Product data management

Definition

Product data management (PDM) refers to the systems and practices used to manage information about a product within an organization. This includes technical specifications, CAD files, engineering changes, bills of material (BOMs), and other data generated during the product design and manufacturing phases. While PDM traditionally focused on engineering and manufacturing data, its scope has expanded in modern contexts to overlap with Product Information Management (PIM), which concentrates on marketing, sales, and e-commerce-ready product content. Both aim to centralize product information, but PDM typically handles upstream, technical data, whereas PIM manages downstream, customer-facing content.

Why It's Important for E-commerce

While PIM directly addresses e-commerce content, effective PDM is a prerequisite for high-quality product information in e-commerce. Accurate technical data from PDM systems provides the foundation for rich product descriptions, specifications, and compliance information in a PIM. Without robust PDM, inconsistencies in core product data can propagate downstream, leading to errors in e-commerce listings, customer dissatisfaction, and increased returns. Integrating PDM and PIM ensures that technical product accuracy seamlessly translates into compelling, accurate customer-facing content, enhancing trust and driving online sales.

Examples

• Managing engineering drawings and 3D models for a new appliance in a PDM system.
• Tracking revisions and versions of a product's bill of materials (BOM).
• Controlling access to sensitive product design specifications for different departments.
• Automating the workflow for engineering change orders (ECOs) for product updates.
• Storing technical data sheets and certifications required for product compliance.

How WISEPIM Helps

• Complementary to PDM: WISEPIM integrates with PDM systems to pull technical product data, enriching it with marketing content for e-commerce channels.
• Downstream Data Centralization: Manage all customer-facing product information generated from PDM data, ensuring consistency and accuracy for sales and marketing.
• Data Quality Assurance: Leverage PIM's data validation and governance features to maintain the quality of PDM-sourced data as it is prepared for external publication.
• Efficient Content Creation: Streamline the process of transforming technical PDM data into compelling product descriptions and specifications for e-commerce.

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