often the platform that matches your team’s engineering capacity, your channel mix, and your data governance discipline. For most mid-market merchants between $5M and $200M revenue, Akeneo and Pimcore cover 80% of the realistic shortlist. Below that scale, Plytix is often the right answer. Above that scale, inRiver or Pimcore Enterprise enter the conversation.

About this guide

Maintained by the scandiweb commerce engineering team. Official Pimcore and Akeneo partner. We have shipped catalog management projects from 100 to 81,000+ SKUs across B2B, B2C, and multi-brand operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is product catalog management in 2026?

Product catalog management is the operational practice of standardizing product data, names, descriptions, specifications, images, pricing, across every channel where you sell. In 2026 the standard tool is a PIM (Product Information Management) system that centralizes the data and syndicates it to channels.

When does a business need a PIM system?

The two thresholds we use: above ~5,000 SKUs OR above ~3 sales channels. Below both thresholds, managing catalog in your eCommerce platform’s native admin is usually fine. Above either, the cost of bad catalog data starts to outweigh the cost of a PIM.

What is the difference between PIM and DAM?

PIM (Product Information Management) handles structured product data, attributes, specifications, descriptions, pricing. DAM (Digital Asset Management) handles unstructured digital files, images, video, documents, brand assets. Many platforms (Pimcore especially) combine both. For focused use cases the two are often separate systems.

How do I choose between Pimcore and Akeneo?

Pimcore if you also need to manage non-product data (customers, brand assets, editorial content) in the same platform, or if you operate across many product domains. Akeneo if you want a focused, easier-to-implement PIM and your existing eCommerce stack is Magento, Shopify, or BigCommerce.

What is the ROI of a PIM implementation?

Across scandiweb’s PIM projects the typical paybacks are: 20 to 40% reduction in time-to-market for new products, 15 to 30% reduction in support tickets related to product info errors, 5 to 15% revenue lift on marketplace channels from improved listing quality. Payback period typically 12 to 18 months.

Can ChatGPT or AI tools replace a PIM?

No. AI helps with generating descriptions, translating to multiple languages, and quality-checking attributes. The system of record problem (where does the canonical product data live) is not an AI problem. PIM + AI is the right pattern. AI without PIM creates more data sprawl, not less.

What does a catalog manager do?

The catalog manager owns product information governance: the attribute schema, the enrichment workflow for new products, the channel syndication rules, and the data quality monitoring. In smaller teams this role sits with the eCommerce manager. In mid-market and enterprise estates it is typically a dedicated role.

If you are evaluating Pimcore, Akeneo, or another PIM and want a 30-minute call with engineers who have implemented both on real client estates, scandiweb is an official Pimcore and Akeneo partner. Get in touch and we will walk through the platform fit for your catalog size, channel mix, and team.

The post Product Catalog Management in 2026: Tools, Strategies, and What Pimcore/Akeneo Partners Actually Use appeared first on scandiweb.

Managing millions of records across thousands of institutions introduces requirements that extend beyond traditional eCommerce infrastructure. 

For organizations operating in regulated environments, legacy systems often carry invisible pressure points such as hardcoded logic no one wants to touch, fragile workflows patched over time, insecure data exchanges, asset storage scattered across outdated file systems, and compliance requirements that the current platform simply cannot meet.

Modernizing such a system requires replacing its backbone without disrupting daily operations or compromising sensitive data. 

Read how scandiweb delivered a Pimcore-based Experience Portal and Master Data foundation within six months, structured to address critical security gaps, support ST4S compliance, and establish the groundwork for centralized Master Data Management (MDM). 

About

Advanced Life is one of Australia’s leading school photography providers, serving thousands of schools nationwide. The company manages large volumes of sensitive student and staff data, as well as portraits, identification materials, and related services.

Data security, compliance, asset management, and workflow efficiency directly impact schools, administrators, and families. As regulatory requirements tightened and their legacy system aged, modernization became strategically critical.

Project goals

Advanced Life’s custom-built school portal had reached a point where security exposure, regulatory pressure, and architectural limitations could no longer be ignored. Serving thousands of schools and managing millions of student and staff records had made system fragility a business risk. We aimed to:

• Replace a vulnerable custom-built legacy portal with a secure, modern platform
• Eliminate critical security risks and implement SSO-enabled access control
• Enable alignment with ST4S regulatory requirements
• Improve how sensitive student data and portrait assets are managed and accessed
• Replace manual, email-based workflows with secure portal-based processes
• Introduce structured data modeling through Pimcore while keeping the existing client database intact during the MVP phase
• Deliver a scalable architecture that could evolve into a centralized MDM system
• Future-proof the infrastructure.

