Amazon S3
Amazon S3 is a cloud-based storage platform available in Amazon Web Services (AWS). Feeds and channels can be used to transfer data securely between Pimberly and an Amazon S3 bucket.
See also: FTP and SFTP.
Attribute
Attributes represent the data stored about a product, such as a product name, description, size or colour. Attributes can be one of several standard types, for example plain text, number, or currency; or they can be more complex types such as media sets (to store product images, for example) or product sets (a list of other related products). Certain attributes can have different input types, such as single-select or free-typed list, or validation options such as minimum length.
Attributes are organised logically into Attribute Sets.
Attribute Set
Attribute Sets are used to organise attributes into logical groups to help users when viewing and maintaining product data. They are only visible within Pimberly and are not included in any data that gets exported via channels or ad-hoc exports.
Whilst it's useful to organise attributes into attribute sets, having too many sets can make management of your attributes more complex, for example when setting up schema taxonomies.
Each attribute must belong to one attribute set, but attributes can usually be moved from one attribute set to another if required. Attributes can also be reorganised within an attribute set to change the displayed order.
There must always be one default attribute set, which is usually called Basic Attributes. This contains any attributes that are common across all product types and schemas. Typical attributes in the default attribute set are Description and Part Number. Any attribute that might only be required for certain product types or other conditions should not be included in the default attribute set, as every attribute in the default set is shown on every product.
Auto-populate rule
An auto-populate rule is a feature of Media Set attributes, allowing assets to be assigned to products automatically. For example, an auto-populate rule could be configured so that when importing an asset with filename PIM_001.jpg, the asset would be automatically added to the media set on product PIM_001.
Category Tree
Category Trees are hierarchical sets of product categories. They can represent the categorisation of products from different perspectives of the business or of one (or more) channel or website. A product can be associated with as many categories as required, either within the same, or across several category trees.
For example, the business might have an internal merchandising category tree, with the category path Menswear / Tops / Shirts, and a website hierarchy which includes Men's / Formal / Shirts and Men's / Sale.
A product's categorisation is often exported in the data sent to e-commerce platforms.
Assignment of a product at a certain level of product type, e.g. Colour, doesn’t get inherited by the parent or child products. Usually, categorisation is only at one product type level but could be at multiple if required.
Channels
A channel allows data to be exported from Pimberly, often to be processed by downstream systems. Channels can be file-based, for example exporting data to a CSV file, with that file uploaded to an FTP server or S3 bucket, or they can target integrations using our REST API.
Channels define an attribute mapping, specifying which product attributes will be included, and can include media transformations (such as converting an image to a different file format), expressions, and filters.
CopyAI
CopyAI is a feature of Pimberly that allows product descriptions to be added to products automatically using a generative text model powered by ChatGPT. By passing in key attributes such as brand, product title and keywords, and a detailed prompt, CopyAI can generate a number of alternative product descriptions that can then be reviewed and added to products.
Data set
Data sets are used to restrict an attribute to a predefined set of values. For example, a product colour might be limited to specific values. Data sets can contain multiple columns, with different columns being used for the attribute value compared to the label shown to users, or columns for different locale-specific values.
DAM (Digital Asset Management)
DAM, which stands for Digital Asset Management is a function integrated into a PIM platform that helps clients store their product assets, such as brand logos, product logos, product images, and media files. In Pimberly, the DAM is available using the Media function on the toolbar.
Decision Table
Decision tables allows admins to configure workflow actions based on specified conditions in an easy-to-use format. Decision table rules are evaluated from top to bottom, and compared to workflows, are more suited to lists of similar, repetitive rules.
ERP
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) refers to a type of software that organisations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, project management, risk management and compliance, and supply chain operations.
As standard, a company’s ERP sits behind a PIM platform helping customers manage their product information in one central repository with the ERP powering product pricing and stock level attributes.
ETIM
European Technical Information Model (ETIM) allows companies to structure disorganised data; it can give any electrical or tech type item a clear straightforward description. Every product is assigned to one specific article class and defined with all its relevant features.
Feeds
Feeds bring data into Pimberly from external sources. They can be set up to import data automatically from an FTP, FTPS or SFTP server, a file hosted on a website, or to allow third-party systems to push data to Pimberly through our REST API. Feeds can be run on demand or on a regular schedule.
FTP and SFTP
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) are network protocols used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network.
Pimberly feeds and channels support transferring data using the following protocols:
- unencrypted FTP connections
- secure FTPS connections where the connection is encrypted using TLS
- secure SFTP connections where the connection is secured using SSH
See also: Amazon S3.
Grading
Grading is a feature of Pimberly that allows admins to add an at-a-glance assessment of product data quality based on customisable rules.
