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Cyril Dorogan Gepard PIM E-Commerce Consultant
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Cyril Dorogan
CCO at Gepard
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Cyril Dorogan Gepard PIM E-Commerce Consultant
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Mastering The PI Standard: Optimization of Product Information Across Industries

6 min read
Published: October 23, 2024

The PI Standard is a critical framework designed to standardize product information within the home appliance industry. Developed and maintained by Applia, this standard ensures that manufacturers, retailers, and consumers have access to consistent, accurate, and easily accessible product details. As digital communication and e-commerce grow, having a unified approach to managing PI Certified product information has become essential across industries.

With approximately 402.74 million terabytes of data created daily and a global Big Data market valued at USD 348 billion, companies need robust standards like PI to handle this data explosion efficiently. By setting clear guidelines for product data, the PI Standard simplifies the exchange of information, enhances consumer trust, and improves operational efficiency for businesses in the home appliance sector. The industry-wide standard is essential for supporting common structure and electronic communication across all players, ensuring electronic availability of data.

What is PI Standard?

The PI Standard is a complete framework designed to digitally organize and communicate PI Certified product information for home appliance manufacturers, making them PI-certified companies. Developed by Applia, it was intended to address the need for consistent and reliable product data across the industry.

The PI-certified initiative emerged from the growing demand for digital communication solutions that simplify how manufacturers, retailers, and consumers interact with PI Certified product information. In 2023, the European home appliance market saw over 113 million large appliances traded, though there was a slight decline in some categories compared to 2022.

The PI Standard covers a wide range of 118 product groups included in the PI-certified product information, including everything from small kitchen appliances to large household items like washing machines and ovens. Its primary goals are to create a unified approach for managing PI Certified product details and to ensure that this information is presented in a clear and accessible manner. By focusing on electronic format and communication, the PI Standard streamlines data management, making it easier for businesses to provide accurate and up-to-date PI Certified information across various platforms.

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The Role of Applia

Applia is a leading organization representing home appliance manufacturers across Europe. Its primary mission is to establish industry-wide standards that promote consistency, transparency, and efficiency in PI Certified product information management. The PI-certified initiative plays a crucial role in global trade by helping European manufacturers align their practices with international standards, ensuring that their products are competitive and compliant worldwide.

Applia’s journey began in the late 1990s when the rapid growth of the internet highlighted the need for standardized digital communication in the home appliance industry. Why was the PI-certified initiative developed? Recognizing the importance of clear and consistent product data, Applia developed the PI Standard as a tool to streamline information sharing and PI integration, data processing among manufacturers, top retailers, and consumers.

Today, over two-thirds of the world’s data is user-generated, creating immense pressure on manufacturers to manage data effectively. By uniting manufacturer brands like Samsung, LG, Philips, and Whirlpool under one framework, Applia strengthens the European home appliance market’s position on the global stage, fostering trust and reliability in product communication through innovation.

Components of the PI Standard

The PI Standard is structured to provide accurate and clear PI Certified product information, ensuring that all relevant details are accessible and consistent. It is divided into several key components:

Components of the PI Standard

  • Basic Information

This section includes essential details such as the brand name, product name, GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), color, dimensions, and weight. These details create a foundational profile for each PI Certified product, making it easy for retailers and consumers to identify and compare products accurately, contributing to product differentiation.

  • Energy Label Information

This component focuses on energy characteristics, water usage, and other environmental metrics. Providing standardized energy labels allows consumers to make informed decisions based on the efficiency and environmental impact of the products they choose. For manufacturers and retailers, this transparency builds trust and demonstrates a commitment to eco-design, all in line with PI Standard formats.

  • Product Features

This section highlights the technical information of products, such as heating and cooling options for appliances like ovens or refrigerators. It also includes specific functionalities like wash cycles for washing machines. By detailing these product’s key features, the PI Standard helps consumers understand what they can expect from each PI Certified product, allowing them to choose appliances that best fit their needs.

  • Marketing & Communication

This component sets guidelines for how brands present their products visually and descriptively. It includes specifications for product images, logo placement, and other visual elements. These guidelines ensure that marketing information is consistent across platforms, helping manufacturers maintain a consistent brand identity and giving retailers the tools they need to showcase PI Certified products effectively.

How This Data Benefits Stakeholders

  • For Consumers: Clear, accurate product information makes it easier to compare PI Certified options and choose the right products, increasing consumer satisfaction and confidence.
  • For Manufacturers: Consistent product data management improves brand integrity and reduces errors, saving time and resources while ensuring a positive market presence for PI Certified products.
  • For Retailers: Access to organized, standardized PI Standard formats simplifies the sales process, helping retailers present PI Certified products accurately and boosting sales effectiveness.

By incorporating these components, the PI Standard delivers a complete and transparent view of products, benefiting all stakeholders involved.

