Companies currently go through a so-called fourth industrial revolution, which is related to the introduction of new modern technologies. As we’ve already mentioned, it is connected to the digital transformation that covers cloud, social technologies, big data, internet of things, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, 3D printing, robotics and a new generation of security technologies.
According to last researches, a competition motivates companies more than a desire to innovate. Researcher’s results reveal that 72 % of surveyed companies believe they will sell all of their products through online channels in the future. However, only 4 % of those companies have fully adapted to the new conditions that the digital transformation had brought.
Some businesses have the feeling that they have nothing to do with the digital transformation. But the truth is the digital transformation is already a part not only of customer’s behaviour but also of B2B companies and it had completely changed the basis of business models and attitude of customers.
Building stone of digital transformation
The face-to-face interaction has been replaced by a non-stop access to information located on online and offline channels. People are interested in product information as never before. Besides that, employees have to manage the same product information internally and very often within several departments. It turns out that the key point of the digital transformation is information.
When dealing with changes that the digital transformation brings, many companies choose a product information management (PIM) system as a solution. Its goal is to create one central platform for a whole company.
Nowadays, it is necessary to distribute product information not only in form of different catalogues, leaflets, brochures or in a brick-and-mortar shops but also online, of course, through web pages, social media, smartphones, tablets and so on. It means that product information have to be always accurate and actual. Employees don´t have to collect the same data all over again – what exactly led to recurrent administrative work and to errors.
With the PIM, it is possible to exchange data with your partners more effectively. This exchange secured by the electronic catalogues known as BMECat or EDI shortens the time that is necessary to place a product on the market and increases its marketability. It is also possible to talk about an improvement of cooperation with suppliers because you can operate with their catalogues in your own system.
It is worth mentioning that it is possible to integrate a classification system dealing with product descriptions into the product information management system. You can also connect PIM with some e-commerce platform which completely changes the communication with B2B companies and B2C customers regarding the product sales and purchase.
The PIM offers you an omni-channel solution that provides reduction of costs and administration, elimination of errors and also extraordinary experience for your customers. The PIM enables you to be one step ahead of the competition and to accept the changes of digital transformation much easier.