PIM vs PXM vs DAM: what are the differences?

PIM vs PXM, DAM vs PIM and then again PXM vs DAM: what are the differences between these software?

Are there also similarities between them? The answer in the next few lines, in which you can learn more about the purpose, functionality, benefits and reference team for each application. Go!

PIM vs PXM vs DAM: what are we talking about?

Let’s start with the basics.

The acronym PIM refers to Product Information Management software, a solution for governing product information. A Digital Asset Management (DAM) tool, on the other hand, focuses on organizing digital assets.

Finally, a software PXM is a tool for managing the product experience (hence the extended name “Product eXperience Management”).

Similarities and functional differences between the systems

To focus on the real differences between DAM, PIM, and PXM, it is necessary to be clear that all three types of platforms help companies centralize, organize, and distribute their market-focused content assets, whether B2B or B2C.

But so what changes? First and foremost, the focus.

PIM and DAM offer predominantly vertical management, aimed respectively at data and information in the former case, and multimedia content such as photos, videos and documents in the latter.

A PXM, on the other hand, aims to govern the experience of customers interacting with the assortment in the various communication and sales channels in which the company is present.

To achieve this goal, a Product eXperience Management software incorporates the capabilities of PIM and DAM software and combines them with others that cut across the customer experience.

One of them, perhaps the most crucial, is Syndication, a feature by which PXM software propagates a piece of data or content across multiple channels, often automatically optimizing attributes such as format, size and background color.

In a nutshell, rather than PIM vs PXM vs DAM, it is more correct to speak of PXM = PIM + DAM.

PIM vs PXM vs DAM: purpose of the tools.

A PIM is information governance-oriented software for every item proposed to the market by the organization. Therefore, among the main functionalities of such a solution is the centralization of data.

In fact, the system, by dialoguing with systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) serves as a single source of information truth. In addition, a PIM consolidates data, relating and making all information about a product easily searchable.

Similarly, a DAM software performs centralization and consolidation functions for any digital asset, such as images, video, audio, documents (such as presentations and brand guidelines).

Although DAM and PIM can also deal with distribution-assets and data, respectively-it is the PXM software that shifts the viewpoint outward from the organization.

In fact, while the main purpose of tools to manage product information and digital assets is convergence, a PXM is customer experience oriented.

Since the latter is closely linked to digital information and assets, a Product eXperience Management software makes sure-as well as the convergence-all content is optimized and propagated, providing an omnichannel, B2B and B2C customer experience.

Typical users by platform

PIM vs. PXM vs. DAM: The differences become more pronounced when talking about typical users or, more generally, the main teams that benefit from each of the platforms.

A Product Information Management system, for example, primarily uses people from offices that gravitate along the entire supply chain of an item: design, research and development, logistics, and, most importantly, e-commerce.

The user personas of a DAM, on the other hand, typically pertain to marketing and branding functions that leverage it to share media and templates with the rest of the company.

The cross-functional nature of a PXM, as seen at the beginning of the article, makes it a useful tool for all teams, both those benefiting from a PIM and a DAM; they are also joined by the sales area, given the support for the entire product catalog creation and distribution flow,

There’s more: in cases of highly integrable PXM, the tools are also ideal for professionals in the Digital and IT areas, with which they cut IT budgets and manual tasks, simplifying the IT stack.

DAM vs. PIM vs. PXM: benefits compared

DAM and PIM offer mirror benefits.

Digital asset management software centralizes and organizes media content, encouraging searchability and reuse. Should it also handle distribution, it can shorten the company’s media time to market. Benefits similar to those of a PIM with respect to product data.

In general, if such solutions have workflow capabilities, they can accelerate team collaboration and digitize previously analog or unstructured processes.

Even at this juncture, a PXM combines the benefits of DAM and PIM, going even further to deliver prestige shopping experiences and fostering product discoverability through high-performance, personalized content updated in real time on every channel. Word from our customers!

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