Pimcore: a Guide for Managers

This article was reviewed and updated on June 21st, 2023

Pimcore is a product information management platform used by over 80,000 companies in 56 countries – including Burger King, AUDI, IKEA, and T-Mobile. In this article, we answer common questions businesses have about Pimcore.

1. What is Pimcore?

Pimcore is an enterprise-class, open-source platform that enables the centralized management of:

• Product data (PIM/MDM). 
• Customer data and user experience (CMS/UX).
• Digital assets (DAM).

Pimcore provides a solid foundation with general functionalities for all types of web applications. It enables the rapid development and scaling of new solutions. Pimcore allows you to integrate, consolidate, and manage any type and amount of data from multiple sources within your organization. This includes:

• ERP
• MDM
• XLS or CSV files
• Text files
• Independent databases.

2. What makes Pimcore different from other solutions?

Pimcore is unlike ERP systems (which are used to manage enterprise resources) or e-commerce platforms (which allow online sales to be handled); it focuses primarily on product information. It automatically pulls data from multiple integrated systems and ensures that product catalog information is always up-to-date, consistent, and tailored to the needs of different sales channels and devices.

What distinguishes Pimcore from other PIM-class solutions?

• The high flexibility of the system and the ability to tailor it to the individual needs of the organization.
• An API-based development ecosystem that allows you to create new extensions or download ready-made extensions (e.g. a plugin that adds the functionality of a full-fledged e-commerce store).
• The 130+ global partners support entrepreneurs in implementations and help create customized solutions.

3. What data types are supported by Pimcore?

Pimcore supports and allows the user to freely model more than 40 data types, including:

• Documents (e.g. DOC, XLS, CSV, PDF files).
• Photos and graphics.
• Video files.
• Sound files.

The system can use these rich content files to create attractive and engaging product descriptions.

A great example of rich content used in a product card is Amazon Kindle.

4. What data can be accessed using Pimcore?

Data in Pimcore is divided into three groups:

• Documents - Web templates that can present data and be shared.
• Assets - Files used in the system, i.e. photos, mp3, PDF.
• Data objects - All the objects created in the system based on predefined classes.

Data management is performed from the admin panel. Pimcore allows storing data in nested folders and searching for information by field values. This gives the user an intuitive search engine and instant access to information.

In addition, the system provides grid functionality that enables the creation of filter definitions with any type of data presentation and relationships. In the admin panel, you can also easily edit data, create customized charts, and export them if you need a more detailed analysis.

5. Does Pimcore impose its data model? Or is it flexible?

Pimcore does not impose its data model. After installation, you configure everything yourself. This allows the customization of data structures to meet client-specific business needs.

To create a new data class, you’ll define and configure all the necessary fields and their types. These could include:

• SKU code. 
• ISBN code. 
• Name.
• Description. 
• Price.
• Photos and videos.
• Other custom fields.

Then you can create relationships between classes, define the hierarchy of product categories or statuses, and set the requirements for data validation. Immediately after completing the class structure, you can supplement the system with newly created objects (class instances).

6. Is Pimcore scalable?

Pimcore is a highly scalable platform. It can be used by small businesses and multinational enterprises that manage huge digital assets and millions of users.

Pimcore can process vast amounts of data in real-time. In addition, its software provides consistency ties and informs the user if another employee is changing any product information.

The number of administrators and users does not reduce Pimcore’s functionality or performance. This scalability is the result of constantly updated technologies, i.e. MySQL, PHP, Elastic Search, MongoDB, and Varnish.

7. How is Pimcore implemented?

Deployment involves installing the application on your server or a dedicated Cloud solution. Then you need to properly configure the environment and implement specific functionalities and integrations to meet business requirements.

Each Pimcore implementation is different and largely depends on the project and its factors. These include the:

• Amount and quality of data.
• Number and type of data sources.
• Business needs and goals (e.g. the international nature of the business).
• Integrations with external systems (e.g. MDM, ERP, e-commerce, CMS).
• Number of processes supported.
• Number of people responsible for the data.

Pimcore, thanks to its modularity, can be implemented in small stages; this is very beneficial for long-term transformation. It is important to remember that it is not OOTB software that’s ready to use right away. You will need the help of an experienced technology partner to start using Pimcore.

