For businesses with large product ranges, keeping customers, distributors, retailers and internal teams supplied with the right product information can quickly become a challenge.

Spreadsheets, PDFs, ZIP files and email attachments may seem like simple solutions, but they can create a familiar set of problems: outdated information, duplicate files, version confusion and endless requests for product specifications or high-resolution images.

This is where Brand Portals can make a real difference.

For many businesses, implementing a Product Information Management (PIM) system has long sat on the “important but not urgent” list. It often gets postponed in favour of more immediate priorities such as ERP upgrades, ecommerce projects or operational improvements.

But the landscape has changed. Product information has become one of the most valuable business assets. Customers expect richer content, more sales channels demand higher-quality data, and AI-powered search is transforming how products are discovered online. Businesses that continue to rely on spreadsheets, disconnected systems and manual processes are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace.

If you’ve been considering a PIM implementation, there has never been a better time to act.

The way consumers discover products is changing rapidly. Traditional search engines are no longer the only gateway to information. Increasingly, users are turning to generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity to research products, compare options, and make purchasing decisions. These platforms don’t simply return a list of links, they generate direct answers based on information they can access, understand, and trust.

Businesses are expected to deliver accurate, consistent, and engaging product information across every channel, from ecommerce websites and marketplaces to print catalogues and mobile apps. This is where Product Information Management (PIM) systems excel.

Yet despite the growing adoption of PIM platforms, many businesses still misunderstand what PIM actually does, who it’s for, and how much value it can provide. These misconceptions often prevent companies from investing in systems that could dramatically improve efficiency, customer experience, and sales performance.

In retail, brands are under constant pressure to deliver visually compelling point-of-sale (POS) materials across multiple channels, formats, and regions. Traditionally, creating this artwork has been a manual, time-consuming process involving designers, marketers, and production teams working in silos. However, the rise of structured product data and automation technologies is transforming how POS artwork is created, scaled, and deployed.

The hospitality industry has undergone a major digital transformation over the past decade. Bars and restaurants are no longer just physical venues where guests browse printed menus and order from servers. Today’s customers interact with hospitality brands across multiple digital touchpoints; online menus, delivery apps, reservation platforms, social media, and websites.

As this digital ecosystem expands, managing product information consistently becomes more complex. This is where Product Information Management (PIM) systems are beginning to play a powerful role in the food and beverage sector.

If you sell products across multiple channels; your website, online marketplaces, retail partners, social commerce, print catalogue, you’ve probably heard the term ‘PIM’ thrown around in meetings.

“Maybe we need a PIM.”

“Our competitors use a PIM.”

“A PIM would solve this.”

But what exactly does that mean for your business?

Manufacturers manage thousands, or even millions, of products, each with complex attributes, variants, technical specifications, regulatory requirements, and market-specific content. As product portfolios expand and sales channels multiply, managing this information with spreadsheets, legacy systems, or disconnected tools quickly becomes unsustainable.

PIM for manufacturing is about creating a single, reliable source of truth that enables speed, accuracy, and scalability across the entire organisation.

For wholesalers and distributors, product data is one of the most critical assets in the business. Yet for many organisations, it remains fragmented across spreadsheets, ERPs, supplier PDFs, and legacy systems. As buying behaviour shifts toward digital-first experiences and omnichannel sales, the cost of inconsistent, incomplete, or inaccurate product information is rising fast. This is why an increasing number of wholesalers and distributors are implementing a PIM (Product Information Management) system.