How do you manage large product catalogs across multiple systems?

I’ve been looking at how different teams manage product information once catalogs start getting large and multiple systems need the same data.

There seem to be a few different approaches. Some teams keep product data inside their ERP or eCommerce platform, while others introduce a dedicated PIM such as Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify, inriver, Plytix, Contentserv, or UnoPIM.

Each approach seems to have different trade-offs around integrations, scalability, data governance, media management, and keeping information synchronized across channels.

A few things I’m curious about:

• When did you decide that an ERP or eCommerce platform was no longer enough?
• What made you choose a dedicated PIM, if you use one?
• How do you handle 100k+ SKUs or large numbers of variants?
• Do you keep DAM/media management inside the PIM or use a separate system?
• How important are APIs, webhooks, and bulk import/export in your setup?
• How do you manage localized product information across different markets?
• Have you moved from one PIM to another, and what was the main reason?

I’m particularly interested in hearing how Akeneo, Pimcore, Salsify, InRiver, Plytix, Contentserv, and UnoPIM compare in real-world setups, rather than just feature lists.

What has worked well for your team, and what would you do differently if you were starting the catalog architecture today?

For teams dealing with 100k+ SKUs, what architecture has worked well for you?