Glossary

An optimization technique for designing and testing two variants of a piece of content or digital asset

Refers to the advertising technologies used in digital advertising, or to the specialized providers offering these technologies.

Field sets and attribute sets let you use a single document type for multiple product types, while customising it as needed.

Technical characteristics of a product

The group of people reached by a media outlet or communication channel.

Stands for "business to business." It refers to commercial and marketing activities carried out between companies.

B2C (Business to Consumer) refers to commercial transactions between a company and end consumers, relying on smooth purchase journeys and targeted marketing strategies to maximize the customer experience.

Or "brand safety," it protects advertisers' image by preventing their message from appearing in uncontrolled or harmful, even damaging, contexts.

A marketing or advertising approach aimed at positioning a brand favorably in consumers' minds.

A role that involves applying analytical skills in service of clients' objectives. A business analyst must be able to grasp the issues at hand.

A calculated attribute is product data obtained automatically through rules or formulas, streamlining catalog management by ensuring accurate, up-to-date information.

A technology solution that collects, unifies, and activates customer data from multiple sources.

A CEP (Customer Engagement Portal) is a platform dedicated to the interaction between a company and its customers.

A channel is a means of distribution.

A group of attributes.

Click & Collect lets customers buy online and pick up in store, combining the simplicity of digital with the speed of physical retail.

Product sheet completeness, based on rules defined for fields, shows how far along each product sheet is and makes it easy to spot missing content. When it reaches 100%, the product sheet is fully filled in and ready to publish.

Composable Commerce is a modular approach that assembles specialized solutions via APIs to create a flexible, scalable e-commerce platform tailored to each company's specific needs.

A connector or feed is an automated input or output process for the PIM that carries data at a set frequency and according to established rules.

Refers to the moment when, faced with a need or purchase decision, a consumer views a brand as a possible option for meeting that need.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) involves analyzing and optimizing user journeys to increase the conversion rate, drawing on testing and targeted data.

A text file usually stored in the user's browser, used to identify them on a site and a cornerstone of advertising measurement systems.

Cross-selling involves offering products that complement a purchase, enriching the customer experience while increasing the average order value.

Refers to the emotions and feelings a person experiences before, during and after purchasing a product or service. It can also describe the interactions a customer has with a brand. A PIM helps optimize the customer experience.

DAM, or Digital Asset Manager, is the media library that may (or may not) be included within the PIM.

The dashboard is the control panel that supports oversight and completeness of the product repository. It is made up of widgets.

Data governance defines the rules, responsibilities and processes used to secure, standardize and add value to an organization's data, while ensuring its compliance and strategic alignment.

Data mapping involves matching fields across different systems to ensure smooth, consistent synchronisation of information, particularly in e-commerce and PIM ecosystems.

A data model provides an abstract way of representing your data: document types, attribute sets, SKUs, media, and links between documents.

Data quality refers to the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data, ensuring complete and up-to-date information to support strategic and operational decisions.

A DCP centralizes and automates data collection, transforming it into a unified, usable format.

A derived attribute is product data generated automatically from other information, helping enrich and keep product pages up to date without manual entry.

The Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a concept designed to provide a complete, traceable digital identity for every product.

A document is the product sheet that contains fields to describe your product, your service, your look, and so on, depending on the data model you have defined. The most common example is the product sheet.

Drive-to-store aims to put the physical store back at the center of the customer experience and communication strategy.

A DXP (Digital Experience Platform) is a software solution designed to create, manage, and optimize users' digital experiences across different channels.

An EAN/UPC code is a product's unique identifier, in the form of a barcode or a number sequence, that allows it to be tracked and recognized at every stage, from stock to sale.

Eco-design involves rethinking a product or service from the outset to limit its environmental impact, from material choices to end of life.

The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a company's master tool for managing all operational processes by integrating several management functions: order management, inventory management, price management, and product creation. Products are generally not created in the PIM but imported from the ERP into the PIM for enrichment and distribution.

An international classification standard for technical products. A PIM helps manage products according to the ETIM standard.

An export is the process of extracting data from a PIM as a file. An export can cover all or part of the PIM's data, such as products, media, templates, and so on.

A data exchange format used in industry. FAB-DIS defines a unified, stable structure to simplify the creation and integration of files. A PIM helps manage FAB-DIS files.

An 'attribute-value' pair used for front-end filtering of items.

Fields are the building blocks of a product sheet.

First-party data refers to information collected directly by a company from its customers, through its own channels (website, CRM, stores).

A Golden Record is a consolidated, unique and validated piece of data, created by merging multiple sources, that serves as a reliable reference to avoid inconsistencies and improve the quality of information distributed across all channels.

A green claim is an environmental statement a brand uses to highlight the ecological benefits of a product or service.

