What is a PLM Integration?
PLM integration is the process of connecting a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system with other business systems so product information can flow between them.
For manufacturers and other businesses that manage complex products, PLM typically contains information related to product design, development, engineering, and manufacturing. Integrating PLM with a Product Information Management (PIM) system allows relevant product information to move from product development processes into the systems used to manage, enrich, and distribute product content.
This helps organizations maintain consistent product information from product development through commercialization and sales.
PLM Integration with PIM
PLM and PIM serve different purposes within the product information lifecycle.
PLM primarily manages product development and engineering information throughout the product lifecycle, while PIM manages the product information needed to market, sell, and distribute products across customer-facing channels.
Integrating the two systems creates a connection between these stages.
For example, a manufacturer may maintain technical specifications, dimensions, materials, and other engineering information in its PLM system. Relevant product information can be transferred to PIM, where teams can enrich it with product descriptions, marketing copy, images, channel-specific attributes, and other commercial content.
The completed product information can then be distributed to ecommerce websites, marketplaces, distributors, catalogs, and other sales channels.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PLM integration with PIM?
PLM integration with PIM connects product development information with the product information used for marketing, ecommerce, and sales. Technical information can flow from PLM into PIM, where it can be enriched and prepared for distribution across customer-facing channels.
Why integrate PLM and PIM?
Integrating PLM and PIM can reduce manual data entry, improve product data accuracy, accelerate product launches, and create a more consistent flow of product information from development through sales.
