Product Information and ChatGPT - Part 2
Comparing ways to use ChatGPT for product information management
This is Part 2 of a series of articles in which I will cover everything you need to know about applying ChatGPT to manage product information in online retail.
And to remind you: I’m using “ChatGPT” in this series as an accessible term for Large Language Models (LLMs), the underlying technology powering the famous chat app, as well as most of the AI buzz in the last few years. 😉
Product Information and ChatGPT Series:
Part 1: What can ChatGPT do for my business? (read it here)
Part 2: What’s the best way to adopt and integrate it? (this article 🙌)
Part 3: Are there any drawbacks or limitations to this technology? (read it here)
Quick Recap
In Part 1, I discussed five areas where ChatGPT can deliver a big boost to product information management, namely:
Parsing unstructured text
Checking for consistency
Content creation
Catalog syndication
Extracting information from product images
That's all good, but it brings up the question: how exactly can we do these? 🤔
Specifically, how can we integrate ChatGPT into the current technology stack of an online retail business? This could be an e-commerce platform like Shopify, a central product information management system, a custom-built solution or any mix of these.
As it turns out, there are different ways to do it, with their pros and cons.
Let’s have a look …
How Can I Use ChatGPT in My e-Commerce Stack?
1. Use a Classic PIM
Many leading PIM providers, including Akeneo, Salsify, and Plytix, now offer ChatGPT-driven features such as automated generation of product titles and descriptions.
So adopting one of these tools is an easy way to integrate ChatGPT.
It’s perhaps the most tempting because of its intuitive appeal. A software tool for product information management AND it has ChatGPT — that’s everything you wanted, right? 😉
Maybe. Just be mindful of the hidden costs. 👇
Good:
✅ Seamless integration for those already using PIM platforms
✅ AI features tailored for the nuances of online retail information and content
Bad:
❌ Limited innovation, because features must align with an existing mature product
❌ Bulk processing may be cumbersome due to older or less intuitive user interfaces
Verdict:
This is the simplest solution, and a good option if you’re happy to settle with basic features and somewhat awkward usage. 😐
2. Use an AI Content Generation Tool
There are so many of these and they can help write just about any content type, including articles, reports, emails and marketing material.
Here are a few:
Like the first option, this one is tempting but also comes with hidden costs.
Good:
✅ Friendly user experience and easy to get started
Bad:
❌ Not tailored for managing retail product information or content
❌ Does not integrate with e-commerce stacks and must be operated manually
Verdict:
AI content writing tools are tempting due to their friendly design, but do not offer ways to integrate with e-commerce stacks, making them impractical. 🙅♂️
3. Develop Custom Software
Many of the clients I spoke to the past year had in-house software development teams that were eager to build ChatGPT integrations themselves.
Developers usually highlight how quickly they can put together a prototype, and the cost savings an internal solution can offer.
Sadly, focusing primarily on the technical aspects of integration and neglecting other aspects tends to backfire in nearly all cases. 😥
Good (mostly just wishful thinking):
✅ Very tailored solution that meets specific needs
Bad:
❌ Underwhelming features and capabilities
❌ Prototype software with poor user experience
❌ Data operations are performed manually by software developers
❌ Software development issues bleed into all aspects of information management
Verdict:
This is perhaps the worst possible way to integrate ChatGPT. Steer clear! 🙅♂️
4. Use a New Generation PIM for AI
As you can probably see now, all the options above have been less than ideal:
Settle for a classic PIM that’s reliable but clunky and limited in features
Go for a user-friendly content generation tool but fall short on automation
Develop your own software, with its unforeseen risks and operational issues
Not much of a choice, huh? 🤔
Luckily, there’s a fourth option, and it solves all these issues. 🙌
There’s a new breed of software tools that specialize in applying ChatGPT to product information management, which I think is truly a new generation of PIM.
Unlike classic PIMs, these tools are built from the ground up for AI processing and come with the necessary user experiences and foundational design work to deliver on this promise. 🤖
They combine the best of PIM and modern AI content generation tools.
Good:
✅ Intuitive and friendly user experiences
✅ Excellent bulk processing capabilities
✅ Seamless integration for those already using PIM platforms
✅ AI features tailored for the nuances of online retail information and content
Here are a few picks in this category that are worth checking out:
Verdict:
This is the least known but absolute best way to adopt ChatGPT and apply it to product information management and content generation in online retail. ✨
Up Next
This article comes from many talks I've had with clients during my consulting work the past year (2023). It seems like the same problems keep popping up, and I've tried to explain them here in a way that's easy to understand.
Stay tuned for next Tuesday when I'll conclude this series with a final discussion on some of the current challenges and lesser-known limitations of AI tools in the industry. See you then! 😉
Update: Part 3 is now published, read it here.
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