PIM implementation
Pimcore, Akeneo or Ergonode implemented from the analysis and data model to ERP and shop integrations and support after go-live.
Learn moreSupplier portal: supplier data without retyping.
Suppliers upload data and files, openProd AI maps them, your team approves before the PIM.
Who it is for
Supplier data belongs in a portal, not in inboxes.
In e-mails, spreadsheets and PDFs, supplier data is retyped by hand and errors show up only in the shop. The portal moves data entry to the supplier and checks it on the way in. It makes sense when:
May not fit if you work in one PIM with a supplier module and suppliers fill in your template: the module is enough. PIM module or a custom portal →
- You are a manufacturer collecting component data from your suppliers.
- You are a distributor receiving products from many suppliers, sometimes hundreds.
- Suppliers send files in different forms.
- Your PIM has no supplier module.
- You need one portal for suppliers and partners.
How it works
Four steps from a supplier upload to your PIM.
- 01
Supplier uploads
A form or Excel, CSV and PDF files, with images and documents.
- 02
AI maps
openProd AI matches values to your attributes, families, units and dictionaries.
- 03
You approve
The portal checks the data; your team approves or rejects with a comment.
- 04
Publishes
Approved data goes to Pimcore, Akeneo or Ergonode and on to your channels.
Step 02 up close
From a PDF datasheet to a product.
openProd reads a one-page datasheet, asks for six decisions and saves the product.
From a PDF datasheet to a product
Six decisions, one save, every value traced to its page.
Capabilities
What the portal does.
Planning a supplier portal?
30 minutes, no obligation. We tell you whether a PIM module is enough or you need your own portal.
Module or custom portal
PIM supplier module or a custom portal?
Ready-made modules exist: Akeneo Supplier Data Manager, Salsify Supplier Experience Management (SXM) and Pimcore Portal Engine. A module is enough when you work in one system that has it and suppliers fill in your template. A custom portal pays off when suppliers send files in different forms, your PIM has no such module, or you need one portal for suppliers and partners. A custom portal needs implementation and upkeep, so if a module meets your needs, we will tell you.
| Criterion | Ready-made PIM supplier module | Custom LemonMind portal on openProd |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Faster: configure an existing product | Implemented around your process |
| Supplier files | Usually a template or a structured spreadsheet | Form, Excel, CSV, PDF, images and documents; openProd AI reads the files |
| PIM | Tied to the module vendor's platform | Pimcore, Akeneo, Ergonode |
| Approval process | As the module provides | Your rules: several approval stages, requirements per product group |
| Partner portal | Depends on the product | On the same PIM: separate accounts and permissions, downloads in Excel, CSV or BMEcat |
| Upkeep | With the module vendor | With the implementation team |
Module descriptions from the vendors' public websites, as of 24 October 2026.
FAQ
Questions about supplier portals.
What is a supplier portal?
A web application where a supplier logs in and enters or uploads data for their products, including Excel, CSV and PDF files, together with images and documents. The portal checks the data for completeness and quality, and your team approves or rejects it before it reaches the PIM. More in supplier product onboarding: from a file to a ready catalogue.
How is a partner portal different from a supplier portal?
A supplier portal collects data from the companies that supply your products. A partner portal works the other way: partners, dealers and sales networks download product data, images, price lists and documents from it, always in the current version from the PIM. Each partner has their own account and permissions, sees only their products or price lists and downloads data in their own format, such as Excel, CSV or BMEcat. Both portals can run on the same PIM.
In what form can a supplier send data?
A supplier can fill in a form in the portal or upload an Excel, CSV or PDF file, such as a data sheet or price list, and add images and documents to products. Data from the files, PDFs included, is read by openProd AI and matched to your PIM data model. The portal works in many languages, so suppliers from abroad can use it too.
Does the AI write supplier data to the PIM on its own?
No. openProd AI reads the files and proposes how values match the attributes, units and dictionaries in your PIM. The portal checks the data, and your team approves or rejects changes with a comment. Only approved data reaches the PIM.
How does a supplier know what is missing?
The supplier sees the status of their products and a list of gaps in the portal. They get e-mail notifications about gaps, rejections and approvals, and a rejected change shows your team's comment, so they know what to fix.
Which PIM systems does the supplier portal work with?
Does the supplier portal replace the PIM?
No. The portal collects and checks data before it reaches the PIM, and the PIM sends approved data to the shop and other sales channels. ERP, online shops and marketplaces connect through the PIM, and we build and maintain those connections. Suppliers are also often the source of data required by law, such as GPSR manufacturer details and warnings or digital product passport data, and the portal helps collect it. More in PXM and EU regulatory compliance.
When is a PIM supplier module enough, and when is a custom portal worth building?
A ready-made module, such as Akeneo Supplier Data Manager, is enough when you work in one PIM and suppliers fill in your template. A custom portal is worth building when suppliers send files in different forms, your PIM has no supplier module, or you need one portal for both suppliers and partners.
Where do we start with a supplier portal?
With a conversation about your suppliers and your PIM. In a free consultation we look at sample supplier files and your current approval process, then tell you whether a PIM module is enough or a custom portal is worth building, and where to start.
Olgierd MrozikCEO, LemonMind
Let's talk about your suppliers
Let's look at the data your suppliers send you.
Tell us roughly how many suppliers send you data, in what form, and which PIM you use. In a free consultation we show how to collect it without retyping.
30 minutes. Google Calendar opens in a new tab.
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- 300+ projects
- 70+ PIM and e-commerce implementations