---
title: "PIM and Drupal: Managing Product Data Centrally"
lang: en
type: knowledge
canonical: https://www.arocom.de/en/knowledge/development/pim
alternate: https://www.arocom.de/wissen/entwicklung/pim
author: "Axel Roth"
last_updated: 2026-07-29
---

# PIM and Drupal: Managing Product Data Centrally

A Product Information Management system (PIM) manages product data
centrally: descriptions, specifications, images, prices. Drupal retrieves
this data via API and displays it on the website, automatically updated
and consistent. Since 2012, arocom has integrated PIM systems like Akeneo
and Pimcore with Drupal websites. Anyone maintaining product data
manually on the website wastes time and risks inconsistencies.

## PIM and Drupal: Managing Product Data Centrally

Your product catalog has 500 items. Each item has technical data,
descriptions in three languages and images in various formats.
When this data is maintained manually on the website, errors
occur. A PIM system solves this problem.

## What a PIM System Delivers

Central data management: all product information is maintained
in one place. Changes are automatically propagated to all
channels, website, print catalog, marketplaces.

Data quality: PIM systems enforce completeness and consistency.
Missing required fields, duplicate entries and outdated
information are detected.

Multilingual: translations are managed in the PIM and
distributed across channels.

## PIM Integration with Drupal

Drupal retrieves product data via REST API or GraphQL from the
PIM system. Synchronization runs automatically, when changes
occur in the PIM, the website updates.

arocom implements PIM integrations with Akeneo, Pimcore and
other systems. Product presentation on the website is designed
in Drupal: filterable product lists, detail pages with
downloads, comparison features.

The advantage: editors maintain product data in the PIM and
marketing content in Drupal. Each system does what it does best.

### Your next step

Want to connect your PIM system with the website? The
[Drupal Future Check](https://www.arocom.de/en/future-check) analyzes your system
landscape and shows the integration path.

**From arocom projects:**

- Drupal as a dashboard platform? For marego it was exactly the right choice: editable data structures, granular roles, integrated Excel/PDF pipelines. The tool now consolidates reporting that used to live in five different tools.
- For [d&b audiotechnik](https://www.arocom.de/en/references/db-audiotechnik) (Backnang) we built several configurators, process tools, and intranet solutions on/with Drupal, the architecture we put in place back in 2018 still holds today without refactoring and keeps up with every new major version.

### From how many products does a PIM system pay off?

From approximately 100 products with structured data or from the moment product data is maintained in more than one channel. Below this threshold, Drupal's own content management is sufficient.

### Which PIM system suits Drupal?

Akeneo as an open-source PIM with a strong API and good Drupal integration. Pimcore as an all-in-one platform (PIM + DAM + CMS). The choice depends on your product complexity and existing infrastructure.

## Read more

- [ECM](https://www.arocom.de/en/knowledge/development/ecm): Enterprise Content Management: More than a CMS
- [Document Management](https://www.arocom.de/en/knowledge/development/document-management): DMS integration with Drupal
- [Digitalization](https://www.arocom.de/en/knowledge/development/digitalization): Where a website is just the beginning