productinformatiesystemen

Product information refers to the data that describes a product and is used across sales and marketing channels to inform customers and support purchasing decisions. It typically includes attributes such as name, description, price, identifiers (SKU, UPC, EAN), dimensions, weight, color, material, model, brand, and release date, as well as media like images, videos, manuals, and warranty details. The goal is to present complete, accurate, and engaging information that can be reused across catalogs, marketplaces, websites, and point-of-sale systems.

In practice, product information is often managed in Product Information Management (PIM) systems that centralize data from manufacturers, suppliers, and internal sources. A well-maintained product data foundation enables consistent naming, categorization, and attribute schemas, while feeding product feeds to e-commerce sites, marketplaces, catalogs, and ERP or POS environments. Data quality is central to effectiveness and typically focuses on accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, and compliance with applicable standards and regulations.

Standards and formats frequently involved include GS1 identifiers (GTIN, GLN) and structured data markup such as schema.org Product, often expressed in JSON-LD for search engines. Data sources span supplier catalogs, internal ERP and CMS systems, and manual enrichment. Synchronization across channels is essential to prevent discrepancies that can harm search visibility and customer trust.

The impact of quality product information is substantial: it supports better search visibility, higher conversion rates, fewer returns due to inaccurate descriptions, and an improved customer experience. Common challenges include managing large catalogs, localization, image rights, and keeping data synchronized with suppliers, but effective governance and PIM practices can significantly improve scalability and consistency.