Workflow Management

Definition

Workflow management is the orchestration and control of business processes through defined sequences of tasks, activities, and approvals. In a PIM context, it specifies the steps involved in creating, enriching, translating, and approving product information before it is published. This includes assigning responsibilities, setting deadlines, automating notifications, and tracking progress. Effective workflow management ensures that product data moves smoothly through its lifecycle, reducing bottlenecks and improving data quality and time-to-market.

Why It's Important for E-commerce

For e-commerce, efficient workflow management is critical for handling vast amounts of product data and ensuring it reaches sales channels quickly and accurately. Manual, ad-hoc processes often lead to errors, delays, and inconsistencies, which directly impact customer experience and sales. A structured workflow ensures that all necessary checks, approvals, and enrichments are completed, reducing the risk of publishing incorrect or incomplete product information. This directly contributes to better product data quality, faster product launches, and ultimately, higher conversion rates.

Examples

• A new product onboarding workflow: data entry by product manager, enrichment by content specialist, translation by localization team, final approval by marketing director.
• An update workflow for existing products: specific attribute changes reviewed by a category manager before publication.
• Automated notifications sent to relevant teams when a product's status changes (e.g., from 'draft' to 'ready for review').
• A digital asset workflow where new images are uploaded, tagged, and approved before being linked to products.
• Integration of a PIM workflow with external translation services for bulk content localization.

How WISEPIM Helps

• **Streamlined Product Onboarding:** WISEPIM's configurable workflows automate the steps for new product creation, ensuring data completeness and accuracy from the start.
• **Accelerated Time-to-Market:** Reduce manual handoffs and bottlenecks with automated tasks and notifications, allowing products to go live faster.
• **Improved Data Quality & Compliance:** Enforce necessary review and approval steps, ensuring product content meets quality standards and regulatory requirements before publication.

Related Terms

Also Known As