Welcome to OpenDIMS! This guide will help you get started with your new PIM system.
This guide has a few different steps that you can go through so that you have the basic concepts and functions in place.
If you need help during the guide or have questions, please contact us. No more talking. It’s time to get started!
Basic knowledge
OpenDIMS is a super powerful PIM tool where you can maintain all your products, categories, images, files, certificates, related products, etc. You can send your products to different points of sale and sales channels of your choice; It can be a sample of your products for your retailers and another sample for your own webshop.
If an order arrives in your webshop, OpenDIMS can retrieve it and transfer it to your ERP system in different data formats.
OpendDIMS has integration to a wide range of systems that you will naturally use in your daily life, such as ERP systems, Navision, Microsoft Business Central (BC), RackBeat, Dandomain, Smartweb, Scannet, Woocommerce, Shopify and many others. In addition, there is import and export for common file types such as XML, CSV, and JSON. You can retrieve and send data to and from external Rest APIs and then OpenDIMS contains a super powerful workflow management, where you can set OpenDIMS to automatically perform tasks, such as retrieving an Order, Sending products to the website, Starting an integration, performing tasks at intervals or as part of a chain, but also via Webhooks.
At OpenDIMOS, we work with simple concepts, and it does not require much background knowledge to get started and/or just use the PIM system as it is. As a starting point, your solution is set up with what we call “Data types”, which are to be used for products, categories and orders. Some Filters and some Views + fields have been added
Types
A data type is the meta-setup for the different types of data in OpenDIMS; e.g. the data type “Product”. Imagine that a data type is a bag of content; There are a lot of values that are stored in fields. You can then choose to show the fields to the user, use them in a filter, such as a filter that shows all products where the price is greater than 0.
Fields
Fields in OpenDIMS contain your product information and serve as the building blocks for your product content. Imagine that you have a bag labeled “Product” that contains a number of fields that you can use in different ways.
Some fields are hidden and are only used to retrieve data from your ERP system and perform calculations. Others act as description fields where you can add text and details. How you apply them is entirely up to you.
Filter
When you have thousands of products and data in OpenDIMS, it is essential to be able to filter the information so that your users can quickly and easily find what they are looking for. For example, it could be a list of active products on the website, orders without track and trace codes, categories without images, products without certificates and much more.
Filters can be used both in overviews and integrations. The smart thing about them is that you only need to create a filter once, and then you can use it exactly where you need it – and as many times as you want.
In OpenDIMS, you can set up exactly the filters you want and apply them in several places, depending on your needs.
Views
Views are overviews or menu items. When you create a view, you also create a menu item and choose which filter to use to filter your data. Then you just need to choose who has access to use the view and add the columns (fields) you want to show in the overview.
PIM data
Products
In a PIM system like OpenDIMOS, there is a data type called “Product”, which consists of a collection of different fields. Think of it as a bag where some fields are visible to users, while others act as system fields. The system fields can be updated automatically from, for example, your ERP system, which can provide data on price and inventory. This makes it possible to keep information about the products up to date without manual intervention.
You have the flexibility to choose which fields should be part of the product data type. OpenDIMS comes with a number of standard fields, which are designed to meet most needs that users may have when working with products. These standard fields often cover the basic needs, but you can always customize them and add new fields to fit your specific business model.
A major advantage of OpenDIMS is that you can create and store an unlimited number of products in the system at no additional cost. This means that you have the ability to handle a large amount of product data even as your business grows, without impacting your budget. This makes OpenDIMS a cost-effective tool for businesses looking to centralize and structure their product information in an efficient and scalable way.
Categories
In OpenDIMOS, a category is a data type that allows the user to create and add the necessary fields to suit the specific needs of the business. Categories provide structured overview of the products and can be tailored with different fields to fit exactly the way you want to organize your products. This allows you to create a system that is both flexible and efficient, as you can customize the categories according to the type of products you are working with.
A major advantage of categories in a PIM system like OpenDIMS is that they make it possible to gather products under specific groups. Categories help organize products to make it easier to find and manage them. This is especially useful in a webshop system, where it is important to present the products in a clear and structured way for the user. By associating products with relevant categories, customers can quickly navigate to the items they are looking for, improving the user experience and increasing the chances of sales.
Categorizing products in a PIM system also provides a number of advantages internally in the company. It becomes easier to keep track of products, find information quickly, and generate reports that can help optimize inventory management and purchasing. In addition, the categories can serve as a basis for automating the display of certain product groups across platforms such as webshop and mobile apps. This ensures a consistent and efficient presentation of products wherever they are displayed, and makes it easier to update and maintain product information across channels. Categories are therefore a key feature for effective product management in a PIM system.
Dashboard
As an administrator of a PIM system, it is important to be able to quickly get an overview of the condition of your PIM system. OpenDIMS has a relatively simple dashboard, where you have access to the most important elements of the PIM system
Asset Management (files)
Asset Management in a PIM system such as OpenDIMS refers to the management, storage, and organization of the digital files and media associated with products, such as images, videos, PDF documents, and other materials. These files are stored as assets in the system and are an integral part of the product data. In OpenDIMS, you can link these assets to specific products, so they’re easy to find and access when needed.
The importance of having files stored as assets in a PIM system like OpenDIMS is great. First, it helps centralize and organize all product-related files in one place, making it easier to manage and update them. Instead of having files stored in different systems or file structures, Asset Management allows you to ensure that all relevant files are connected to the right products, resulting in a more streamlined workflow.
Another key benefit is that assets can be used to update product information across channels and platforms. For example, if you change an image or product manual, the update can be automatically reflected in all places where the product appears, such as on the webshop, in marketing materials, or in product catalogs. This ensures a consistent and correct presentation of products wherever they appear.
Having files as assets in a PIM system also makes it easier to ensure that you always have the latest versions of files available and makes it possible to control access to these files in an efficient way. It creates a more efficient work process and helps to avoid errors and misunderstandings, which is crucial for both employees and customers.
