Table of Contents

What is new in Pimics PIM 13.1

Setup

Assisted Setup

Business Value

New administrators can now configure Pimics after installation using a guided, step-by-step wizard instead of navigating multiple setup pages. The wizard walks through all critical configuration areas — user licenses, permissions, retention policies, application areas, and job queues — and tracks completion state so nothing is missed. This significantly reduces the time-to-productive-use for new tenants and minimizes misconfiguration risk during onboarding.

Technical Changes
  • New Assisted Setup wizard page added to Catalog Setup
  • Covers user license configuration, permission set assignment, retention policy setup, application area selection, and job queue configuration
  • Completion state tracked per step and stored in Catalog Setup
  • Wizard accessible from the Setup & Extensions menu and from the Role Center

Master Data

History — Create Version When Archived

Business Value

When items, categories, or documents are archived, Pimics can now automatically create a history version at that moment — when configured to do so in Catalog Setup. This ensures that the archived state is always captured in the history record, providing a reliable snapshot for compliance, auditing, or rollback scenarios. Previously, archiving an entity did not guarantee that a version was saved.

Technical Changes
  • Archive triggers extended to call history versioning logic for items, item groups, product groups, chapters, catalog groups, and digital assets
  • New History options in Catalog Setup control when automatic versioning occurs (on archive, on certification, or both)
  • History version entry includes all current field values, features, descriptions, and allocations at the moment of archiving

Cross Reference for Catalog Item

Business Value

Users can now manage cross-references directly on Catalog Item records — the same way they have been available on standard items. This enables accurate representation of related products, accessories, and substitutes within the catalog, including proper filtering when navigating cross-referenced items.

Technical Changes
  • Cross-reference management pages and actions added to Catalog Item Card
  • Filtered navigation ensures only relevant cross-references are shown per catalog item
  • Lifecycle handling implemented: cross-references are correctly created during activation and cleaned up on deletion
  • Integration with allocation line logic ensures cross-referenced items are correctly represented in publications

Classification & Features

ETIM 10 — Feature Groups

Business Value

Pimics now supports ETIM 10 feature groups, enabling customers who use ETIM-based product classification to import and work with the newer ETIM 10 data structures. This keeps Pimics aligned with industry classification standards and avoids manual workarounds when handling ETIM 10 files.

Technical Changes
  • Data model extended to store ETIM 10 feature group definitions
  • ETIM import logic updated to recognize and process feature group structures from ETIM 10 XML files
  • Feature group lines are linked to their parent features and correctly inherit field type information during import

Description Text — Placeholders (preview)

Note

This feature is available as a preview in Pimics PIM 13.1. To use it, enable the PIMX Beta feature flag in Catalog Setup > Application Area.

Business Value

Description text authors can now insert named placeholders into description text HTML that are automatically replaced with field values from the related master data record. Instead of maintaining many similar description texts manually, a single template with placeholders stays current as product data changes — values such as item fields, feature values, or keyword data are resolved automatically when processing or exporting.

Technical Changes
  • Placeholder syntax: {{CODE}} in description text HTML, where CODE references a record in the new Desc. Text Placeholder setup table
  • Each placeholder is configured with a Replacement Function (currently Replace Value — reads a field from a master data entity by Source Type, optional filter, and field number) and an On Failure behavior (Keep, Remove, or Custom)
  • Two new actions on Description Text pages: Process Placeholders (writes resolved values back) and Preview Placeholders (read-only preview)
  • Placeholders are also resolved during publication output and in the Export Description Texts report (new Process Placeholders option)
  • Replacement function interface is extensible for partner implementations

Publications

Publication Group Configuration for Cross-Referenced Categories

Business Value

Publication managers can now configure publication groups for cross-referenced categories using the same settings and rules available for cross-referenced items. This gives full control over how cross-referenced category content appears in publications, eliminating the need for manual workarounds when categories are shared across multiple publication structures.

Technical Changes
  • Publication group card extended to support cross-referenced category configuration
  • Publication group rules evaluate cross-referenced categories using the same logic path as cross-referenced items
  • Catalog Item Reference field on publication groups correctly applied when evaluating cross-referenced category membership

Publication Excel — Export/Import Mapping Including Source Record Type

Business Value

Publication Excel mappings now fully preserve the Source Record Type when exported and re-imported. Previously, importing a mapping definition would reset the source record type to the default, requiring users to manually reconfigure this setting. This fix is particularly important for mappings that include Publication or Translation source records.

Technical Changes
  • Source Record Type field added to the Excel mapping export/import round-trip
  • Import logic reads and applies the stored Source Record Type from the Excel file
  • Prevents unintended defaulting to Master record type on re-import
  • Affects both Export Mapping and Import Mapping configuration pages

Bulk Edit for Catalog Items

Business Value

Users can now edit multiple Catalog Items simultaneously using the Bulk Edit feature, which was previously only available for standard items. Fields available for bulk editing include Description, Manufacturer Code, Unit of Measure, Checklist Number, Picture ID, Item Template Code, and System Status — covering the most frequently updated catalog item attributes.