The main objective was to eliminate critical vulnerabilities, align with new compliance standards, and establish a foundation for future ecosystem growth, marking the first step in Advanced Life’s broader digital transformation.

Problem

Security exposure and fragile architecture

The legacy portal was custom-built and no longer aligned with modern security standards. Vulnerabilities that might be manageable in smaller systems became significant risk factors for Advanced Life.

With thousands of schools and millions of student and staff records, any breach scenario would carry serious consequences. The existing platform lacked structured access control, modern SSO capabilities, and best-practice security architecture. At the same time, new Australian regulations required ST4S compliance, something the legacy system could not support.

Advanced Life’s custom-built system had accumulated hardcoded features and tightly coupled logic, making enhancements difficult to implement and introducing risks with any changes. The platform was not maintainable, flexible, or future-proof.

Inefficient asset management

Student portraits and related assets were stored in inefficient file systems without centralized governance, creating structural weakness for an organization managing millions of image assets:

• Operational friction
• Limited visibility
• Increased security exposure
• Difficulty scaling workflows.

Due to limitations in the underlying data structure, some schools transmitted sensitive student data via email attachments. This workaround exposed a deeper issue: the system architecture did not adequately support secure, structured data exchange.

Modernizing without rewriting the database

Perhaps the most significant constraint was that the client’s existing database could not be altered during the MVP phase. The new platform had to be layered intelligently on top of the existing data source, with mapped data modeling inside Pimcore, introducing structure without destabilizing the system.

Approach

Our priority was risk elimination, alignment with compliance, and architectural control, delivered without disrupting live school operations or rewriting the client’s core database.

First, we needed clarity on three things:

• Where the real security risks sat
• Which workflows were structurally fragile
• What could be modernized safely without destabilizing the ecosystem.

The legacy portal was custom-built and deeply intertwined with the client’s existing database, so the strategic decision was to avoid a destructive rewrite and instead introduce a controlled modernization layer that could gradually evolve into a centralized Master Data backbone.

From kickoff to production go-live, the entire transformation was delivered in six months. The timeline included:

• Discovery and architecture planning
• Data mapping and model structuring
• Portal development
• Security implementation.

Layered architecture with Pimcore

One of the most important architectural constraints was that the client’s existing database could not be modified during the MVP phase. Instead of attempting to clean, restructure, or migrate millions of records upfront, we:

• Mounted the existing client database directly to Pimcore
• Carefully mapped existing data elements
• Designed a structured and manageable target data model within Pimcore.

In practice, this meant building a new architectural layer capable of interpreting inconsistent legacy data and presenting it in a structured format.

We intentionally designed the platform as the first phase of a broader MDM strategy. Pimcore was implemented as a structured data modeling layer and a future-ready data governance system that can absorb future integrations, enhancements, and model modernization.

Eliminating security risks

Advanced Life’s legacy system lacked modern best-practice security architecture and could not meet ST4S compliance requirements. To eliminate exposure and align with regulatory standards, we implemented:

• Entra ID for secure admin authentication
• AWS Cognito for school user authentication
• Single Sign-On capabilities
• VPN whitelisting for the admin panel
• Australian IP restrictions for school portal access.

These measures introduced structured identity management and tightened access control without creating friction for end users. Notably, the chosen tools were compatible with the system architecture and aligned with the client’s budget considerations, ensuring compliance without unnecessary cost escalation.

Replacing fragile workflows

The new Pimcore Experience Portal replaced workarounds of email-based transmission of sensitive student data with safe, scalable processes:

• Secure batch downloading capabilities
• Controlled image uploads
• Structured data editing interfaces
• Custom export logic with tailored file naming conventions
• Integrated ID card ordering workflows.

Previously, student portraits and related assets were stored in inefficient, fragmented file systems without centralized oversight. We introduced a structured asset management layer within Pimcore that centralized image governance, reduced reliance on insecure file storage, and prepared the system for long-term scalability.

The MVP was designed as a proof point, demonstrating that Advanced Life could transition from fragile custom infrastructure to secure, structured architecture. With the new platform in place, security risk is controlled, compliance alignment is enabled, data modeling is structured, and infrastructure is future-proofed. The foundation now exists to evolve toward complete Master Data centralization in the upcoming phases.

Results

Within only a few months, Advanced Life replaced a vulnerable custom-built legacy portal with a secure platform designed for national scale.

