FeedPrep vs. PIM Systems
We don't replace your PIM. We make it better.
| Capability | PIM (Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify, etc.) | FeedPrep |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Manage the golden record. Store, enrich, distribute. | Clean supplier data before it enters your systems. |
| Supplier data import | Expects clean, structured data in PIM-compatible format. | Accepts any format. Maps and normalizes to your schema. |
| Column mapping | You match columns during import. Every time. | Map once per supplier. Saved as an adapter, auto-applied forever. |
| Value normalization | Not its job. "BLK" stays "BLK" unless you fix it first. | Maps "BLK", "Schwarz", "Charcoal" to your approved "Black". Deterministically. |
| Unit handling | Requires values and units in the right format on arrival. | Parses "1.85 kg", converts grams to kg, splits value and unit into separate columns. |
| Attribute codes | Requires codes for import (e.g., "material_ss" not "Stainless Steel"). | External codes on attributes and values. Exports with codes, labels, or both. |
| Multi-supplier handling | One import process. You prepare the data. | Per-supplier adapters. Each supplier's quirks handled independently. |
| New value detection | Imports it or rejects it. You find out later. | Flags unmapped values for review before they reach your PIM. |
| Data enrichment | Built for this. Workflows, completeness, translations. | Not its job. FeedPrep cleans; your PIM enriches. |
| Data distribution | Publishes to channels, marketplaces, print. | Not its job. FeedPrep feeds your PIM; your PIM feeds the world. |
The Problem PIMs Don't Solve
You invested in a PIM because you care about product data quality. Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify — they're excellent at managing your golden record, enforcing completeness rules, and distributing data to every channel.
But there's a gap. Your PIM expects clean, structured, code-ready data on arrival. And your suppliers don't send that. They send CSVs with column names in German, abbreviations instead of full values, measurements jammed into a single field ("1.85 kg"), and HTML embedded in descriptions.
So someone on your team — probably you — sits between the supplier file and the PIM import, manually cleaning data in Excel to get it into a format the PIM will accept. Every supplier. Every week. That's the gap FeedPrep fills.
FeedPrep Is Your PIM's Best Friend
FeedPrep is not a PIM. It doesn't store your golden record. It doesn't manage enrichment workflows or publish to channels. It does one thing: clean and normalize supplier data so it's ready for PIM import.
Think of it as the missing step in your PIM implementation. The step between "supplier sends a file" and "data arrives in the PIM." The step most teams handle with spreadsheets, custom scripts, or sheer willpower.
Your PIM is only as good as the data you feed it. Garbage in, garbage out — no matter how sophisticated your enrichment workflows are. FeedPrep ensures only clean, mapped, approved data enters your PIM.
Built for PIM Workflows
FeedPrep isn't a generic data tool that happens to work with PIMs. It was built with PIM integration in mind. Here's what that means in practice:
External codes on attributes and values. Your PIM doesn't want "Stainless Steel" — it wants "material_ss". FeedPrep lets you set external codes on every attribute and every approved value, matching your PIM's taxonomy exactly. Export with codes instead of labels, or both.
Split measurement columns. Supplier sends "1.85 kg" in one cell. Your PIM wants "1.85" in one column and "KILOGRAM" in another. FeedPrep parses, converts, and splits automatically.
JSON attribute import/export. Defined your attributes in Akeneo? Export them as JSON and import into FeedPrep. Keep your schema in sync without manual re-entry.
Code-only export mode. When your PIM import expects attribute codes and value codes — not human-readable labels — FeedPrep exports exactly that.
Multiple export formats. CSV, JSON, XML. One clean dataset, exported in whatever format your PIM expects. Set up export templates and reuse them.
Works With Every PIM
FeedPrep works with Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify, inRiver, Plytix — and any PIM that accepts CSV, JSON, or XML imports. There's no proprietary connector required. FeedPrep produces clean, formatted files that your PIM's standard import can consume.
If your PIM can import a CSV, FeedPrep can feed it.
Where Each Tool Belongs
The product data stack has clear layers. FeedPrep owns one of them:
Suppliers send raw data in every format imaginable.
FeedPrep normalizes, maps, and cleans that data into your canonical schema.
Your PIM stores the golden record, enriches it, and distributes to channels.
No overlap. No redundancy. Each tool does what it's best at.
Your PIM Deserves Clean Data
Try FeedPrep free for 14 days. Upload a supplier file, map it to your PIM schema, and export code-ready data in minutes.
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