Technical Changes
  • Bulk Edit Card extended to support Catalog Item as a target entity type
  • Supported bulk-editable fields: Description, Manufacturer Code, Unit of Measure Code, Checklist No., Picture Document ID, Item Template Code, System Status
  • Bulk edit action added to Catalog Item list pages
  • Validation rules applied consistently with single-record edit behavior

Publication Rule — Hide Empty Group

Business Value

A new publication rule type automatically removes empty groups, chapters, and categories from the publication tree after reorganization. Previously, reorganizing a publication could leave behind empty structural nodes that had to be cleaned up manually. The rule always preserves the root of the publication.

Technical Changes
  • New rule type Hide Empty Group added to the publication rule type enum
  • Rule traverses the publication tree post-reorganization and removes groups, chapters, and categories that contain no publication lines
  • Root node is always exempt from removal
  • Rule is configurable per publication and integrated with the existing publication rule execution order

Checklists & Rules

Resolver Group and Checklists

Business Value

Checklist responsibilities can now be assigned to Resolver Groups — named groups of users — in addition to individual users. When a checklist check fails during certification, the certification log entry is tagged with the assigned resolver group. All members of the group see the pending item in their Role Center cue and can mark it as resolved. This prevents certification tasks from being blocked when a specific user is unavailable.

Technical Changes
  • New PIMX Resolver Group table: fields Code, Description, Active
  • New PIMX Resolver Group Member table: fields Resolver Group Code, User Name, Full Name, Role, State
  • Master data entities (Items, Catalog Items, Item Groups, Categories) can have Data Resolution Type (User or Resolver Group) and Data Resolution Code configured
  • Checklist lines and checklist relations can also reference a Resolver Group directly
  • Certification Log entries record the resolver type and code when checklist checks fail — existing Resolver Type Enum and Resolver Code fields on the Certification Log table
  • Role Center cue shows unresolved certification log entries for the current user (individual) and for groups the user belongs to (via BC Security Group membership)
  • Any member of the assigned group can mark a certification log entry as Resolved; Resolved By and Resolved On are recorded on resolution

IF Conditions on Fields for Checklist Relation Lines

Business Value

Checklist relation checks can now be configured to apply only when specific field conditions are met. This means a certification requirement — such as requiring an item to be in a specific category or have a particular status — is only enforced for items that match the defined criteria. This reduces false certification failures and makes checklists more precise and context-aware.

Technical Changes
  • IF-condition framework (already available on checklist lines) extended to checklist relation lines
  • Conditions are evaluated against the table and field values of the related entity before the relation check is executed
  • Condition configuration uses the same filter-based interface as existing checklist IF conditions
  • Relation checks with unsatisfied conditions are skipped, not failed

Checklist Relations — Check Parent Allocation / Child Allocation

Business Value

Two new checklist relation check types allow you to enforce strict allocation rules during certification: Parent Allocation verifies that an item or category is allocated under a required parent, and Child Allocation verifies that a category contains the required child allocations. These checks prevent certification of items that are placed in the wrong part of the product hierarchy.

Technical Changes
  • Two new check types added to the checklist relation check type enum: Parent Allocation and Child Allocation
  • Parameter pages added for configuring the required parent or child allocation targets
  • Check evaluation logic traverses allocation hierarchy to verify structural correctness
  • Certification log entries created when checks fail, including the specific allocation path that does not meet requirements

InDesign Integration

InDesign — Endpoint for Flat JSON Data Structure

Business Value

Pimics now provides a dedicated Azure Functions endpoint that exports publication data as a flat JSON structure, optimized for EasyCatalog and InDesign workflows. Users can select which levels and fields to include in the export, enabling efficient loading of exactly the data needed for catalog layout — without unnecessary nesting or API overhead.

Technical Changes
  • New Azure Functions HTTP endpoint added for flat JSON publication data export
  • Selectable export levels (item, category, feature, description, document, reference)
  • Selectable field list configurable per export run
  • Output format optimized for EasyCatalog data provider consumption

InDesign — Flat Structure Service v2.0

Business Value

The flat JSON export service has been significantly improved to handle large publications reliably. Previously, publications with thousands of items and features could cause the Azure Functions timeout to be exceeded. The reworked service delivers the same data without timeouts, ensuring that large catalog exports complete successfully.

Technical Changes
  • Features, Texts, Documents, and References are now loaded via separate API endpoint calls per entity type instead of using $expand
  • Entities are matched to their parent records by GUID after separate retrieval
  • New API pages expose publicationCode filter field on Features, Texts, Documents, and References pages to enable efficient per-publication filtering
  • Eliminates dependency on $expand performance, which was the root cause of 240-second Azure Functions timeout failures on large publications

API

API v2.1

Business Value

A new beta API version (v2.1) is available for publication data integrations. It uses stable GUID-based OData keys (systemId) instead of the composite keys used in v2.0, making integrations more robust and easier to maintain. The v2.0 API remains fully available for backward compatibility.

