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It’s easy for companies to claim they work with data, but for most companies, these claims don’t reflect their daily reality.. Unorganized and scatter systems make internal teams feel lost and push content to everywhere except where customers actually search. This chaos hinders decision-making, erodes trust, and hampers digital growth.

Arnaud Desprez, CEO and Founder of HexaGroup, spoke with Usman Khalid on the Hex-Files Energy Marketing Podcast. Usman is the Founder & CEO of Centric, a long-term strategic partner of HexaGroup.

Usman Khalid explains how PIM and MDM fix this problem. He demonstrates how robust product data can mitigate risk and enable brands to maintain visibility across every channel.

His ideas come from years of building product data systems for global companies, and this guide shares the key lessons from that work. If you want cleaner data, the rest of this article walks you through the main points.

Keep reading for Usman’s clear guidance on this topic. (And check out the full podcast episode here.)

"Companies kept buying new systems and didn't consolidate them."

Data grows fast when teams add tools without a plan, and records end up sitting lost and forgotten. MDM fixes that.

It creates one trusted record for products, suppliers, accounts, and staff. MDM helps because it:

  • Stores core product details in one place
  • Supports privacy laws without panic
  • Reduces risk from outdated files
  • Gives teams clean data to work from

That said, this only works when companies commit to it. MDM is the base of the house. Once it's in place, decisions move faster.

"PIM holds the absolute truth of the product and its assets."

PIM takes this a step further. It stores every detail linked to a product. Specs, weight, pack size, photos, labels, translations, videos, and even banner files. One product. One place. No back and forth.

A clear PIM setup supports:

  • Product creation and review
  • Marketing updates without confusion
  • Legal checks for claims and labels
  • Channel publishing with one push

Most teams feel a sense of relief when PIM arrives. Instead of five tools, they have one home for product content. They publish to websites, partners, and sellers without having to change files repeatedly. This eliminates errors and maintains a consistent brand voice everywhere.

"If a company has more than ten SKUs, it needs a PIM."

Excel works for tiny shops. Once SKU count grows, chaos follows: mistakes will slip through, and work ends up getting repeated. A PIM system stops this early and keeps growth smooth.

Common signs you need PIM:

  • Website data never matches Amazon
  • Customers return items due to wrong specs
  • Teams spend hours fixing things manually
  • Marketplace listings always need repair

One small mismatch can cost money and trust. A product listed as 800W but delivered as 400W results in refunds, negative reviews, and customer frustration. PIM prevents this by syncing product truth everywhere. You don't need to correct mistakes later when you avoid them from the start.

"PIM isn't IT. It's revenue."

Leaders often think PIM belongs to IT, but revenue depends on it. Marketing uses PIM to launch faster. Sales uses it to share correct details. Compliance relies on it for safety labels. IT keeps the system running, but the value sits in growth.

PIM improves:

  • Speed to market
  • Product data quality
  • Cross-team workflows
  • Reporting clarity

When all teams see the same product truth, workflows run more smoothly with less stress. No one waits for missing files. No one digs through email chains. You press publish once and move on.

Even better, leaders can spot why one category sells faster than another by comparing data quality. Clean data shows the real patterns dirty data hides.

"The future won't get easier. It will get faster."

AI’s capabilities allow teams more time to generate product copy, usage ideas, and lifestyle images in minutes, saving time and money.

But AI only works well when product data is clean and ready. The two work best in perfect harmony: PIM feeding AI and AI scaling output.

AI and PIM together help teams:

  • Create lifestyle visuals in bulk
  • Produce local versions of content fast
  • Reduce creative bottlenecks
  • Shorten launch cycles

No one waits six weeks for a photo shoot anymore. A manager can instantly preview ten scenes and select the best. But faster work builds pressure to launch sooner. That's why clean product data matters. PIM handles the structure, allowing AI to handle the volume.

"If you don't act, a competitor will."

Mid-sized companies often delay PIM because they feel busy or unsure. They believe the old method is still effective. Then, one mistake can cost millions, as shipments are returned due to incorrect labels or specifications.

Distributors drop brands that cannot supply correct data. Search engines and AI tools only rank products with clean metadata. Poor structure leads to poor visibility.

Ways to help teams take action:

  • Run a data audit to show gaps
  • Share real ROI, not vague ideas
  • Bring examples from their industry
  • Explain risk in plain business terms

Sometimes disaster forces change, but smart teams move early. In a fast market, speed wins. Clean data lifts discoverability, trust, and sales. PIM provides companies with the foundation to compete harder than ever..

Explore more ideas and practical advice on this topic.

Catch the full conversation with Usman Khalid on The HEX-Files, HexaGroup’s energy marketing podcast for leaders who want real results.

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