How to Solve 5 Data Quality Problems with AI

Data quality can be a wonderful thing when it goes right! But when it takes a wrong turn? Oh, it can be a real headache, or worse. Poor data quality often feels like a confusing jigsaw puzzle – and if you’re missing half the pieces, or they just don’t fit, you’re left with a problem that’s as frustrating as it is messy. 

Good news: there’s a solution. If anything truly conquers data quality problems, it’s AI. And when it comes to putting AI to work, Akeneo leads the way. As a pioneer in AI-powered PIM, Akeneo helps brands turn messy, inconsistent product data into polished, high-quality assets that drive great customer experiences. Whether it’s cleaning up errors or accelerating your time-to-market, Akeneo’s AI transforms complexity into clarity. Curious to see how?

What is Artificial Intelligence?

First, let’s define the simple, but powerful, two-letter acronym. Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of computer systems to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, like learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. Essentially, it’s about machines thinking and acting smarter! 

The 5 Most Common Data Quality Problems

Now that we know what AI is, the real question is, what can it actually do for your product data? As it turns out—a lot. From spotting errors to enriching product listings automatically, AI doesn’t just tidy up your catalog, it streamlines your workflow and frees up your team for higher-impact work.

Now let’s break down five data quality headaches that AI is surprisingly good at solving, and how Akeneo Product Cloud makes it all click into place:

1. Inconsistent Product Data

Product data inconsistencies, like conflicting specs or mismatched attributes, often emerge when information travels across systems, regions, or teams. Distributors might receive differing inputs from suppliers, creating confusion and delays. Retailers then deal with inaccurate listings that lead to stock errors or missed sales. For consumers, it all results in frustration, mistrust, and higher return rates.

The Solution

Akeneo Supplier Data Manager (SDM), solves this at the source. It facilitates real-time collaboration between distributors and suppliers to ensure product information is aligned, complete, and up to standard from day one. Data requirements (whether from your PIM, ERP, or other systems) are surfaced through an intuitive UI, making it easy to guide suppliers and enforce consistency through AI-powered automation and rule engines.

Akeneo’s AI strengthens this process by classifying products intelligently, spotting inconsistencies, and auto-enriching records with the correct values and linked assets. The result? Less cleanup, more confidence, and product data that’s consistent across every channel.

2. Incomplete Product Data

When product data sheets are missing key information like specifications, usage instructions, or safety details, it’s more than just a formatting issue. Incomplete data makes products harder to find in search, harder to trust, and much easier to skip. For suppliers, it means delays in processing and potential compliance risks. For distributors and retailers, it leads to poor product discoverability and missed sales. And for consumers, it ultimately results in cart abandonment.

The Solution

Akeneo PIM simplifies the challenge of filling in the blanks. Acting as your single source of truth, it allows teams to manage, enrich, and sync data across every channel with accuracy. AI accelerates this by detecting gaps, recommending attribute values, and efficiently organizing products into categories, so you can focus on the big picture.

With Akeneo’s latest enrichment features, the process goes even further. Our AI can automatically extract critical details (such as color, material, or category) from assets like images and PDFs, and use them to populate relevant attributes in your PIM. These insights feed into the correct fields automatically, helping teams work faster, eliminate manual entry, and bring your complete, high-impact product content to market without delay.

3. Duplication Product Data

Data duplication isn’t always obvious, but it can wreak havoc on catalogs and reporting. It often creeps in during imports, transfers, or catalog updates, and snowballs into skewed metrics, messy reports, and a cluttered customer experience. Suppliers may submit the same product more than once, and retailers may see sales data split across duplicates. Consumers? They’re left wondering why the same product appears twice with different info or prices.

The Solution

With AI-driven data cleansing and deduplication in Akeneo PIM, you can automatically identify and eliminate duplicate entries as product data is imported, saving your team hours of manual effort and ensuring your catalog stays clean and accurate from the start.

But what about complex product relationships like configurable items, bundles, or component-based products? That’s where Composable Products comes in. This new, powerful feature lets you model real-world product relationships without creating redundant records or workarounds. From pairing electronics with accessories to managing modular furniture sets, Composable Products simplifies linking items while keeping your data clean and duplication-free. That means fewer errors and a system that evolves with your merchandising needs.

4. Poor Quality Supplier Data

Sourcing product information from external parties leaves you at the risk of receiving outdated or incorrect data. Suppliers may struggle to validate key information, leading to expensive returns, contractual disputes, and strained relationships. For distributors and retailers, poor-quality data slows processing times, delays time-to-market, and erodes brand trust. And as you can imagine, consumers get the wrong impression or the wrong product altogether.

The Solution

Akeneo tackles this problem head-on with smart workflows and AI-backed validation tools. Instead of relying on manual review, you can define what “good data” looks like from the start. Suppliers work within shared templates, with real-time guidance and automated checks via SDM, so issues are caught early, not when a product goes live.

Meanwhile, Akeneo PIM continuously tracks data quality metrics like completeness and relevance. AI flags anomalies and automates routine tasks like formatting or attribute mapping. Add in robust permissions and workflow controls, and your teams can trust that the data entering your system is usable and aligned across departments and regions.

5. Outdated Product Data

Product data isn’t a “set-it-and-forget-it” situation. When prices, features, or availability shift and updates lag behind, the fallout hits everyone. Suppliers may spread outdated info, hurting margins. Business teams are bogged down by manual corrections. Customers lose interest when they constantly see out-of-stock items still on display and gain an experience that feels anything but modern.

The Solution

Akeneo’s PIM helps brands stay ahead by enabling quick, controlled updates across every touchpoint. You can respond to changing trends or business needs at speed, whether you’re launching new products or tweaking existing ones for different markets. AI speeds this up by automating tasks like attribute updates, asset swaps, and content changes across your catalog.

To ensure accuracy and control, Akeneo’s new channel-level access control feature allows different teams (regional or brand-specific, or channel-based) to manage only the data they’re responsible for. That means fewer mistakes, faster updates, and full visibility over who’s changing what. Combined with AI-powered enrichment, your catalog stays fresh and accurate, no matter how fast your business moves.

Say Goodbye to Dirty Data

Like we said before, messy product data is like a puzzle. With the wrong pieces jammed in, it can be frustrating to work with it and nearly impossible to solve. From inconsistent specs to outdated listings, every mismatch sends your operations, partners, and customers slightly off track.

But with Akeneo’s AI-powered Product Cloud, the pieces finally fit! From smarter supplier workflows to automated enrichment and real-time updates, Akeneo helps you turn scattered data into a complete, high-quality product story, ready for every channel, every time.

Ready to let AI take your product data from messy to market-ready? Let’s talk.