Information technology has grown to reach new levels in just about every facet of business today. And when it comes to your product line, digitalization of that information is imperative to stay competitive in today’s market. 

From streamlining data entry to strategic maintenance of that data quality and storage, you need a better system. So, if you sell products then you need a robust database for your product information. And you can get this in a product information management (PIM) software program. 

Don’t worry if you don’t know what that is, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about what PIM is, why you need, and how to best use this valuable software.

What Is Product Information Management? 

You want your business to scale. And you want your product line to expand. But if you’re still using an Excel sheet to track your product information it might make you cringe each time you grow. 

If this is you, then you need to upgrade to a software program that will make your inventory tracking much easier. There is a better way, and that is having a powerful database house all your product facts and figures.

Your product line isn’t static, it’s dynamic and constantly changing. So the way you store the information about your products needs to be able to keep up with your business.

Do you have one centralized location to collect and manage all the information about your products? If not, then you need a software database that can do this for you.

A good product information management software program will do three things for your business and your product list: 

1. Collect all the important information, documents, and media files for each item in your product list
2. Maintain and organize that information while also maintaining quality control over the information
3. Distribute that information to external third-party retailer’s websites, apps, and social media platforms

A good PIM database will be robust enough to not only house all the pertinent information about the products in your product line. But it should also be able to distribute that information externally. 

With a product information management software program, you can enter your product descriptions, specifications, prices, and upload the images one time. Then the software will distribute that information to the various sales channels where you sell online.

Stop duplicating data entry and risking natural errors. And start automating and systematizing your efforts so you can start scaling your business today. 

Who Needs PIM? 

As a business owner, you have several tools you need to successfully run your business. Unfortunately, one important tool you might be neglecting is one that manages your product information.

If you sell a product, then you need a PIM. Product information management software can make your business life so much easier. It allows you to track what you’re selling and catalog it for easy reference. 

Do you sell your product on various online seller websites? What happens when you add a new online distributor? Do you have an employee manually enter all the information about each product in your entire product line into that retailer’s database? 

Or would you rather be able to connect your database with your new retailer and eliminate the entire onboarding process? If you answered yes, then you need a PIM for your business. 

So, whether you’re a digital marketer or an eCommerce manager or a store owner, you need a quality PIM software to streamline your work. 

What Are the Benefits Of PIM? 

A PIM gives one central location to keep all the pertinent information about your products. It also gives you one streamlined way to send that information upstream to your online sellers such as Google, Amazon, and any other retailer you work with. 

By having your product information in a database you can also link images, videos, product guides, and buyers guides. This way you can see at a glance all your digital assets for each product in your product line. 

Automate the process of data entry for each of your online retailers. Never duplicate your work again, enter it once and send it everywhere it needs to go immediately. Not only do you eliminate the manual entry but you also eliminate duplicating manual updating each time you update a product or image. Update once in your database, and that information is automatically conveyed upstream immediately. 

Increase productivity, reduce overhead, eliminate waste, and create a lean system to keep your product list updated and optimized. 

Not only will your team benefit from eliminating all their duplicate and manual data entry, but your customers will benefit as well. Don’t create confusion if they see your product on Amazon and the specifications or descriptions are different from other online retailers.

Discrepancies will create doubt and destroy trust with your brand. Instead, ensure one unified product description across all channels. This will ensure your customers can trust what they’re getting when they purchase your products.

What Is the ROI of a Quality PIM?

It can be difficult to calculate a quantitative return on investment for your product information management software. As you can see there are several qualitative benefits. These include eliminating redundancy and improving customer experience. 

However, how can you put a number on whether or not a PIM software program will benefit your company? One way to do this is to look at your current conversion rates and your current product returns. 

If you even improved your conversion rate by one percent and decreased your product returns by one percent, what would that do for your bottom line? And we would argue that you could reasonably expect to see both of these numbers improve much more than one percent with the help of a streamlined information database. 

Your product line is your biggest asset. You need to organize and catalog all the information about your products in one central location. And a PIM is the perfect answer for your business. 

