The product data of a manufacturer, wholesaler or service provider often lives in several places at once: in the ERP, in spreadsheets, in the webshop and in price lists sent to partners. While the number of products is small, this is manageable, but with thousands of SKUs and multiple sales channels, every change means manual work and room for error.

This article explains what product catalog software is for, how it differs from a PIM system, and when it makes sense to consider a custom solution.

What is product catalog software, and how is it different from a webshop?

A Product catalog software is a central application that stores product and service data in a unified structure and presents it to users in a searchable way. Its main job is not selling but making sure that accurate, up-to-date and comparable information is available for every product.

A webshop is built around the buying process: cart, payment and shipping. A product catalog, by contrast, is built around data: attributes, categories, documents, images and the relationships between them. In many companies the two work together: the catalog supplies the data, and the webshop uses it.

A product catalog is especially useful when products from several parties need to be presented in one place. One example is an industry platform where the offerings of manufacturers, service providers and distributors can be searched by the same criteria.

What is the difference between a product catalog and a PIM system?

A PIM (Product Information Management) system is a back-end system for managing product data, and the product catalog is often the user-facing part of it. Data is created and validated in the PIM, while the catalog displays it and makes it searchable.

In practice, the line is blurred. A custom-built product catalog can also include PIM features, such as a data entry interface, an approval workflow or imports from supplier data. When deciding, the name matters less than the processes the system needs to support.

When does your business need product catalog software?

You need product catalog software when managing product data no longer fits into your existing tools. If several of the following signs sound familiar, it is worth considering:

• The same product data appears in several places with different content.
• Getting a new product live in the webshop or with partners takes days or weeks.
• Suppliers or partners also send product data, in different formats.
• Customers or colleagues cannot quickly find the product they need or its technical specifications.
• You need to add a new sales channel, such as a marketplace or a partner portal.

Off-the-shelf PIM or a custom product catalog: which one pays off?

An off-the-shelf PIM system is a good choice when your product data structure is standard and the main goal is to serve your existing webshop and marketplaces. A custom product catalog pays off when your operations, data model or user base are so specific that an off-the-shelf system could only be adapted through workarounds.

• Data model: an off-the-shelf system works with a predefined structure, while custom development adapts to your own product structure.
• Users: an off-the-shelf system is typically built for internal use, while a custom catalog can also serve external parties, such as manufacturers and distributors, with their own permissions.
• Integration: an off-the-shelf system offers standard connectors, while custom development connects directly to your existing ERP, CRM and other systems.
• Search: with custom development, filters and search logic can be tailored to the real questions your users ask.
• Cost structure: with an off-the-shelf system the main cost is an ongoing license fee, with custom development it is the initial development cost.

If you choose a cloud-based PIM service, publicly funded institutions should complete a compliance review before use.

What results can a well-built product catalog deliver?

A well-designed product catalog runs reliably under heavy load and scales as the number of products grows. Some key figures from systems implemented by ASH Szoftverház:

• 36,500 users,
• more than 200,000 uploaded products on one implemented system,
• more than 400,000 orders per month on one implemented system,
• 99% uptime.

These results depend less on the technology itself and more on building the data model, search and integrations around real business processes. You can find more of our custom development work on our Projects page .

What security and data protection requirements should you consider?

A product catalog mainly handles product data, but user accounts, partner data and orders mean that personal data can also end up in it, so security must be built in from the design stage.

• Data minimization: in line with GDPR principles, the system should only collect personal data that is genuinely needed for it to work.
• Access control: every manufacturer, distributor and internal user should only access their own data.
• Audit logging: changes to product data should be traceable.
• Availability: operations should include a backup and recovery plan.

Information security practices under ISO 27001 and the requirements of the EU NIS2 Directive may also apply. Which of these are relevant to your organization is best clarified with compliance experts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a product catalog and a webshop?

A webshop supports the buying process, while a product catalog presents product data in an organized, searchable way. You cannot necessarily buy from a product catalog, but it provides accurate and comparable information about every product. In many companies, the catalog supplies the data that the webshop also uses.

Do we need a PIM system if we already have an ERP?

An ERP mainly handles inventory, order and financial data and is usually not designed for detailed product descriptions and technical specifications. A PIM system or product catalog manages this rich product data and works connected to the ERP. Prices and stock levels come from the ERP, while descriptions, images and attributes come from the catalog.

How many products can product catalog software handle?

A well-designed system can handle several hundred thousand products. One system implemented by ASH Szoftverház holds more than 200,000 uploaded products. Performance depends mainly on the data model, the search solution and the infrastructure, so these must be sized for expected growth from the design stage.

Can external parties, such as manufacturers, use the product catalog?

Yes, in a custom product catalog, manufacturers, service providers and distributors can upload and update their products through their own accounts. This requires role-based access control so that everyone can only see and edit their own data. Uploaded data can also go through an approval workflow before it is published.

Where should you start?

If your product data is scattered across multiple systems, or you are planning a new sales channel, a short requirements assessment is a good first step. Get in touch with us,and we will map your existing data and systems, then show whether an off-the-shelf PIM or a custom product catalog suits your business best.