Prioritizing product requirements for PIM implementation is crucial for the success of your organization's data management efforts. By identifying and categorizing product types, defining data requirements, and establishing priority criteria, you can ensure that the most critical aspects of your product information are effectively managed within the PIM system - and that you select the right one.
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However, what most teams failed to consider at the time was that PIM platforms are primarily utilized, on a day-to-day basis, by business profiles, including marketing managers, product managers, legal experts, and more. Viewing these projects solely from a technical perspective resulted in complexities that impacted user-friendliness and hindered seamless integrations. As a result, the adoption of the PIM tool suffered, making it nearly impossible for business users to efficiently manage their product catalogs within the system.
At the time, we heard confident statements like:
“Just connect the PIM to our ERP and send data to eCommerce, it’s easy!”
“Our ERP data is clean and well-organized!”
“Replicate our existing data model and processes in the PIM, that’s all we need!”
“No need for change management, we’ll inform users after the integration is done.”
“We’ll figure out the users during implementation, no worries!”
“Here’s a list of features we need, and my requirements are clear enough!”
These statements encapsulate the challenges faced, and it’s why we strongly recommend companies reevaluate their needs and seek external agency expertise. To ensure success, it’s vital to address both technical and, most importantly, business needs from the outset.
That’s why we here at Valtech put together a set of comprehensive recommendations aimed at guiding companies in their quest to find the perfect PIM platform with utmost clarity and precision. By prioritizing the identification of business needs that encompass a meticulous review of processes and profiles, businesses can effectively unravel the complexities of the PIM paradox and unlock the true potential of their product management.
List all the vital elements of your product catalog – your arsenal of complexity!
Clarify how you market your product. This will help you measure the complexity of the data modeling exercise you’ll have to do in your PXM program.
Step into your customer’s shoes – what essential information must you wield to conquer their hearts? Detail the attributes needed for each product type – product names, descriptions, SKUs, and more. Rally stakeholders across marketing, sales, operations tocapture all necessary data for an unyielding advantage.
Here are the different categories of requirements I recommend:
Engage stakeholders from various departments and roles to gather their inputs on the prioritization process. Their expertise and insights can help validate and refine the prioritized list of requirements. Additionally, involving stakeholders fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that the implemented PIM system meets the diverse needs of the organization.
In a visual business case – a blueprint of your conquest:
Prioritizing product requirements for PIM implementation is crucial for the success of your organization’s data management efforts. By identifying and categorizing product types, defining data requirements, and establishing priority criteria, you can ensure that the most critical aspects of your product information are effectively managed within the PIM system – and that you select the right one. But before starting to shop for a solution, you’ll need to do an internal audit regarding your real needs. And you’ll often need an external eye to support you on gathering the right stakeholders, answers, and visuals to make this happen.
Want to know more about successfully implementing a people-first PX platform? You can schedule a 1:1 meeting with a PX expert here, learn more about the Akeneo x Valtech partnership, or see the collaboration in action with joint customer, Bath Depot.
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