PIM and ERP - an inseparable team for product communication

08.01.2025 | Author: Thomas Kern

In projects, I often initially hear that the ERP master data cannot be used in marketing. Because the spellings are not marketing-oriented, the data is not properly maintained or the structures are too complicated. If you then ask more closely, you realize that there is a PIM-relevant part of master data that is very useful for certain tasks.

PIM-relevant master data from the ERP system

It is immediately obvious that the article number should be transferred from the ERP. And the PIM system should be flexible enough to adapt the terminology in the company: In SAP, for example, one speaks of material number, in proALPHA of part number. The designation of the article is then already controversial. The designation fields in the ERP systems are limited to a certain number of characters and sometimes there are several designations (Ref1, Ref2, etc.). In the end, a solution is always found, even if the designation cannot be used for the customer or has to be revised. Incidentally, some of the designations are language-neutral, which the PIM system should be able to handle in order to avoid unnecessary translation work.

So now we already have two important fields that are used in the company to identify the articles and should certainly not be kept twice. Now it's time for the hard work with the master data fields. For example, EAN, weight, customs tariff number, country of origin, item status, base unit of measure, packaging dimensions, expiry date, follow-up items are relevant to PIM. This is very important data for logistics, which is required in price lists, catalogs, BMEcat, etc. In my experience, it makes sense to use the fields in the PIM system 1:1 as in the ERP system, especially unit codes, as this simplifies reconciliation and understanding. And please: do not transfer any empty fields.

Technical data from the ERP system

In some cases, technical data is also maintained in the ERP system. A classification system is typically used for this purpose and the technical data is managed on a product-specific basis. The same can also be done in the PIM, which is actually what the PIM is there for. I don't want to go into the pros and cons of ERP vs. PIM now. Because if the customer has opted for classification in the ERP system, then it is also absolutely necessary to transfer this data. The volume of this data can be considerable. Several tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and more articles times the number of product features: You can quickly end up with more than 1 million data records. And the interface must be flexible enough to ensure that new features are also implicitly created and updated identically in the PIM system. One more point: In my experience, the technical data from the ERP system should be adapted ("embellished") in marketing. The PIM system can contribute to this by offering a mapping of the values, both textually and in pictorial form, e.g. icons for approval values.

Packaging data from the ERP system

Packaging data is a number in itself. This is where things get a little more complicated. Certain packaging can be used for many items, e.g. a specific bag, box, pallet or container. Different numbers of items fit into this particular packaging, which leads to a different (calculable) weight for certain items. Certain packaging with articles often has its own EAN. The packaging itself in turn has specific packaging data such as width, height, depth, packaging weight (tare) and packaging volume. Calculations with numerators and denominators then have to be carried out in SAP. The smallest packaging or the packaging levels for an item are also often determined. Last but not least, different packaging codes are also required for different purposes. I guarantee that if you have the packaging issue under control, your day-to-day work will be much more pleasant :-)

Sales organization and plant-specific data from the ERP system

This is a topic for advanced users, which is sometimes necessary to communicate master data correctly: Certain master data can be dependent on the sales organization or plant. For example, the article status, the country of origin, the customs tariff number, the expiry date and, of course, the prices.

Price data from the ERP system

Of course, the ERP system is the leader when it comes to price data, even if it is sometimes discussed whether certain prices, for example from countries that are not docked to the ERP system, should be imported directly. As mentioned above, prices are dependent on the distribution chain. It is then necessary to define which of the price lists are PIM-relevant, including country-specific price lists and customer price lists. It must be taken into account that there are current prices and also future prices because, for example, price lists for the next year must already be created in marketing. In addition to the gross list price, various other price data plays a role: validity, price unit, price unit of measure.

Data from the PIM for the ERP system

We have now talked a lot about data from the ERP system. As soon as the PIM system is up and running, there are also requests in the other direction. For example, a product image should be transferred for preview or sales texts in the necessary languages, which can be easily generated in the PIM. Label data is also requested in further steps.

Technical connection

The data from the ERP system is transferred in XML format, either directly as files or via REST API interfaces. The latter is often used in the context of cloud solutions. In some cases, data has to be imported from different ERP systems in different countries. In most cases, the data is transferred in full at night, but a so-called delta export or even an article-related synchronous interface is also possible. Typically, the article creation process is controlled via the ERP, sometimes via the PIM - in any case, 100% automation must be ensured here!

Conclusion

A connection to the ERP is strongly recommended. If this is not possible at the beginning because an ERP changeover is currently underway or IT does not have the time, then please define the structures in an ERP-compliant way so that a connection is possible at any time. Admittedly, it is not data that makes the marketing heart beat faster. However, if you always have the new articles at hand or, for example, have a field such as the article status in the PIM system available at all times, this makes work much easier.