Challenges and Advantages of the PI Standard

Implementing the PI Standard comes with its set of challenges, but the advantages it brings far outweigh the difficulties. Here’s a closer look at both:

Challenges

  1. Managing Multiple Standards. Manufacturers often need to comply with various standards across different markets. Aligning all PI standardised formats while ensuring compliance with other regional regulations can be demanding.
  2. Language Compatibility and Frequent PI Standard updates. Providing product information in multiple languages requires significant effort, especially when product details are frequently updated. Ensuring that all versions remain accurate and up-to-date demands a robust data management system.
  3. Data Handling Across Diverse Markets. Distributing and managing PI Certified product information in diverse markets with varying requirements adds complexity to data processing. Manufacturers must ensure that the information aligns with the specific needs and standards of each market, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Advantages

Despite these challenges, the PI Standard offers significant benefits for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers:

  • For Manufacturers. The PI Standard allows manufacturers to have greater control over their PI Certified product information. By standardizing data, they can reduce manual data manipulation and transaction costs and streamline communication with trade partners, ensuring that all parties work with consistent and accurate details.
  • For Retailers. With access to structured and consistent PI Certified product information, retailers can efficiently present accurate details to consumers. This consistency builds trust and reduces errors, enhancing the overall customer experience.
  • For Consumers. The PI Standard provides consumers with easy access to reliable and transparent product information, helping them make informed purchasing decisions. This clarity leads to higher satisfaction, as customers feel confident in their product comparison of PI Certified choices.

By addressing these challenges and maximizing its advantages, the PI Standard becomes a valuable tool for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and trust in the home appliance industry.

The Role of PIM Systems in PI Standard Compliance

Future changes to the PI Standard will require even more automation and compliance tools. Product Information Management (PIM) systems play a vital role in helping manufacturers and retailers automate and manage data exports to comply with the PI Standard. These systems streamline the process of organizing, updating, and distributing PI Certified product information, ensuring that it remains consistent and up-to-date across all platforms and markets.

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Automating Compliance with PIM Systems

A PIM system acts as a centralized hub for managing all PI Certified product information, making it easier for businesses to align their data with the PI Standard. By automating the export and update processes, PIM systems minimize manual errors, reduce the time required for updates, and help businesses maintain accurate product information effortlessly.

Gepard PIM: A Case in Point

Gepard PIM is an example of how a PIM system can support PI Standard compliance effectively. Gepard’s platform provides tools that allow manufacturers and retailers to automatically map, optimize, and export product data in line with PI Standard requirements. It ensures that PI Certified product information is structured correctly and meets all necessary standards, simplifying the compliance process for businesses.

By utilizing Gepard PIM, companies can easily manage large-scale product data, handle updates across different markets and languages, and ensure that information remains consistent and accurate. This automation not only enhances efficiency but also accelerates time-to-market, enabling manufacturers and retailers to stay competitive and responsive in a fast-changing market.

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Benefits of PIM Integration

  • Scalability: PIM systems, like Gepard, are designed to handle vast amounts of PI Certified data, making it possible for businesses to manage large product catalogs efficiently.
  • Efficiency: Automating data exports and updates reduces the time and effort needed to maintain compliance, freeing up resources for other business activities.
  • Consistency: By centralizing PI Certified product information, PIM systems ensure that all data shared with retailers and consumers is consistent and accurate, strengthening brand trust and customer satisfaction.

Implementing a PIM system is essential for businesses looking to streamline their product information management processes while staying compliant with the PI Standard, ultimately enhancing their operational efficiency and market presence.

Conclusion

Mastering the PI Standard is crucial for manufacturers and retailers aiming to streamline their PI Certified product information and maintain consistency across markets. By adhering to this standard, businesses can provide reliable, accessible, and transparent data that builds trust with consumers and enhances operational efficiency. To know what is Product Information (PI) and making it standardized not only simplifies processes but also improves the overall customer experience, making it a valuable tool for anyone in the home appliance industry.

For businesses looking to simplify and automate their compliance with the PI Standard, incorporating a PIM system like Gepard can be a game-changer. Gepard PIM offers a seamless solution for managing large-scale product data, ensuring information remains consistent, up-to-date, and in line with the latest requirements.

Explore how Gepard PIM can help optimize your product information management and stay ahead in today’s competitive market. Contact us to see how we can support your business needs and streamline your path to PI Certified compliance.

Cyril Dorogan Gepard PIM E-Commerce Consultant
Written by Cyril Dorogan
CCO at Gepard
Dedicated professional with more than 15 years of professional background in the eCommerce domain. Helping companies with Product Data syndication and eCommerce solutions, striving for success, and focusing on dedicated customer service. Cyril has implemented a range of eCommerce solutions for a variety of companies as Amazon, GS1, HP, Dell, Rakuten, Elkjop, Lazada. He is passionate about making business processes streamlined and growing the companies' operational efficiency by fulfilling eCommerce automation.

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