Mark Smith's Analyst Perspectives

We are happy to share some insights about inRiver PIM drawn from our latest Value Index research, which assesses how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements.

We recently published the Ventana Research Value Index: Product Information Management, the distillation of a year of market and product research efforts. To assess functionality, one of the components of Capability, we applied the Ventana Research Value Index methodology and blueprint, which links the personas and processes for PIM to an organization’s requirements.

In all of our Value Indexes, we utilize a structured research methodology that includes evaluation categories designed to reflect real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal and vendor selection process for PIM software. We evaluated inRiver and 15 other vendors in seven categories, five relevant to the product (Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability) and two related to the vendor (Vendor Validation and Total Cost of Ownership and Return on Investment). To arrive at the Value Index rating for a given vendor, we weighted each category to reflect its relative importance in an RFP process, with the weightings based on our expertise and research.

inRiver, a European-based vendor, has been advancing its digital and omnichannel marketing approach to PIM to help in the merchandising and engagement of product experiences. It was categorized as a Vendor with Assurance, ranking 10th overall in the Value Index. inRiver performed its best in Capability where its focus on the lifecycle of products shows in its performance.

inRiver’s depth in Capability, easily seen from its products, has elevated its adoption for those in marketing and channels such as digital commerce, but its products can also be used across enterprise PIM needs.

Our assessment finds room for improvement in Reliability, specifically the scalability and operation of the products that was not as clear in the evaluation. To perform better in Validation, it can provide more depth on the customer experience it provides to gain the confidence of buyers in its operations and commitment to their success.

This assessment was based on inRiver’s product information management applications available at end of April of >2021 — version N-1. Since the release of the Value Index, inRiver released digital shelf analytics called Evaluate that will help optimize the use of product information.

The role of PIM for every organization is to ensure the most accurate and engaging product information that supports customer, enterprise and product lifecycle requirements. Providing effective product information is the foundation to providing an engaging digital experience that meets the needs of marketing, commerce and the digital shelf. Organizations should make PIM and product experiences a priority for continuous process improvement, and perform an assessment of existing process and technological approaches, adopt best practices and ensure the effectiveness of product information being utilized for revenue, operations and supply chain processes.

This research-based index is the most comprehensive assessment of the value of product information management software in the industry. Technology buyers can learn more about how to use our Value Index by clicking here and included vendors that wish to learn more can click here. Read the report here.

Regards,

Mark Smith