We urge you to look at your current numbers if you want to put a quantitative value on your ROI for an investment such as a PIM. Then you can see what it will mean for your business to improve them without adding new products, increasing staff, or pushing your sales department to close more clients. 

Why You Need PIM Systems

Data consistency and data quality can be hard to manage without proper tools or systems. Redundant systems and software programs can make your data management a nightmare as you grow your business. 

Are you relying on an employee (or worse, doing it yourself) to enter all the information each time you bring on a new retailer? By using a PIM, you can eliminate redundancy for your team. But you can also streamline the onboarding process and provide a uniform experience to all your customers who come across your product on various platforms. 

When you systematize the entire information management process for your product line you will reach a place you can scale your business to the next level. Don’t ever again feel that pit in the bottom of your stomach when your team tells you they closed another distributor account.

Instead, celebrate the additional platform to sell your product while you quickly add your new retailer to your PIM. Watch as your entire product line is automatically uploaded to their website and mobile app. Sit back knowing that everything is streamlined and correctly classified and organized. 

This is what a PIM system can do for your business. And this is why a PIM can lead to being able to scale your business. So, if you’re ready to move up to the next level in your business then you need a robust PIM system today. 

What Can You Do With PIM? 

Businesses today are inundated with big data every day. Streamlining and analyzing that data has become an industry of its own. But what is a business like yours to do when managing all this data? You need a way to catalog and access this information and data quickly and easily. 

The more products you have in your product line, and the more people you have managing your product line, the greater your chances for errors and inconsistencies. This is what a PIM can do for you. It can take out the inconsistency and it can negate the need for redundant and duplicate data entry. 

You enter your product data one time and it is available for everyone on your team immediately. You update that product information over time and all your retailers are automatically updated as well. Stop worrying about whether or not the information about your product is up to date or accurate and start getting back to running your successful business today. 

So, don’t shy away from the investment in a software program that will streamline your efficiency and improve your productivity for all your teams. This is what you can do with a quality product information management software program. Your business is growing and that is good, but if you’re constantly needing to go back to previous product listings to update them then you’re not making good use of your time. 

Instead, you need to streamline your systems and manage your processes so that you can get back to growing your business. 

How to Choose the Right PIM for Your Business

There are several different types of product information software programs available. And it doesn’t matter if you choose one that is open-source, SaaS, cloud-based, or a standalone software program. The most important thing is that you choose the right option for your specific business. 

What does matter is that your chosen software program has the features you need to properly manage the data and information about your product line. In order to choose the right software program to properly catalog your product line, look for these important features: 

• One centralized system rather than several software programs and file sharing systems
• Streamlined database management without any duplicate data entry
• Standardized content publication
• Integration with all the major online retailers’ platforms and apps
• Ability to manage and create categories seamlessly
• Capability for bulk editing, optimizing, uploading, and distribution
• Capability for scaling on a large level

You want to grow your business. So start getting your product line into a quality product information management software system today. Don’t wait until you have hundreds of products in your line, do it now so you can grow and scale with ease. 

Don’t Struggle With Your Product Line Information Any Longer

As a business owner, you need a way to manage all the information about your product line. And you don’t want to cringe every time you add a new product or strike up a new relationship with an additional retailer.

After all, growing your product line is great for business. And now your product information management software program can take care of all the details for you. You and your team can save time, money, and several headaches by having all your product information in one centralized database.

So, don’t wait any longer, invest in a software that is powerful enough to do all this for you so you can get back to running your business. And if you’re not the decision-maker in your company, bookmark this article so you can share it with the right person to make this important upgrade so you can scale your business today.

For more great information on this and other topics, check out the rest of our blog. 

40-60% of students report that they have suffered test-taking anxiety before. Around 40% of people suffer from it each time they take a test. These high levels of stress can lead to poor performance, as well as yield negative health effects.

Yet taking tests doesn’t have to be as difficult as many people make it out to be. In fact, by taking a practice exam and implementing different study tips, you’ll feel confident and ready to excel. 

