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PIM in the Yard? Why Digital Product Data Still Matters in Branch-Based Sales

If most of your business still happens over the counter, on the phone, or through reps in the field, it’s easy to think product data isn’t a priority.

But here’s the thing: whether your customer walks into a branch or logs in from their van, they’re making decisions based on the information you give them.

And in most cases? That information isn’t coming from a conversation anymore—it’s coming from your systems.

When your branch teams can’t find accurate product specs, when your reps are calling head office to confirm pack sizes,
when your brochures are out of date… that’s a product data problem.

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Your People Can’t Sell What They Don’t Trust

Sales reps and trade counter teams know how to sell. But if they’re working with incomplete or outdated product data, they’re at a disadvantage:

  • They can’t confirm specs or availability with confidence
  • They don’t know which accessories or alternatives to recommend
  • They spend time searching internal systems—or guessing
  • They risk selling the wrong product, leading to returns or site delays
It’s frustrating for your team. And worse for the customer.

Digital Product Data Is Branch-First, Not Just Online

We often hear this:

“We’re not ecommerce-first, so we don’t need to worry about product data yet.”

That thinking is backwards.

Your branch teams are your ecommerce engine. They rely on the same product content—descriptions, specs, datasheets, pack info—to quote, cross-sell, and serve.

If that data lives in scattered PDFs, spreadsheets, or supplier emails, you’re making life harder for everyone.

Clean, structured, enriched product data isn’t just for your website—it powers:

  • Branch POS and CRM systems
  • Print catalogues and shelf-edge labels
  • Sales tools for reps and account managers
  • Internal stock lookups and order management
When the product data is wrong, everything downstream is affected.

Start with the Core: What Data Do Your Teams Need?

Before thinking about platforms or systems, do this:

  • Talk to your team. What information do they regularly have to chase down?
  • Audit your core product categories. What’s missing? What’s inconsistent?
  • Look at recent mistakes. Were they caused by poor or unclear product content?

You’ll often find the root cause isn’t the people—it’s the data.

Fixing it means standardising how you gather and store attributes like:

  • Material type
  • Load ratings
  • Application or usage instructions
  • Datasheets and certifications
  • Images or diagrams
  • Compatible products

Fix the Foundation First

The best move? Get your product data house in order before adding anything new.

  • Prioritise your top-selling categories
  • Define what good data looks like for each one (e.g. all insulation products should include R-values, compliance docs, and pack coverage)
  • Set up a basic process for enriching and maintaining that data—whether in spreadsheets, templates, or shared tools
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. You just need to start fixing the data that feeds your day-to-day sales.

When Tech Does Help

Once you’ve started cleaning and structuring your content, tech can help keep things consistent and scalable. That might be a PIM platform—or just better tools to manage files and attributes. But let the problem guide the solution, not the other way around.

Feel like your sales team is working around the data instead of with it?

We help building supplies businesses build product content that supports branch teams, reps, and digital channels alike.

Book a quick call and find out where to start.

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