Convergence Data Team
Nov 4, 2025

PIM, DAM, ERP, CMS: How Product Data and Content Reach the Customer

PIM, DAM, ERP and CMS systems form four critical platforms of information architecture that bring product data and content to customer-facing tools, such as marketing websites, eCommerce platforms, contractor applications, supplier portals for distribution, and more.

 

Definition of Each System

 

PIM: Product Information Management system, grouping products together based on similar attributes and organized by category. Product data attributes include specifications of the product, such as color, weight, dimensions, electrical and mechanical characteristics, etc. PIM is the key platform in establishing the product master data model.

 

DAM: Digital Asset Management system, a tool which collects digital assets or files and allows the user to tag them with metadata and organize the files according to a variety of organizing principles. DAM assets may include product-specific assets, such as images, specification sheets or data sheets, MSDS, certificates, submittals, and similar assets which can be tied to specific products or SKUs. Product-related assets are “linked” to the product either by tagging the asset with a product ID(s) in the DAM or establishing a link to the asset in the PIM – or both. DAM assets may also include non-product assets, such as company logos, website header or background images, etc.

 

CMS: Content Management System, a tool which gathers data and assets from PIM, ERP and DAM, allowing the user to arrange content for display in customer-facing applications such as websites.

 

ERP: A platform that integrates supply chain, finance, and manufacturing data. From the perspective of eCommerce, ERP acts as a system of record for item IDs (SKU, product, part, etc.), basic descriptions, and data regarding inventory, sales, pricing, and other data that assists in the order fulfillment process.

 

How They Work Together

 

CMS is a target system for data and content from ERP, PIM and DAM. CMS draws specific data from each in order to build the “complete picture” of data and content that an organization wants to display.

 

PIM systems send data model (categories, attributes, relationships) information and item data (SKUs and their corresponding attribute values) to the CMS.

 

DAM systems send a mixture of non-product assets and product assets to the CMS. Non-product assets will be arranged by the CMS user for display. Product-related assets, which are “linked” to the products according to the item number of SKU ID, will be co-located with product records as they appear on the website.

 

ERP systems are typically involved when the CMS is powering a platform that involves the ability for a customer to purchase a SKU. ERP may determine availability and pricing by region or other rules that are set once a customer logs in to the eCommerce platform, and sees pricing and availability according to their customer profile.

 

"Why Not Just Use the CMS/eCommerce Platform?"

 

Many companies in the early stages of maturity in eCommerce only focus on the content management system, where product management and marketing teams simply manually load data into the CMS/eComm platform. Further, many eCommerce platforms claim to have PIM and DAM capabilities “all in one.” At Convergence, we often hear, “We have SAP Hybris Commerce Cloud (or similar), isn’t that a PIM?” However, this approach is:

  • Manually intensive: Users need to manually gather data and assets and load the CMS on their own, often “rebuilding” data that already exists in other company tools within the CMS. There is no automated flow of product data from upstream systems (except for ERP in some cases).

  • Not flexible: Users may require IT support to make data model changes in some CMS platforms, or they need to redesign similar data models for different websites within the CMS. These are only two examples; CMS platforms are simply not designed to be the system of record for the product data master.

  • Not scalable: Due to the combination of manual effort and inflexibility, if a company needs to work with data at scale, grows through acquisition, has multiple business units, or simply wants to bring more products to market faster, they need to consider a more mature architecture, including PIM and DAM, where data flows automatically to the CMS.

What Makes Best-in-Class Product Data?

 

For a company to be successful among its competition in unifying product data and content for the CMS, it should have the following in mind:

  • Foundation of product data model best practices: taxonomy and attribution schema based on industry standards and benchmarks, with consistent organizing principles.

  • Complete, comprehensive, clean, consistent (normalized) data: Data that facilitates the customers’ ability to differentiate and confidently select the products they need, structured to support the technology that uses it.

  • Attribute metadata powering the enhancement of the search/browse experience: Indexed data to ensure good search results, filters to enable faster product selection.

  • Digital assets for all products: Images provide visual aid to boost customer confidence in knowing the product is correct for their need, and spec sheets and other documents help provide the additional information to “fill in the gaps” beyond specifications displayed on product detail pages.

  • Enhanced descriptions: Don’t just reuse your ERP descriptions, which too often are incomplete, vague or even incorrect; descriptions and feature bullets based on product specifications are critical in assisting customers in understanding the product.

  • Product relationships: One of the biggest opportunity gaps that determines who wins among the competition – boosting average order size by showing customers what products work together.

As companies adopt enterprise systems that enable best-in-class experiences, they also need to provide best-in-class product data; otherwise, the experience will not be delivered to the customer.

 

At Convergence, we bring a bundled approach to our PIM software. We don’t just provide a better PIM than the rest; we also teach our customers how to deliver best-in-class product data. Not sure where to begin? Contact us today for a free discovery call to identify your needs.