Multi-channel 2.0??

Internet Retailer was a great and successful conference for both attendees and presenters.  For 3 days I danced the Product Information Management (PIM) dance describing to attendees the complexities of managing product information to meet the pace of business of tomorrow's multi-channel requirements.

I discovered Multi-channel is evident in strategies in all sizes of companies. While stores, print catalogs and fliers, websites, call centers and inside sales are still critical to success, sales channels have more than doubled in a short amount of time. Let's make a list...

Multi-channel 1.0:

• Stores
• Print catalogs and flyers
• websites
• call centers / inside sales

Multi-channel 2.0

• Mobile commerce
• Kiosks
• Social (Facebook, twitter, etc...)
• Aggregator Sites (Ebay, Amazon, Newegg, Overstocked, etc...)
• Multiple/Cross E-commerce
• Interactive TV
• Consumer Electronics
• ....

Front facing platforms (like e-commerce) are full of great tools to present products online, analyzing your customers, processing transactions, and bringing customers to the sale, among other neat tools. On the back end, ERP systems are necessary to manage pricing, transactional information, and the material master.  Although both necessary, neither of them enable the flexibility to centralize and manage ALL data (Item data and media assets) for all marketing and sales channels, at any time, anywhere in the world, for any channel, in any format, in any language, easily and automatically. This is key to maximum marketing effectiveness and sales success.

It's like water!

Imagine the time when villagers had to bring a bucket to a well or lake, fill it to the top, than carry it back by foot to the household to perhaps fill up another bigger bucket which will contain the same water used for everything.

Imagine modern-day water systems and plumbing. Front facing platforms like E-commerce are the streets and buildings, ERP is the body of water. PIM represents the pipes and tools used to provide cleaned and enriched water for all point, in any amount, in any temperature, for any use, in any disbursement format, at the exact time it is needed, instantly. I am quite happy with the convenience and flexibility I have about consuming water.

Water is the life blood of our planet. In today's information age, data is more and more the life blood of the organization.


PIM Overview Website