How do we Calculate ROI?

Our ROI calculator combines your business inputs with our proven methodology to estimate the potential value of implementing PIM.

It looks at the key areas where a PIM system creates impact:

• Time savings: how much manual work your team can reduce when managing product data.
• Operational cost reduction: fewer errors, less duplication, and streamlined updates across systems.
• Revenue growth: better product data leads to better customer experience and higher conversion rates.

Using your data – including the number of SKUs, sales channels, languages, update frequency, team size, and monthly revenue – the calculator simulates the potential business benefits.

How the calculations work:

• We estimate time savings by assuming a 30% reduction in manual data work across your team.
• We calculate operational savings by considering typical labor costs and the scale of your product data operations.
• We estimate potential revenue uplift based on better product data management, without applying arbitrary fixed industry rates.

The final ROI is calculated by comparing the total estimated annual benefits with a typical annual investment in a PIM system. These values ensure the results are realistic and grounded in what businesses achieve after implementing PIM. Find out more about the PIM solutions we provide, what makes them different, and how they can impact your business.

Here’s the formula we use:
ROI = (Total Benefits – Estimated Cost of PIM) / Cost of PIM × 100%
This gives you a realistic, data-backed forecast of how profitable a PIM implementation could be for your business.

How is the Cost of not Using PIM Calculated?

The calculator not only estimates the potential benefits of PIM, but also highlights the hidden costs and losses your business could face without it.

It focuses on three key areas:

• Lost revenue potential: Better product data leads to better customer experience and more completed purchases.We assume that poor product information can reduce your revenue by around 1% annually, based on typical e-commerce outcomes.
• Time wasted on manual work: Managing product data manually (e.g., through spreadsheets) takes time. Teams often spend hours searching for the right data, updating it across different systems, and correcting mistakes – which are hard to avoid due to the human factor. Manual data entry can have an error rate of 3-5%, resulting in significant issues when scaled across large catalogs. We estimate the yearly cost of manual effort based on the number of people working with product data and apply a standard 30% time-saving assumption when using PIM.
• Cost of incorrect orders: Bad product data often results in errors – wrong specs, sizes, or details – which cause incorrect orders and returns. We assume that such errors cost your business around 0.5% of annual revenue, and we include this full value in the total estimated cost of not using PIM.

By summing these losses, the calculator gives you a clear picture of the hidden costs linked to not using a centralized PIM system. Like any modernization effort, implementing a PIM system can bring up doubts. If you want to better understand what typically worries companies and whether those concerns are valid, take a look at this article on common PIM implementation concerns.

Other indirect costs may seem unrelated at first – like delays in product launches, inconsistent pricing across channels, or customer support time spent fixing avoidable mistakes.

How Accurate are the Results?

The results you see are estimates – but they’re built on a solid foundation. We use real project data and carefully selected benchmark values based on industry data to give you a realistic estimate of time savings, revenue potential, and process improvements.

Some competitors’ calculators present results down to the last penny for things like “reduced returns,” “SEO visibility,” or “personalization impact.” But let’s be honest – these metrics are highly dependent on your specific product range, processes, and strategy.

Accurate calculation of such details requires a deeper look into your current setup, e-commerce maturity, and overall business goals. That’s something only a tailored analysis can provide – and that’s exactly what we offer in our free consultation session. It’s a chance to validate your numbers, ask questions, and get expert guidance based on your company’s real needs.

What if ROI is Negative?

If the calculator shows a negative ROI, it doesn’t necessarily mean PIM isn’t for you. It may simply reflect your current scale, product complexity, or maturity of e-commerce operations.

Here are a few common reasons ROI might appear negative:

• Smaller-scale product catalog – when product data volumes are still manageable without automation.
• Limited update frequency or language scope – where manual handling doesn’t yet generate significant workload.
• Early-stage e-commerce setup – when sales volumes are not yet high enough to fully benefit from automation and structured data.

In some cases, a full-featured PIM might not be the first step. Depending on your business context, alternative solutions may be more suitable, such as:

• A CMS optimized for product storytelling.
• A product feed automation tool.
• A lighter DAM (Digital Asset Management) solution.
• Or, simply, better workflows and data governance within your current tech stack.