Technical Changes
  • New versioned API pages published under the v2.1 endpoint path
  • OData keys changed from composite business keys to systemId (GUID-based)
  • Existing v2.0 endpoints remain active and unchanged
  • Deprecation documentation added to guide partners toward v2.1 migration

Pipelines

Pipeline Actions — Interface, Action Types

Business Value

Pipelines in Pimics can now include configurable actions that execute automatically as part of a pipeline run. Supported built-in action types include Certify, Certify Channel, Run Checklist, and Webhook. This enables automated multi-step product data workflows where quality checks, status updates, and external notifications are triggered without manual intervention.

Technical Changes
  • New Pipeline Action table, card, and list pages
  • Extensible action framework via interface — partners can implement custom action types
  • Built-in action types: Certify, Certify Channel, Run Checklist, Webhook
  • Actions are ordered and executed sequentially within a pipeline run
  • Action execution results recorded in pipeline log

Pipeline — Certification & Non-Certified Pipelines

Business Value

Pipeline administrators can now explicitly allow the use of non-certified (draft) pipelines in controlled scenarios, such as testing or development. When a non-certified pipeline is run, users receive a clear warning. Additionally, checksum validation ensures that a pipeline cannot be executed if its definition has been modified since the last certification — preventing accidental use of changed workflows.

Technical Changes
  • New version-0 state for pipelines representing an uncertified draft
  • Warning dialog displayed when a non-certified pipeline is executed
  • Checksum validation computes a hash of the pipeline definition on certification; execution fails if the current hash does not match the certified hash
  • Pipeline certification action sets version and checksum; re-certification required after any definition change
  • Non-certified pipeline execution can be restricted or permitted via Catalog Setup

Sana Commerce Integration

Improve Sana Commerce Add-On

Business Value

The Sana Commerce add-on is more stable and easier to configure. Improvements cover product API alignment, setup flow, HTTP error handling, and SharePoint image configuration. Partners and administrators will experience fewer integration failures and a smoother setup experience when connecting Pimics to Sana Commerce.

Technical Changes
  • Sana product API response structure aligned with Sana Commerce API expectations
  • Setup flow reorganized and validated to prevent misconfiguration
  • HTTP error handling improved with structured error responses and retry logic
  • SharePoint image configuration consolidated into the Sana setup page
  • Test Connection action provides clearer diagnostics on failure

Support All Possible Sana Entity Field Types for Pimics Features

Business Value

Pimics features can now be mapped to a broader range of Sana Commerce entity field types — not just strings and decimals. This allows product attributes such as booleans, date fields, and multi-select values to be correctly transmitted to Sana Commerce, improving data fidelity in the webshop.

Technical Changes
  • Sana entity field type mapping extended to cover all available Sana field types
  • Type conversion logic added for Boolean, Date, DateTime, Integer, and multi-value list field types
  • Field type validation added to Sana feature mapping configuration to prevent unsupported type assignments
  • Existing string/decimal mappings unaffected

Sana Publication Update Line Interface — Channel-Specific Descriptions

Business Value

Sana Commerce integrations that use publication update processing now use channel-specific product descriptions instead of always falling back to the base description. If a channel-specific description exists for the publication's channel, it is used automatically — ensuring customers see the correct, channel-tailored content in the webshop.

Technical Changes
  • Publication update line processing extended to resolve channel-specific description texts during Sana data preparation
  • Channel resolution follows the existing publication channel configuration
  • Falls back to base description if no channel-specific description is found
  • Applies to both full and delta Sana synchronization runs

Synchronize Items in Cross-Referenced Categories to Sana

Business Value

Items that belong to categories via cross-references are now correctly included in Sana Commerce synchronization. Previously, only direct category members were synchronized. This ensures that a Sana webshop category shows all relevant items regardless of whether the item's primary allocation is in a different category.

Technical Changes
  • Category-to-item resolution logic in Sana sync extended to traverse cross-reference links
  • Category expansion scenarios handled: cross-referenced categories are expanded to include their underlying items
  • Synchronization handles both initial full sync and delta sync for cross-referenced item additions and removals

Provide ModifiedDate of Images to Sana

Business Value

The Sana Commerce image synchronization is significantly faster after large product updates or full index rebuilds. Pimics now includes a ModifiedDate for each image in the Sana response, allowing Sana to skip re-importing images that have not changed. This reduces unnecessary data transfer and speeds up synchronization in catalogs with large image libraries.

Technical Changes
  • ModifiedDate field added to image entries in the Sana publication line data response
  • Modified date is sourced from the digital asset record's last modification timestamp
  • Sana Commerce processes the date to determine whether image re-transmission is needed
  • Applies to both item images and category images

Sana Publication Line Data — Prepare General Image and Attachment Data Separately

Business Value

Internal rework of how image and attachment data is prepared for Sana Commerce. This change improves maintainability and reduces data preparation time by separating general metadata (such as image IDs and types) from file-retrieval payloads. End-users are not directly affected, but the change provides a cleaner foundation for future Sana integration improvements.

Technical Changes
  • Image and attachment data preparation split into two phases: general metadata collection and file retrieval
  • General metadata (IDs, types, modification dates) collected upfront for all images/attachments
  • File content retrieved separately and paired with metadata using GUID matching
  • Reduces duplicate data retrieval and simplifies the data pipeline for Sana publication line processing

See Also