Choosing Between Pimcore and ERP: A Comprehensive Comparison 

Are you stuck choosing between Pimcore and ERP?

Our comprehensive comparison of these two options outlines everything you need to know before deciding which tool to deploy across your enterprise business. Make the right choice to ensure you have a single source of truth for your collection of product information and other data.

Pimcore vs. ERP

This blog breaks down the differences between factors such as integration capabilities, costs, usability, data quality, scalability, time-to-value, user training, customisation capacity, and vendor support.

First, there are a few fundamental design and objective differences between Pimcore and an ERP. Pimcore is a Product Information (PIM) tool with capabilities in other functions, including Digital Asset Management (DAM) and as a Digital Experience Platform (DXP). Pimcore's primary functions are to:

• Create an engaging and effective showcase of your products, including on websites, social media and in print catalogues
• Store and transport accurate product records and information
• Enrich product data with hundreds of attributes, translation and customisation options
• Process records with regard to hierarchy, structure, validations, and versions

According to Gartner's software review website, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is defined as "the ability to deliver an integrated suite of business applications." At the same time, ERP tools "share a common process and data model, covering broad and deep operational end-to-end processes, such as those found in finance, HR, distribution, manufacturing, service and the supply chain."

When to use ERP

While this may sound like an ideal technological solution that will bring order and consistency to your data, many organisations find that ERPs cause a high degree of system complexity. According to Gartner, the areas in which these tools can make the most difference are when you acquire an ERP:

• As a catalyst for business innovation
• As a platform for business process efficiency
• As a vehicle for standardising processes
• For IT cost savings

When to use Pimcore

We've written extensively on how Pimcore can help an enterprise business build its brand, create meaningful customer engagement, and create compelling sales opportunities while effortlessly dealing with all the background data. If you're ready to up the ante in the area of e-commerce, it makes sense to consider Pimcore for:

• Enhanced user experience across digital platforms
• Management of extensive product data records
• Omnichannel marketing and sales coordination

How to decide between Pimcore and ERP

With their different intents and capabilities for complex organisations, Pimcore and ERPs offer unique offerings and opportunities for improving data handling, flow and processing. Understanding the unique functionality of each will undoubtedly inform your decisions about which tool to acquire. Even more beneficial is developing an understanding of the relevance of each tool to with regard to your specific requirements, structure, and business objectives.

We're examining ten key software capability areas and comparing Pimcore to the average ERP. As part of this comparison, we've reviewed G2 business software product descriptions and user reviews of the following products:

• Pimcore
• Sap ERP
• Sage Intacct
• NetSuite
• Acumatica
• Odoo
• Kinetcic

Overall usability and user experience

Pimcore is highly customisable, meaning you can set up the system to suit your users' needs, confidence, and capabilities. G2 reviewer Stephen A said, "As a flexible framework, Pimcore offers many possibilities and functionalities. This can be intimidating for beginners at first. However, once the system is set up according to your needs, you will quickly find your way around the backend."

Because Pimcore can be used by suppliers, agents, vendors, and contributors outside of your organisation, it is designed to be intuitive and easy to use for users with a variety of needs.

User experience can vary widely across ERP platforms. Because ERPs scan multiple data sets and combine complex records, they are notoriously tricky for the average employee to understand. Although NetSuite is used by 37,000 customers in 219 countries, reviewers at G2 have noted that the user interface could be modernised, and both the report building and customisation can be “complex and confusing.”

The maturity of the product might also influence user experience in an ERP- newer players, like Kinetic, might have high technological capabilities, but as users like Melissa note, the “UX still needs some work to make the change for current users less overwhelming.”
 

Training requirements

Training in Pimcore can be quite easy, depending on the degree of access each user requires. Pimcore provides online training resources at the Pimcore Academy. This informative data hub includes 55 lessons and more than 40 hours of on-demand learning material. It is ideal for developers. If you choose Pimcore, your developers and super users can access the academy for a single cost per year.

G2 Reviewer Emmanuel said of Pimcore, "I think the usability is fantastic. It is very intuitive to use for our employees. We do not require training of our employees, after 2-3 days they understand everything. The system is running rock stable; we are hardly facing any troubles or instabilities."

ERPs can be complex for everyday users because they access a more comprehensive range of records. A basic ERP would require the user to be familiar with searching, switching between modules, data access, searching and filtering. Each ERP should provide resources or online access to information that can be used to train user skill development.

Documentation, tutorials, online resources, and FAQs can help users learn the ropes. Some software providers also manage forums for discussion and help. The level of training resources provided varies greatly, so always check what support is available to help users become competent with the ERP.

ERP users need to be familiar with standard activities, including:

• Creation, modification, or deletion of data and records
• Order generation and transaction
• Error identification and exception handling
• Reporting and dashboard navigation

More complex ERP activities include:

• Adding or modifying system credentials
• Configuring API and credentials
• Creating and sculpting workflows
• Configuring interaction pipes
• Establishing data maps and modifiers

Data Quality and Consistency

Pimcore is a Product Information Management (PIM) tool that has outstanding capabilities in dealing with product-related data. Its inbuilt capabilities for data validation, enrichment, and governance contribute to creating accurate and reliable information. Pimcore handles records related to product information like quantity and location.

