Overview
Akeneo PIM implementation and integration for retailers, manufacturers and distributors
Akeneo is a product information management (PIM) platform. It holds the descriptive data about your products, such as names, descriptions, attributes, specifications, translations and links to media, and prepares it for each channel you sell through. Akeneo Product Cloud adds modules around the PIM: Supplier Data Manager for onboarding supplier data, Activation for syndicating product data to retailers and marketplaces, asset management for product media, Shared Catalogs, and an App Store of integrations. Akeneo also offers a free, open-source Community Edition that you host yourself.
Great Minds is a Sydney-based systems integrator, and most Akeneo projects are integration projects. We have delivery experience implementing Akeneo and connecting it to the systems around it: ERP for core item data, DAM platforms such as Bynder for images and video, commerce platforms such as Shopify Plus, marketplaces and print. We design the product data model first, then build the integrations and workflows, then migrate and enrich your catalogue.
Most Akeneo work starts from one of three places. Product data sits in spreadsheets and ERP records that can't keep up with new channels. An older or self-hosted Akeneo needs upgrading or moving to SaaS: Version 7.0 of the PaaS and on-premise editions reached end of support on 30 September 2026. Or a new commerce, marketplace or DAM project needs clean product data before it can launch.
Akeneo now includes AI features and an MCP server for AI tools. Our article on agentic AI in PIM integration covers what they do and where integration work still sits. For the vendor-neutral view of PIM, see our product information management capability.
Akeneo services
How we help
Enterprise product data systems that deliver speed, structure, and scale across commerce and content.
An Akeneo project succeeds or fails on the data model and the integrations, not the screens. These are the four pieces of work we deliver, on their own or as one program.
How we deliver
An Akeneo project, from data model to go-live
We look at where product data comes from today, who owns each attribute, which channels need what, and how complete and consistent the data is. You get a scoped plan, a target data model and the list of integrations to build.
Families, attributes, variants, categories, channels and locales, plus every flow in and out of Akeneo: ERP, supplier feeds, DAM, commerce platforms and marketplaces. We agree which system owns each field, so nothing is maintained twice.
We configure Akeneo, build and test the integrations, and run trial migrations before the real one. AI agents do much of the repetitive mapping, transformation and data checking; our consultants own the design and sign off every change.
Training, a staged go-live by channel or category, and hypercare. Afterwards we can stay on to add channels, markets and suppliers, or hand over to your team with the documentation to run it.
FAQ
Akeneo questions
What is the difference between a PIM and a DAM?
A PIM manages the descriptive data about products: attributes, descriptions, specifications and translations. A DAM manages the files: images, video and documents, with their versions and usage rights. Akeneo includes asset management for product media and also integrates with dedicated DAM platforms such as Bynder for brand and campaign content. Our digital asset management page covers when you need both.
Do we need a PIM if our ERP already holds product data?
Usually, once you sell through more than one channel. ERP systems hold operational data such as SKUs, prices and stock, but they aren't built for rich descriptions, translations, channel-specific attributes or media. The common pattern is that the ERP stays the source of core item data, and Akeneo adds and governs everything customers see.
We're on an older or self-hosted version of Akeneo. What are our options?
Check your version against Akeneo's support dates. Version 7.0 of the PaaS and on-premise editions reached end of support on 30 September 2026, so it no longer gets bug or security patches from Akeneo. The main choice is moving to Akeneo's SaaS Product Cloud, where Akeneo handles updates, or staying self-hosted and planning your own upgrades. We review your customisations and integrations first, because they decide the effort.
Does Akeneo connect to Shopify?
Yes. Akeneo lists Shopify among its integrations, alongside Salesforce and SAP Commerce. Where product data needs custom mapping, for example variants, metafields or several storefronts, we build the integration to suit your catalogue.
Can AI agents work with Akeneo?
Yes. Akeneo's MCP server lets MCP-compatible AI tools such as Claude, Cursor and VS Code search and update products, families, attributes, categories, assets and workflows in natural language. Product media files and jobs aren't available through it. We agree with you which agents may read or change product data, with approvals and logging.
How long does an Akeneo implementation take?
It depends on catalogue size, the number of integrations and how clean the source data is. A single-channel catalogue with one ERP feed is a much smaller project than a multi-market rollout with supplier onboarding. We give you a scoped plan and price after the assessment, before any build starts.
People
The people behind the work
PIM specialists, integration engineers, and ecommerce consultants who know how to structure and scale product content.
Our consultants combine product data, ecommerce and integration experience. They design the data model and the integrations and are accountable for the decisions, with AI agents handling repetitive mapping and data checks.
Case studies
Recent work from across the firm.
One asset library for APAC, EMEA and North AmericaModernising creative storage and operations for a global retailerEnabling global brand consistency through enterprise Digital Asset Management
4x faster campaign execution, 1M+ contacts migratedSalesforce Marketing Cloud to Klaviyo migration with 1M+ email marketing recipientsUnlocking personalised growth at scale through Klaviyo implementation and data migration
Servers virtualised for a resilient, scalable office networkCritical ICT infrastructure upgrades for Tzannes ArchitectsICT transformation allowing Tzannes to enjoy a flexible, resilient, and highly scalable IT infrastructure.Insights
PIM is not just a back-office function—it’s a growth enabler
What is PIM (product information management)? How it works and when you need onePIM holds, enriches and publishes your product data. How it works, how it differs from MDM and DAM, what it costs, and when you need one.
From chaos to coherence: The role of Agentic AI in PIM integrationAgentic AI enables adaptive, self-healing PIM integrations that reduce complexity, improve product data quality, and accelerate time-to-market.