GS1
GS1 provides unique numbers to identify, capture and share information on any product, asset or location. Their barcodes and unique number structure allow companies within the retail, online, foodservice to complete, real-time inventory picture of all products.
Lifecycles
Lifecycles comprise of a Lifecycle Template, linked to a Schema and a number of Lifecycle Stages, and represent the various stages of a product's route to being made available for sale. For example, a new product may need to go through Enrichment, Photography and Marketing stages, before reaching On Sale and eventually Discontinued stages.
Each stage can define requirements which must be met before a product can move to the next stage, and stages can be used to prevent a product which isn't fully enriched being released to channels.
Link ID
A Link ID is an identifier used to match a product in a data file to a product in Pimberly. For example, if products have an EAN attribute that uniquely identifies a product, then EAN can be configured as a Link ID. A feed or import can then be configured to find the product to update using the EAN rather than the Primary ID.
Locales
Locales are used to store language-specific variants of an attribute value. For example, a product description may be stored in English, French and Spanish, to allow different descriptions to be sent to stores in different countries.
A locale is also associated to a currency, controlling the display symbol for currency attributes.
MFA
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA, sometimes known as 2FA for second-factor authentication) adds an extra layer of security to user logins by requiring users to enter more than just their password when logging in.
Users enrol an authenticator app with Pimberly by scanning a QR code. On future logins, when prompted, users enter the code generated by the authenticator app after entering their password.
Multi-factor authentication can help protect unauthorised access to Pimberly if the user's password has become compromised.
PLM
Product lifecycle management (PLM) refers to the management of data and processes used in the design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, and service of a product across its entire lifecycle and across the supply chain.
Product
A product in Pimberly is a document that stores data about your products. This could represent an article (e.g. a t-shirt), a variation (the t-shirt in red) or a SKU (the t-shirt in red, in size small), and may not directly correspond to a SKU in your ERP platform.
By storing data at different product levels, data that is common to all SKUs within an article, such as a description, only needs to be stored in one place. Data that is specific to the variation or SKU is stored on the appropriate product document in Pimberly.
ProductAI
ProductAI is a feature of Pimberly that accesses marketplaces such as Amazon, automatically retrieving key product information (based on EAN, UPC or ASIN) and adding it to products in Pimberly.
Product Type
Product types are used to define the relationship between one or more other products. Product types often describe a hierarchical relationship, such as Style, Colour, Size, or Item and Variant.
All products in Pimberly must belong to a product type, as this defines the attributes that are available to the product, and the products to which it can be related.
For example, in a Style / Colour / Size relationship, the manufacturer, material and washing instructions might be held at Style level; the colour description and price at Colour level; and the SKU code and size at the Size level. Product types are used within the schema to define which attributes are applicable for which Product Types.
Although it is possible to define deeply nested relationships between product types, it is generally best practice to keep to a maximum of three levels as the import and export processes can reach up to three levels. Where more than three are required, this is still possible, but the import and export processes will require more attention.
Releasing products
For a product to be included in a channel export, it needs to be released to the channel. Users can release products via the product edit view, the toolbar, or they can be released automatically using workflows.
Schemas
A schema defines the structure, access control and automation rules for a set of products. In most cases, a single product schema with a taxonomy representing your product classes is sufficient. More complex configurations however, may require the use of multiple schemas to segment data, access control and automation between different types of product.
Scopes
Scopes provide the ability to hold variations of an attribute value intended for different sales channels. Through scoping, you can hold different versions of the attribute value dependent on where the data is to be used, whether that be branded websites, key clients, or reseller channels like Amazon and eBay. For example, the product title for a product may be different on your marketplace store compared to your main store.
SSO
Single sign-on (SSO) allows user authentication to be federated to a third-party identity provider, such as Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory).
When using SSO, users are redirected to the identity provider during login, enter their credentials, and are redirected back into the application.
Taxonomy
A taxonomy is a key part of a product schema. Taxonomies define a hierarchical structure of product classes, and each class can define the attributes that are available for each configured product type.
For example, the attributes enabled for the Washing Machine class would typically be different to those enabled for the Television class (spin speed vs. screen size, for example). Similarly, the attributes enabled for a Style product may be different to those enabled for Colour and Size products.
A product can only belong to a single taxonomy class within a schema.
Vendor Portal
Vendor Portal is a feature of Pimberly that allows your suppliers to provide product information into your account via files uploaded to a dashboard. Data requested from vendors is controlled via product data templates generated from within Pimberly, allowing for consistency in the data they provide.
Workflow
A workflow is the key component of automation within Pimberly. Workflows are triggered when products or attributes are updated and can be used to release products, update attribute values and more.