8. How much does it cost to implement Pimcore?

Implementation costs depend on which Pimcore version you choose:

1. Pimcore Community - A free version that provides all basic functionalities and unlimited data under the GPLv3 (free and open source software) license. It does not include technical support.
2. Pimcore Enterprise - A commercial version that includes access to all enterprise extensions, long-term support (LTS), SLA support, and additional employee training and consulting.
3. Pimcore Unlimited - An extended Enterprise version that includes unlimited system installations and customization of Cloud solutions to meet user-specific needs.

Pimcore Community provides access to basic functionalities that meet most companies’ requirements. In addition, you can buy packages of a fixed number of support hours; these can be purchased independently of your license. Paid versions of the system are designed primarily for organizations that expect long-term support (LTS) and technical support covered by an SLA.

9. What affects the cost of maintaining Pimcore?

The cost of Pimcore implementation and maintenance depends on many factors, such as:

• The amount of data processed.
• The number of dedicated functionalities.
• Integrations with internal systems.
• Type of hosting.
• Additional technical support.

Application maintenance costs can be optimized in many ways. For example, you can save on application hosting by implementing Pimcore Enterprise as a Cloud/PaaS tool. Establishing precise guidelines for executing specific processes will also be a tremendous help. The more time and effort you devote to analyzing your needs, the easier and cheaper it will be to maintain the system.

Pimcore allows you to secure and protect data from inconsistencies by creating integrity bonds. They are rules that objects must follow, e.g. which fields are mandatory or non-editable, what values they can take, what relationships must exist between them, etc. Pimcore also enables the creation of roles for users so that they see only the information they need in the system. All this translates into better data management, which results in reduced maintenance costs.

10. Does Pimcore allow integration with other tools?

Pimcore is an open-source tool based on the Symfony framework, which has been intensively developed and supported for many years. Integration tools using REST API, SOAP, and GraphQL are an integral part of the ecosystem.

The large community gathered around this technology allows for tremendous programming flexibility. This makes it possible to quickly and effectively implement integrations with any external systems; you can also become a data provider yourself. Pimcore can be integrated with:

• MDM
• CMS
• ERP
• DAM
• e-commerce
• Marketplaces
• Other tools

We offer Software Development Kits (SDKs) for integrations with popular tools like Amazon Web Service, Azure, and Google Cloud; these SDKs provide the necessary programming interfaces. Clients can also write their own dedicated integrations and process data in any way they want, taking advantage of everything the PHP ecosystem offers.

11. How can Pimcore support sales?

Pimcore supports sales in many areas using features like:

• Content management across multiple sales channels (content as a service).
• Mobile marketing.
• Marketing automation.
• Multilingualism.
• Search engine optimization.
• CX personalization.
• Behavioral targeting.
• User profiling and data collection.

Implementing Pimcore leads to improving the product data used in sales support materials and marketing content. The freedom to model data, create a presentation layer, and integrate with any e-commerce tools and marketplaces (e.g. eBay, Amazon, Allegro) allows new products to be launched faster and across multiple sales channels.

What problems can a PIM system solve?

Marketing performance optimization tools allow you to create personalized offers and increase user engagement. Quickly sharing content across multiple sites and apps helps build a consistent customer experience throughout the purchase path and at every touchpoint with the brand.

12. How does Pimcore protect stored data?

Pimcore ensures the maintenance of all the latest standards related to application security based on the PHP Standards Recommendations (PSR) and developed by the PHP Framework Interop Group (PHP-FIG). Data is protected against threats, i.e. XSS, CSRF, and SQL injection. Problems and security risks can be reported directly to developers via the Pimcore Security form.

Pimcore also protects data from human errors. Nearly 75% of data breaches are caused by inadequate employee privilege management. With data syndication, Pimcore allows complete control over which information collected in the system will be available to which users. This approach further enhances security, e.g. by eliminating the risk of sensitive data leaks through external services like email.

Omnichannel strategy support

Pimcore's product information management system is the foundation for successful omnichannel sales. Organizing product information and making it more accessible within the organization is the first step to building consistent and engaging content across multiple sales channels. Implementing Pimcore increases team productivity by automating sales processes (e.g. new product launches), enhances the quality of the offer presented, and improves the customer experience.