The Essential Components of Support and Maintenance for a PXM Platform

Managing and optimizing product information is more crucial than ever before for businesses aiming to deliver exceptional customer experiences. A robust Product Experience Management (PXM) platform is key to achieving this, but implementing such a system is not simply a “plug-and-go” situation;. continuous support, maintenance, and often a dedicated team that understands the intricate dynamics of managing a product catalog are required to ensure long-lasting success. 

The Need for a Holistic Support Strategy

Traditional support models typically focus on the technical aspects of a platform: resolving bugs, implementing updates, and ensuring system stability. While these elements are critical, they only address part of what is needed for a successful PXM platform. A more holistic approach is often required—one that integrates technical support with business insights to ensure the platform evolves in alignment with the company’s goals and market dynamics.

The Role of Business Consultants

Business consultants play a crucial role in this holistic support strategy as they bring a wealth of knowledge about industry trends, customer behaviors, and market dynamics to the organization. By working closely with your internal teams, consultants can identify opportunities for process improvements, suggest optimizations in product data management, and ensure that the PXM platform supports your broader business strategy.

Their involvement ensures that the platform is not just technically sound but also strategically aligned with your organization’s goals,ensuring that product information is consistent, accurate, and optimized for the best customer experience. This alignment is crucial for leveraging the full potential of a PXM platform.

The Technical Backbone: Developers and Tech Consultants

Despite the emphasis on strategic support, technical support obviously remains a foundational element of PXM maintenance. Developers and tech consultants will need to bring expertise in the nuances of PXM systems, ensuring that the platform is robust, scalable, and adaptable to new requirements. Their role involves more than just troubleshooting; they proactively monitor the system, anticipate potential issues, and implement enhancements to keep the platform at peak performance.

Their technical skills ensure seamless integration with other systems, smooth data migration, and the development of custom features that enhance the platform's capabilities. This continuous technical optimization is essential for maintaining a high-performing PXM platform.

The Magic of a Unified Team

The most effective PXM support strategy integrates both business and technical expertise. This combined approach ensures that the platform is not only operational but also strategically valuable. By aligning technical solutions with business goals, organizations can achieve greater efficiency, proactive maintenance, improved data accuracy, and a more cohesive product experience.

Key Roles in PXM Support

Project Managers:

• Allocate financial resources to support activities, ensuring the availability of necessary tools and expertise.
• Optimize work hours for various support tasks to meet user needs effectively.
• Include strategic guidance to address evolving user demands and platform enhancements.

PXM Tech Consultant:

• Inform you of new platform and dependencies updates.
• Ensure platform compatibility with peripheral platform updates.
• Prioritize incident management and urgent updates to ensure smooth operation.
• Conduct regular maintenance activities to minimize disruptions.

PXM Strategy Consultant:

• Provide strategic guidance and manage evolving user demands.
• Implement small configuration adjustments, workflow adjustments, and new channel implementations.
• Offer user training sessions to empower users and optimize platform utilization.

Case Study: Success Through Continuous Optimization with Bath Depot

Since 2019, we here at Valtech have been supporting Bath Depot, a leading Canadian retailer of bath supplies, on the creation and  integration of their PXM, including the launch of new product collections.

Initially, the support plan for Bath Depot was limited to technical bug fixes and routine maintenance. However, shortly after the integration, Bath Depot needed to launch a new product collection, which required strategic support in terms of data model strategy and product description.

The launch of the "Lightings" collection required strategic input on describing new products effectively and aligning them with Bath Depot’s existing product catalog. This situation highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach, which is why we proposed a continuous optimization service to Bath Depot, including both a business consultant and a technical consultant to support all their needs.

Working closely with Bath Depot, we developed a strategic roadmap to enhance their product categories for a quick return on investment, driving business growth such as:

• Improved product launches: With continuous optimization, Bath Depot can seamlessly introduce new product collections with the necessary strategic support for data modeling and product descriptions.
• Strategic alignment: The integration of business and technical support ensures that the PXM platform evolves in alignment with Bath Depot’s business goals and market demands.
• Quick ROI: The tailored support and maintenance strategy focuses on delivering quick returns on investment through strategic enhancements and optimizations.

Embracing Comprehensive Support for PXM

PXM platforms require a comprehensive support strategy that integrates technical and business expertise. By adopting this approach, businesses can ensure that their PXM platforms are not only robust and scalable but also strategically aligned with their goals.

At Valtech, we have embraced this holistic approach with our PXM Continuous Optimization team, composed of both business and tech consultants alongside developers who are dedicated to providing the support needed to ensure the long-term success of PXM platforms, driving continuous improvement and strategic alignment.

By rethinking support and maintenance, businesses can unlock the full potential of their PXM platforms and deliver exceptional product experiences that meet the evolving demands of the market.

The PXM Practitioner's Checklist

Discover the 9 essential components to set yourself up for success with Product Information Management (PIM) in this guide, created with Valtech.

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Raphaël Iscar Gutierrez, Head of Global PXM & Product Strategy

Valtech