A standard used by companies in the food industry to sell and digitalize their products more effectively.

The GTIN code is a unique, universal identifier assigned to a product, allowing it to be recognized and traced anywhere in the world.

A headless architecture separates the backend (data management) from the frontend (user interface), allowing information to be distributed flexibly and consistently across all digital channels.

Import is the process of bringing data into the PIM.

Inbound flow.

Indexing is what makes a web page visible on search engines. When a product is added to the PIM and then published on a suitable channel, it can be found by internet users when they run a search online.

Retrieving data or attributes from higher levels of the classification tree.

A link connects two or more product sheets, for example as part of managing upsell and cross-sell strategies.

A locale in a PIM refers to a language localised to a specific country.

A lookbook is a collection of photographs compiled to showcase a model, a photographer, a style, a stylist or a clothing line.

A marketplace is a platform that brings together the offerings of multiple e-commerce sellers.

A Master Data Management tool lets you collect, sort and standardise raw data from a range of sources.

Media stored in a DAM can include images, videos and documents.

Classification of products within a catalog.

Data normalization involves standardizing the format and structure of data to ensure consistency, exchange, and optimal use across systems and channels.

Nurturing is a marketing approach that involves guiding prospects with content tailored to each stage of their journey, moving them toward a purchase without overwhelming them.

The practice by which a retailer or brand markets its offering across all available sales channels (physical and online). PIM helps optimize omnichannel selling.

The term "on-premise" refers to running software and IT infrastructure on the company's own site.

Open Source software is defined by source code that's accessible, modifiable, and redistributable by anyone.

Outbound flow.

A persona is a profile of an ideal customer, built from real data to guide marketing strategies and personalize sales actions.

Phygital blends the physical and the digital to create innovative customer journeys, where in-store immersion meets digital fluidity.

PIM (Product Information Management) software is used to centralize, manage, enrich, and distribute product information (product pages) across a company's various sales channels.

PLM (Product Lifecycle Manager) is the tool used to centralize all information related to product definition and to track the manufacturing process.

A product bundle (or pack) refers to several distinct items grouped and sold together under a single reference, at an overall price generally lower than the sum of the components. As a strategy for increasing average order value, it raises specific modeling and data management challenges within a PIM.

A product's carbon footprint measures all the CO2 emissions generated throughout its lifecycle, from manufacturing to recycling.

(or product repository) Refers to the product catalogs distributed by brands or online retailers selling online or at a distance in B2C or B2B markets.

Product enrichment involves completing and enhancing a product's data with technical, marketing, and media content to optimize its visibility and commercial appeal.

Refers to the feelings and emotions a person experiences when interacting with a product.

A product hierarchy organises catalogue items into logical levels to optimise their management, navigation and commercial use.

(or PIM) The activity or tool used to collect, enrich, and distribute product information across different sales channels.

The product lifecycle traces a product's evolution from launch to withdrawal, passing through growth, maturity, and decline.

A product referential is a centralized database that stores and structures all of a company's product information, ensuring its consistency and distribution across all channels.

A product that differs from other products in the same category through minor characteristics.

This term describes the product experience a person has when making a purchase on an e-commerce site.

ROI (Return on Investment) measures a project's profitability by comparing the gains it generates to its initial cost.

For a PIM, the SaaS model is a mode of use in which the application is accessed remotely and hosted by the vendor.

In marketing, a segment groups together customers or prospects who share common criteria, making it possible to target and personalize commercial actions to maximize their effectiveness.

Single Source of Truth (SSOT) is a single, centralized source of reliable data that eliminates inconsistencies by consolidating all critical information for consistent use.

A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a unique identifier assigned to each product or variant in an inventory.

Product data syndication automates the distribution and updating of product information across multiple channels, ensuring consistency and optimizing commercial visibility.

A taxonomy is a hierarchical classification system that organizes data according to logical criteria, making it easier to manage, search, and use consistently.

Time-to-market measures the time between a product's conception and its launch on the market.

Product traceability makes it possible to track every stage of an item's journey, from manufacturing to delivery, including the origin of its materials.

Hierarchical organization of information or content in a logical and intuitive way

Unified Commerce breaks down the barriers between every sales channel to deliver a seamless, real-time customer experience.

Upselling (or up-sell) is a sales technique that involves offering the customer a slightly higher-end, more expensive product than their initial choice.

The value chain refers to the full set of activities a company carries out to design, produce, market and distribute a product, each one adding a share of the value perceived by the customer. Formalized by Michael Porter in 1985, this model is used to identify where value is created and where competitive advantages lie. For product-driven companies, the quality and flow of product information directly determine the performance of this chain.

Zero-party data is information that customers deliberately share with a brand in exchange for a clear benefit.