Keep reading to learn about some different test study tips that can help you ace any exam in your path. 

Understand the Exam Format 

Before you take any exam, you should have a clear understanding of what the test format is like. Once you do, you’ll know what to prepare, and also how to go about getting ready.

Many exams have practice and review books that you can buy. These can help teach you about the test format, and also provide you with strategies for how to answer different types of questions.

Talk to People Who’ve Taken the Test

If you know anyone who has taken the test, you should make sure to pick their brain and ask them any questions you may have. They can help paint a clearer picture of what the test looks like. They can also tell you different strategies and tips to be successful.

If you don’t have any connections who’ve taken the test, try browsing through different online forums. Many sites offer places where first-time test takers can ask people who’ve taken the exam questions. 

Take a Practice Exam

Once you understand the test format, it can be a good idea to take some practice tests. Although the questions will be different, practice tests can give you experience with the test content, as well as the format.

Try setting up a timer and pretending that the test is the real deal. After you finish, check your results and see which areas you need to improve upon. 

Check out some of these products to find the practice test you need.

Prepare Your Mind and Body 

Although it can be tempting to stay up late and cram the night before a test, getting a good night’s sleep is essential. When you’re well-rested, your brain works better, and you’re more likely to test better. Clear your mind, understand that you’ve prepared as well as you can, and sleep early.

You should also make sure to eat a good breakfast the morning of the test. You don’t want to have a growling stomach distract you from the test questions. 

Try These Tips to Do Well on a Test

If you have a big or important exam coming up, you might be wondering how to go about preparing for it. Yet by following this guide, trying these study tips, and taking a practice exam or two, you’re certain to do well. 

Do you have any other good study tips? Let us know in a comment below!

If you enjoyed this article, don’t forget to check out some of our other blog posts to read more guides and tips.

In the subscription box business, there are about 7,000 different companies all around the world. 

Whether you’re offering a box business or a different type of subscription business, you’ll have a lot of competition to go up against. 

In order to have a successful subscription business, you’ll have to follow these steps!

Come Up With a Great Idea

First, you need to have a great idea. You might have a lot of ideas that you brainstormed in the shower, but you also need to do a little bit of research. 

It might seem like every business out there fills every need, but there are still plenty of gaps that are waiting to be filled. There are all kinds of good ideas, so try and make sure that you don’t get stuck on just one idea. 

Keep in mind when doing your research – try to find a niche that isn’t overcrowded. If you can do that, you won’t have as much competition to battle against. 

However, while you should find a specific niche, you should also make sure that there are plenty of people who will still need your service or product. 

You’ll also have to come up with something that you can actually afford and bring to life. While it’s important to chase your dreams, you’ll need to be realistic as well. 

Figure Out What Kind of Subscription to Offer

Once you’ve figured out what your product or service will be, you should figure out what kind of subscription you’re going to offer. 

There are two main different types of subscriptions that you can offer for your customers: pay-as-you-go and subscribe-and-save.

If you go with the pay-as-you-go option, you’ll offer a monthly or weekly mix of products or services. The customers can either select these products themselves, they could have you choose based on their preferences, or you could send them a mystery option. 

With pay as you go, they’ll have to subscribe to a fee for a little bit and then pay for some of the options they want. They’ll have to remember to renew their subscription, and you won’t automatically do it for them.

However, if you have a subscribe-and-save model, you will automatically unsubscribe them. 

This is great for people who need your product on a consistent basis and are too busy to remember to do it themselves. If you do decide to use this option, you should check out this recurring billing software.

Do Research on Your Competitors

Once you’ve figured out what type of model you’ll offer, you need to start doing research on your competitors. 

Regardless of what niche you choose, you’ll probably have a few competitors. The chances are small that you’ll have a brand new product, so you need to look around and see what your competitors are offering.

What prices are they charging? How good is the quality of their product or service? What are they doing right, and what are they doing wrong?