The transformation was delivered without modifying the existing client database during the MVP phase and without disrupting live operations across thousands of schools.

Immediate impact – the elimination of critical security risks. The new architecture introduced modern SSO-enabled authentication, structured access control, and controlled admin governance, resolving exposure points that previously left the system vulnerable. At the same time, the platform now supports alignment with ST4S regulatory requirements, removing a major compliance barrier.

Asset management moved from inefficient and fragmented file systems to a centralized layer within Pimcore. Manual and fragile workflows were replaced with secure, portal-based processes. Schools no longer rely on informal or insecure data exchange methods. Instead, structured uploads, downloads, and data editing capabilities provide predictable, governed interaction within a controlled environment. 

Strategically, the new platform positions Advanced Life as a market leader, with the project setting a benchmark for modernizing sensitive, high-volume ecosystems.

If your organization is operating on fragile custom infrastructure, waiting increases risk. scandiweb helps B2B organizations and B2C omnichannel retailers modernize digital ecosystems in controlled, measurable phases. Let’s discuss your transformation roadmap.

The post Securing Millions of Student Records in a Future-Ready Pimcore MDM Foundation appeared first on scandiweb.

If you operate in multiple markets with separate platforms, managing content, product data, and customer flows likely becomes harder with every update. In a similar case, we collaborated with BK-Group to bring two markets under a single Magento 2 store built with Hyvä, integrated with their ERP and PIM systems.

About

BK-Group is a private company specializing in electronic alarm systems and equipment distribution. As part of the Hikvision family, BK-Group provides high-quality security tech across the Baltics and Poland. Founded in 1994, they’ve earned a strong reputation for reliability and innovation in the security technology sector.

Project goals

The main goal of this project was to consolidate BK-Group’s fragmented eCommerce infrastructure and build a strong foundation for future expansion. This involved:

• Merging two sites – Latvia (WordPress + WooCommerce) and Estonia (Magento 2) into a single Magento 2 instance, hosted on ReadyMage
• Storefront redesign using Hyvä
• Building a fast, secure B2B store with tailored workflows
• Integrating Pimcore and the client’s ERP system to sync and manage product and customer data.

Also read:
Magento B2B Case Study: Building a B2B eCommerce Ecosystem for an IT Supplier

Challenges

Working closely with BK Group’s ERP team required flexibility and multiple testing iterations to finalize integration logic.

Additionally, the production database was hosted on the client’s servers, limiting access and requiring custom deployment workflows with strict DevOps coordination. 

Real-time pricing and stock visibility varied by customer and market (fetched from Pimcore), and the registration/approval process had to align with internal rules and sync properly between Magento, ERP, and other systems.

Approach

We rebuilt BK-Group’s online presence for Latvia and Estonia using Magento 2 with the Hyvä frontend, replacing both legacy setups with a single store. At the time of redesign and development, Hyvä was already widely trusted across scandiweb projects as a reliable frontend choice. 

A core part of the project was connecting Magento 2 with BK Group’s internal systems. Product data, pricing, and customer access rules were all synced via Pimcore and ERP. Magento communicates with Pimcore via APIs, while Pimcore itself acts as middleware between Magento and ERP, allowing product and pricing updates to sync dynamically across storeviews.

Custom B2B features and integrations

BK-Group required a customized B2B solution to ensure that every customer only sees the pricing, inventory, and content relevant to them. To support market-specific workflows, we implemented:

• Real-time pricing per customer, synced from Pimcore
• Customer-specific stock visibility
• Custom registration and approval flow integrated with ERP.

Pricing logic

The pricing logic works as follows: ERP pushes updated B2B prices to Pimcore every few minutes, using the customer code and SAP material code. When a logged-in customer browses product listings or product detail pages, Magento sends a request to Pimcore with those same identifiers to fetch their customer-specific pricing in real time.

Stock is checked at two points: once when a customer views a product detail page, and again during checkout – each via a direct API call to ERP to confirm current availability.

Customer approval process

A customer submits the registration form on the site. After admin approval, Magento checks whether the customer already exists in ERP using the company registration number or email. If not, Magento sends the customer record to ERP to create a new entry. If a match is found, ERP returns the full customer data to Magento.

Magento handles four store views: LV (LV), LV (EN), EE (EE), and EE (EN). Pimcore pushes localized data like pricing and attributes per storeview, while some content, such as brand translations, is maintained directly in Magento admin.

Because the production environment was hosted directly by the client, we worked closely with their DevOps team to define a deployment and access strategy, including limited external access, custom deployment scripts, and secure handling of testing and go-live conditions.

