Definition: Catalog Management

What is catalog management?

Catalog management is the process of organizing, updating, and sharing product information to keep it accurate and consistent across all sales and marketing channels. Businesses store product details in one central place, make updates when needed, and ensure their customers can easily find the right products on websites, marketplaces, and printed catalogs.

There are many approaches to catalog management, but the most important aspects are:

Data organization – All product details, like descriptions, images, and prices, are stored in one central system, often referred to as a single source of truth.
Data maintenance – Product details are regularly updated to add new products, fix mistakes, or remove outdated information.
Taxonomy – Products are grouped into clear categories with standardized names. This makes it easier for customers and businesses to search and browse the catalog.
Workflow management – A review and approval process ensures product information is correct before it gets published.
Syndication – The final product details are shared across different channels, like e-commerce websites and online marketplaces, or formatted for print as physical catalogs.

A product information management (PIM) system helps businesses by centralizing product data and offering tools to update, enrich, and syndicate it. With a PIM system, companies can make sure their product information is always correct, easy to manage, and ready for all channels.