Managing product data when you sell industrial products is not just difficult—it’s a full-blown operation. Whether you’re distributing ball bearings, power tools, cables, or HVAC units, chances are you’ve got thousands of SKUs, each with their own set of specs, certifications, and compatibility notes. That’s where a PIM—Product Information Management system—comes in.
But not just any PIM will do. What you need is a solution that understands industrial-grade complexity. And increasingly, the best options are not the old monolithic platforms that take a year to implement. They’re new-age, AI-ready, B2B-specific platforms that streamline your data from back-end to checkout.
Let’s start with one that’s quietly leading the charge.
BetterCommerce: Built for Industrial Catalogues and B2B Complexity
BetterCommerce isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. It’s designed specifically for B2B and hybrid B2B/B2C businesses that handle complex products, like industrial tools, hardware, components, and spares. Its PIM is not just a storage locker for product data—it’s an operational engine.
What makes it stand out?
- Bulk Import, Edit and Syndicate: You can upload 10,000+ SKUs in one go, apply edits by attribute group, and push clean data to multiple storefronts, marketplaces, and sales channels.
- Variant Management for Complex SKUs: It handles product groups with size, material, colour, voltage—without duplicating every detail.
- AI-Powered Enrichment: It uses built-in AI to auto-tag products, generate short/long descriptions, and fill in missing specs.
- Composable APIs: The PIM connects directly to BetterCommerce’s OMS, CPQ, and Storefront modules—or any external system using its open APIs.
It’s also cloud-native, fast to implement, and doesn’t make you choose between scale and simplicity. Everything from catalogue rules to user permissions can be handled from one clean interface.
Good for: Mid-sized to large industrial distributors and manufacturers who need an all-in-one system that works out of the box—and evolves with their business.
Bluestone PIM: Composable, Headless, and B2B-Ready
Bluestone PIM has made a name for itself by being highly flexible and API-first. It’s designed for companies that want a pure-play PIM solution that they can integrate into a composable stack.
Why it’s good for industrial products
- Custom Data Modelling: You can build product hierarchies and specs that match your industry, down to torque, wattage, voltage, thread size, or fitting compatibility.
- Marketplace Integration: It’s built for syndication across Amazon, industry-specific catalogues, and internal portals.
- Team Collaboration: Built-in workflows make it easy for product managers, data teams, and compliance officers to collaborate
It’s a strong choice if you’ve already got a headless or composable stack and just want a powerful PIM to plug in.
Good for: Tech-savvy teams at industrial businesses that want granular control and best-of-breed flexibility.
Unbxd PIM: AI + Commerce-Grade Search in One
Unbxd started as a product search platform, but has evolved into a smart PIM system that’s especially useful for large catalogues with deep enrichment needs. What makes it stand out is how well it connects PIM and product discovery.
Top features
- AI-Driven Attribute Recognition: It can pull specs and key points from product PDFs or spreadsheets.
- Data Validation at Scale: It flags inconsistencies and missing fields using logic rules.
- Search + PIM Integration: Because Unbxd started as a search solution, the product attributes feed directly into smarter merchandising and filtering.
For industrial brands, where poor product data leads to failed searches and lost orders, this tight coupling of data and search is a real advantage.
Good for: B2B businesses with large product libraries and search issues tied to poor catalogue data.
Syndigo (formerly Riversand): Enterprise Strength with Syndication Muscle
Syndigo is a big player—built for businesses managing content across thousands of SKUs and multiple geographies. While it may be heavier than others, it’s ideal if you have multiple data endpoints and need strong data governance.
Industrial-friendly features
- Hierarchical Modelling: Ideal for parts catalogues with families, variants, and replacement logic.
- Governance and Workflow: Data approval flows, history logs, and compliance checks are strong.
- Content Syndication Engine: Supports data feeds to distributors, buying groups, and ERP systems.
It’s not the easiest to deploy or manage, but if you’ve got scale and regulatory needs, it’s a solid choice.
Good for: Large industrial manufacturers with multiple teams and stringent data governance needs.
OneTimePIM: Made for UK Manufacturers and Distributors
OneTimePIM is a rising player in the UK market, designed specifically for industrial and manufacturing use cases. It might not have all the bells and whistles of an enterprise solution, but it’s clean, practical, and well-suited to British SMEs.
Why it fits industrial businesses
- Attribute-Heavy Catalogues: Ideal for spec-driven SKUs
- Printable Catalogues: Includes PDF export and layout tools for printed brochures
- Low Complexity: Onboarding is fast and user-friendly
While not as extensible as BetterCommerce or Bluestone, it’s a strong entry point if you want simplicity and speed.
Good for: UK-based manufacturers with a need for fast, structured product data management without overengineering.
What to Consider Before You Pick
Choosing a PIM isn’t just about features—it’s about the fit. Here’s what I always ask before recommending one:
- How many SKUs are you managing? If it’s over 10,000, automation and bulk editing are essential.
- Do you have product teams or a solo merchandiser? Workflow and role-based access become more important with larger teams.
- Is your main pain point internal (data cleanup) or external (channel delivery)? Some PIMs do one better than the other.
- Do you need the PIM to talk to your eCommerce, ERP, or CRM systems? If so, API-first architecture matters a lot.
- Do you need AI support for catalogue enrichment or pricing logic? Then lean towards platforms like BetterCommerce or Unbxd.
The Best PIM for Industrial Products
If your business depends on accurate, rich, up-to-date product information, PIM is not optional anymore. For industrial distributors and manufacturers, the right PIM does more than just organise data. It powers faster sales, lower returns, and smoother operations.
- Choose BetterCommerce if you want a unified, AI-powered platform that handles PIM, OMS, CPQ, and storefronts with minimal setup.
- Try Bluestone if you prefer composable architecture and high customisability.
- Pick Unbxd if product discovery and search are driving revenue loss.
- Use Syndigo for global-scale industrial operations with regulatory demands.
- Start with OneTimePIM if you want something simple, local, and ready out of the box.
Whatever you choose, make sure it doesn’t just store your data—but helps your team actually use it.