One of the best ways for your brand to succeed is to find out what your competitors are doing and try to find a way to do it better.

Create Your Brand

You want people to recognize you based on your brand name, identity, and logo. As a new company, you’ll have to do a little bit of foundational work since you probably can’t start launching your products yet.

However, you can start doing this by finding someone to create a logo or do it yourself. Find something that you feel really represents your brand and then make sure it’s consistent.

It needs to be on all your marketing things, any websites, social media, packaging, or emails. Over time, your customers will come to equate your logo with a great brand that they love. 

Create a Budget

In order to run your business well, you need to have a master budget so that you don’t end up losing more money than you’re making. 

You’ll have to figure out how much you want your customers to pay in order to make a profit. This means that you’ll have to figure out how much it costs to sell them that product or service.  If you need packaging, you’ll also have to take into account that cost. 

Other things to consider include marketing, SEO, making a website, paying employees, and anything else. Once you’ve figured out some of those factors, you’ll have a good starting point to get your business off the ground. 

Start Taking Orders and Launch Your Business

Once you’ve done all of those, now you’re ready to actually start selling your product!

You should create some type of launch event (whether it’s online or in-person) to get people excited and to attract a bunch of interested customers.

On your website, you can have them sign up for exclusive information and deals on your launch. 

Once you have several people interested, you’ll have to make sure that you have all your suppliers and employees lined up and ready to handle the launch of your business. 

Learn More About How to Start Your Subscription Business

These are only a few things to learn about starting a subscription business, but there are many more tips out there!

We know that starting any type of business can be stressful and overwhelming, but we’re here to help you!

If you enjoyed this article, make sure that you explore our website to find more articles just like this one!

There is a high demand for skilled workers in manufacturing right now. 

If you’re thinking of a career change or deciding what your career should be, Computer Aided Manufacturing could be a great choice. 

In this article, we explain what CAM is and what you can do with it.

What Is Computer Aided Manufacturing?

Computer Aided Manufacturing or CAM is an automated production process using machines and computers. A skilled worker uses software to tell a computer what to do and the computer tells the machine to do it.

It’s widely used as a means to cut costs and increase standards, accuracy, and efficiency in the mass production of products.

CAD, CAM, and CNC

You might hear any of the abbreviations above and think they are the same thing. Whilst they are all linked, they are different.

CAD is Computer Aided Design. This is the process of figuring out how something will look and how it will work. It’s designing a product using specific parameters on programs such as AutoCAD or Solidworks. 

It produces a 3D model on the screen which represents the final item and can be easily edited by changing the parameters of the existing design.

CAM is the process of physically making that design a reality. There are various machines, tools, and processes it applies to. 

CNC is Computer Numeric Control. It’s one of the ways you can guide and control the machinery and tools in CAM. CNC will specify the paths for tools and set the speeds the tools work at.

How Can I Learn About CAM?

A CAM course will teach you the different applications for Computer Aided Manufacturing. It will also introduce you to different software and how to use them to program the machinery. 

Courses are available all over the country from different colleges or adult learning providers. For example, consider this Florida CAM course. 

Computer Aided Manufacturing Jobs

There are many careers in Computer Aided Manufacturing or similar fields. These include:

• Mechanical Engineer
• CNC Operator
• CNC Programmer
• Design Engineer
• Machinist

Industries using CAM include aerospace, automotive, chemical and medical technology, military, or engineering.

CAM jobs can pay around $34,000 to $60,000 a year on average. You will usually require a qualification or technical certification. Some positions may be available at entry-level without experience but some knowledge would be advantageous. 

Different jobs will be varied. You could be manufacturing nuts, bolts, and screws. Or you could be creating tools and dies for another manufacturing process. CAM could even lead to work with jewelry and precious stones or metals. 

Keep Reading!

You can find more great articles, interviews, and tips on our website. We cover everything from home and business topics to entertainment and lifestyle. 

Why not check out our article on things you should know before starting an engineering firm. Or find out how to work at home in comfort with our top tips!

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