Pimcore G2 reviewer Daniel said that having “all this information in one place means you have a single source of truth for all your data. You can then share those data across all the online (e-commerce, catalogues, marketplaces) and offline (leaflets, print catalogues, etc.) channels.”

ERPs commonly consolidate data from a more diverse range of points of origin. ERPs are also intended to centralise and present information from other software tools. ERPs are reliable tools that help you identify and remediate inconsistencies in data.

Integration capabilities

As a product information management service, Pimcore can act as a data integration tool. It carries out integration by reviewing multiple records from different locations and consolidating them. Pimcore creates a master record to ensure data is consistent and trustworthy.

Pimcore can handle data in various formats, including CSV, XLSX, JSON, and XML. This means even if you primarily run your operations from spreadsheets, you can easily prepare your data to be used to improve your website and social media presence. It's a cohesive digital ecosystem for commerce and marketing.

Pimcore can also integrate with:

• Search engines - Google, Bing, Yahoo and YouTube
• Social media - Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok
• Marketing solutions - Salesforce, Smartly io, Marin and Kenshoo
• Online Marketplaces - Amazon and eBay

ERP systems enable information integration from multiple existing tools. Most ERPs offer excellent integration potential, allowing you to collate data from an extensive range of tools and solutions you may already be running.

ERPs can access data from the tools you use to manage supply chain, inventory, logistics, employee data, accounts payable and receivable, and more. Most ERPs can work with data from just about any legacy system you are running, but it always pays to check that what you are running will match with an ERP you are considering.

In some cases, ERPs can be deployed by internal staff, though in others cases, it becomes necessary to outsource integration requirements to a specialised partner. An additional integration tool might be required to ensure data can be transported effectively.
 

User Licence models

Different software tools are run and licensed differently. This means you may encounter differences in how solutions are set up and shared amongst your employees and other internal users. For some solutions, you will require unique licenses for each user. Other tools are more flexible and enable different people to log on with shared licenses.

Pimcore offers free unlimited users, which means you can have as many users accessing and using the system without incurring additional licensing costs. G2 reviewer Dominik says “The extensive user and role management enables us to grant the right level of access to each group.”

Many ERPs charge for each user line. This can become expensive as your team expands. ERPs like Acumatica operate with consumption-based licensing, allowing unlimited users without purchasing unique user licenses. This can be a better choice for businesses that are growing rapidly.
 

Perspectives and Workflows

Pimcore is known for its flexibility in managing multiple data perspectives, making it well-suited for managing complex product information. It supports the creation of custom data views and workflows tailored to different user roles or departments.

ERPs generally have predefined workflows and data views optimised for specific business processes. Customising these workflows might require additional development work and could be limited in scope.
 

Scalability

Pimcore's architecture is designed for scalability, which makes it suitable for businesses with rapidly growing product catalogues and increasing data volumes.

ERPs can handle scalability well for their core functions, but integrating extensive PIM and MDM functionalities might introduce complexities that impact overall system performance and scalability.
 

Cost

Pimcore's free unlimited user model can significantly reduce licensing costs. However, customisation, integration, and ongoing maintenance costs should be considered.

ERPs often come with licensing costs that can significantly increase as user counts grow. Additional fees arise from customisation, implementation, and user training.
 

Customisation and Upgrades

Pimcore's modular architecture allows for more granular customisation and upgrades. Businesses can update specific modules without affecting the entire system.

ERPs might require more extensive customisation efforts due to their broad functionality scope. Customisations could complicate the upgrade process and result in compatibility issues. Adrian at G2 said of Odoo ERP, “You still need to hire a developer for customisation and custom plugins for the community edition. Enterprise pricing plans could be better, especially for SMEs with 2-3 users only.”
 

Vendor lock-in, support and community

Pimcore has a healthy community of users around the globe. As an open-source tool, it is constantly evolving to meet consumer need. Pimcore's community and support resources often focus on the specific challenges and use cases related to PIM and data management. This can lead to more tailored assistance.

ERPs have a broader user base and community, but support might need to be more specialised for PIM functionalities. Finding expertise in ERP-specific PIM could be more challenging. Many users of ERPs swear by them and are pleased with the difference they make.

Information Analyst Ardip left this review of Oracle E-Business Suite at G2. "The best thing… is the quality of support provided by Oracle. Oracle regularly releases updates and patches to keep up with security demands and vulnerability remediation. Compared to its competitors, Oracle E-Business Suite is more potent and is a very mature product, as it has evolved over many decades."

The bottom line

When evaluating the choice between Pimcore and ERP systems, it's essential to consider a range of factors that encompass data quality, scalability, time-to-value, user adoption, customisation, support, and integration capabilities.

While ERP systems offer comprehensive solutions for managing various business processes, integrating specialised tools like Pimcore can offer a more focused and efficient approach. Pimcore's strengths, including unlimited users, customisable workflows, and dedicated data management features, make it an appealing option for companies aiming to optimise their product information and digital asset management processes.

Pimcore PIM/MDM is a comprehensive Product Information Management (PIM) and Master Data Management (MDM) system that helps businesses to centralise, manage, and optimise their product data. Check our Pimcore products overview.

Related Questions

What solutions does Pimcore include?

Pimcore is an open-source digital platform that aggregates, enriches and manages enterprise data and provides customers with up-to-date, consistent, and personalised experiences. It offers a centralised solution for PIM, MDM, DAM, CDP, DXP/CMS and digital commerce.