Artificial intelligence in product information management: quality and time-to-market as a significant competitive advantage

Companies in the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, building materials and medical technology sectors are faced with the challenge of efficiently managing ever larger and more complex product portfolios and providing them consistently across numerous channels. In this context, product information management (PIM) is becoming the central pivotal point ("single source of truth"). The use of artificial intelligence allows a modern PIM system to develop its full potential.

Automation of data maintenance as an efficiency driver

A key area of application for AI in PIM is the automation of data maintenance. Particularly with our new customers from industry, we repeatedly observe that product data is often incomplete, heterogeneous and has to be merged from a wide variety of sources. In addition to product data in the narrower sense, this also applies to media and metadata.

The use of AI can make a decisive contribution here by supplementing missing information - be it through the generation or modification of product descriptions based on technical specifications or automatic translation. This is an enormous advantage, especially for internationally active companies, as it can significantly shorten the time-to-market for new products.

In addition, AI functions enable the automatic classification and categorization of products. Based on existing data, the PIM system can recognize which category a new product belongs to and classifies it accordingly. This significantly reduces manual effort and ensures a consistent structure in the product portfolio. At the same time, AI functions can check the existing product information for consistency and accuracy - incorrect or contradictory information is detected and can be automatically corrected - an important contribution to ensuring data quality, which is of central importance, especially in regulated industries such as medical technology or electrical engineering.

Error detection and correction

Another major advantage of AI in PIM lies in intelligent error detection and correction. This involves identifying anomalies in the product data - be it typing errors, inconsistencies or implausible values. The system learns from historical data which values are typical and raises the alarm in the event of deviations. In this way, sources of error are identified at an early stage and can be rectified before they have a negative impact on product communication or even compliance with legal requirements.

The problem of duplicate entries - a classic issue in product data management - can also be elegantly solved using AI. The systems reliably recognize duplicates and merge them, which increases clarity and improves the database in the long term.

Overcoming language barriers

Another exciting field is the use of AI-based translation tools. These make it possible to translate product information quickly and in high quality into different languages. This is a decisive competitive advantage for globally active companies. AI can automatically generate product descriptions or shorten and adapt existing texts based on rules. This creates target group-specific content for all channels - without specialist departments having to write each description individually and manually.

Image and video processing

AI also opens up new possibilities in the area of image and video processing. It can analyze product images, identify relevant features and automatically tag them. This makes it easier to organize and find image data. AI can also improve image quality and automatically adapt formats to the requirements of different channels - an important aspect for professional product presentation on the web, in catalogs or on marketplaces.

Customer support and chatbots

AI-based chatbots and virtual assistants have long been more than just a trend. They support users in their search for product information, answer frequently asked questions and help with the management of product data. Especially in companies with large product portfolios, they relieve the burden on support teams and ensure faster response times - an added value for both customers and employees.

Dashboards and evaluations

The complexity of product data calls for clear and intuitive analysis options. AI enables the creation of interactive dashboards that visualize product data and analyses in real time. This allows companies to maintain an overview of data quality, among other things, and make well-founded decisions based on this.

Compliance

Last but not least, AI is playing an increasingly important role when it comes to compliance. Particularly in regulated industries such as medical technology or electrical engineering, compliance with legal requirements and internal guidelines is essential. AI can continuously monitor product data, check for compliance and automatically issue warnings in the event of deviations. This minimizes risks and reliably meets regulatory requirements.

The integration of artificial intelligence into PIM systems is a decisive success factor, especially for companies in the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, construction components/building materials and medical technology sectors. AI ensures automation, error reduction and data quality - giving industrial customers a real competitive advantage. Those who rely on PIM systems with integrated AI functions today are laying the foundations for efficient processes, faster market launches and sustainable corporate success.