Results

BK Group now operates a single, centralized Magento 2 store for the Latvian and Estonian markets. The unified setup provides a strong foundation for Lithuanian and Polish sites and other markets.

The custom-built B2B logic gives each business customer access to real-time pricing pulled from Pimcore, stock availability tailored to their account, and a registration and approval process fully synced with ERP. 

ERP and Pimcore integrations have streamlined how product, pricing, and customer data flow between systems. With automation in place, internal teams can now easily manage customer-specific logic.

The new store is hosted on ReadyMage and runs on Hyvä, providing a fast and flexible frontend that can grow with the business.

Core Web Vitals and overall frontend performance have already improved and are expected to improve further following the next Hyvä update.

The platform is set up to continue evolving under scandiweb’s Service Cloud support:

• Expanding Pimcore usage across more websites
• Improved performance in pricing sync and loading speed
• Broader use of Pimcore for managing user roles and access control.

Planning a similar migration or facing complex B2B requirements? Scandiweb is the official Platinum Partner of Hyvä and Pimcore. Reach out to us, and we’ll help build the right setup for your business.

The post Case Study: Merging Two Markets on Magento+Hyvä for a Multinational B2B Supplier appeared first on scandiweb.

When product information is scattered across platforms, it slows everything down, especially at scale. For Rocket Industrial, managing tens of thousands of SKUs across ERP and Magento 2 created inefficiencies and gaps. See how we helped them bring it all together in one place, creating a clean, organized system their teams can rely on every day.

About

Rocket Industrial is a US-based packaging distributor with roots dating back to 1957, when it began as a family-owned packaging tape company. Over the decades, it has evolved into a nationwide operation that helps businesses solve complex packaging challenges across various industries.

Rocket Industrial serves a diverse range of B2B clients, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes packaging materials and automation systems. Their eCommerce presence is a key part of their operations, supporting thousands of SKUs and an expanding catalog powered by reliable digital tools.

Project goals

Our mission was to build a single source of truth for Rocket Industrial’s large product catalog and make product management faster, more accurate, and enjoyable. We defined the following goals:

• Establish a single source of truth for product data across internal systems
• Centralize SKU management to eliminate inconsistencies
• Reduce manual data entry and associated errors through automation
• Build a structured, scalable product catalog capable of supporting 80K+ SKUs
• Improve the internal UX for managing product attributes and relationships.

Approach

We implemented Pimcore as their product information management system, connecting and consolidating product data from ERP and Magento 2. Our focus was data unification, custom import development, and building a clean foundation for efficient product publishing and management.

Integrating product data with ERP and Magento 2

We started with a full audit of product data across both systems to identify mismatches and incomplete records in SKUs. Since SKUs weren’t always reliable, we created matching rules based on additional product attributes to identify and merge records correctly. 

We also fixed the broken parent-child product relationships. This regrouped related products correctly under one structure.

Custom import logic development for handling scale and limitations

The client’s existing system (AP) limited access to only recently updated products. To work with the full 70,000-item product catalog, we exported the complete dataset from their ERP via CSV and built a dedicated import tool directly within Pimcore.

This workflow found and combined duplicate product entries. It also reconciled records from both the ERP system and Magento 2. As a result, Rocket Industrial has a clean, unified product catalog with 81,000 structured entries managed directly in Pimcore.

Controlled publishing workflow creation for Magento 2

The central Pimcore catalog also held products not intended for display on the Magento 2 storefront. To manage this, we built a custom publishing workflow. This gives internal teams control over product visibility. 

Teams can now review items, mark them, and publish only those that meet the specific business criteria. 

Also read: 

• Case Study: The Power of Centralized Product Data Management in eCommerce
• Revolutionizing Travel with Novaturas: A Pimcore-Powered Innovation
• Pimcore PIM Powers Online Vehicle Sales Microservice Platform

Results

Pimcore implementation delivered structural improvements to Rocket Industrial’s product management processes:

• The unified product catalog grew from 70,000 to 81,000 complete records
• Duplicate entries from ERP and Magento 2 were identified and merged
• SKU inconsistencies were resolved across systems
• Broken parent-child relationships were successfully rebuilt
• Manual data entry was significantly reduced through automated imports
• Products are now published to Magento 2 through a controlled workflow
• Internal teams can effectively manage and filter product data within Pimcore.

Need a better way to manage product data across platforms? scandiweb is a certified Pimcore Platinum Partner with a team of experts ready to tackle your product data challenges. Reach out to us, and see how we can help you solve any challenges with PIM.

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