Product information management robustly shifts management trends. It is the most sophisticated and trendy software. It speeds up the working pace of businesses. Its unique features make it the most demanding. So, today, we describe the product information management (PIM) implementation plan. Let’s start it.
PIM Implementation Plan
Product information management (PIM) is software developed for data centralization, governance, and distribution. It is replacing humans for data management. Its automation workflow seems time-saving. It is also more cost-effective than hiring management professionals. Its data scalability puts professionals hiring apart at a growing pace. In short, it covers all the data dynamics. For example, it took past data to run current data dynamics. This current pace is revolutionizing future data management. It was all-in-one to run businesses.
Additionally, the PIM implementation plan requires some pre- and post-procedures. This guideline will surely make you understand. We tried to pinpoint all the main steps. We want to help you plan the PIM implementation in your business. Below are the details of these procedures.
PIM Design and Discovery Sessions
The first step in PIM implementation is the integration pre-assessment. It comprised these substeps:
- Collaborative teams are designated for discovery sessions. For example, marketing, sales, IT, and management teams collaborate. They discuss the core requirements via workshop sessions. All stakeholders put forward their required needs. So, PIM aligns with business needs.
- Secondly, the data sources, hierarchies, and data models are discussed. So, all the data sources become part of PIM. The chosen PIM design meets these data sources.
- Product taxonomies are also discussed. It includes the fulfillment of product inclusion in the PIM model.
- The identification of integration costs is also addressed. The required PIM must accommodate existing systems. As an e-commerce platform, ERP works smoothly with PIM.
- The user interface is also essential. All teams must be capable of running PIM. It also results in a pre-assessment of the PIM interface. To get a user-friendly and all-agreed PIM selection.
In short, this session provides a PIM blueprint. To make a collaborative effort to pinpoint well-optimized needs.
PIM System Orientation and Data Modeling Phase
It is the phase of the PIM system discussion. The chosen PIM system is discussed with teams. It includes the following feature discussion.
- Firstly, the overview of the PIM system is addressed. The core features and functionalities are described, such as the PIM demo video on input data. Demos of the user interface, navigation, and configuration options are highlighted.
- Data modeling is the second core feature. Product attributes are first taken into account. So, the familiar data models are chosen. These data models will work automatically. The familiar product classification is also blueprinted here. So that customer quickly gets the linked-up products. Lastly, the approval and publication of product data are addressed here.
- The mockups to visualize the PIM feature also sound perfect. It describes each team’s assigned task within PIM. It also makes stakeholders provide feedback. It will further improve PIM integration.
- Training, hands-on exercises, workshops, and FAQ sessions are good examples. They make the practical efforts of teams. How to orient PIM within business teams.
Configuration Process and PIM Migration
This phase incorporates practical insight. It figures the PIM configuration. It involves system configuration to meet focused business needs. Customization stands first in it. Because it makes PIM align with focused products. The product attribute, pricing, and size are all involved in it. The user role and role-based accessibility stand second. It makes user-specific enrollment in PIM as the business security concerns remain intact. The third factor is integration costs. The PIM system incorporates existing systems. Systems that are aligned in the design phase.
Further, in PIM migration, system compatibility was also analyzed. It makes the high-order functioning of PIM possible. In the end, the chosen PIM migrated into business infrastructure.
PIM Integration
PIM integration is essential in the selection of PIM. The chosen PIM integrates existing systems. It must have integration methods. These methods must be built into PIM. For example, the API system in PIM helps with system communication. The custom connectors also help in this process. They further ease the process of systems’ communication. They fasten and ensure the data transfer between systems.
Testing the PIM integration is a good example. It helps the integrators to check the complete integration process. If the process seems seamless, it means the PIM goes frutified. The alarming mechanism is also the best option. It pinpoints any failure in data exchange.
Define the Output of the PIM Solution.
Output describes the processing quality of any software. Product information management (PIM) defines data integration, centralization, and successful orientation. This phase sets the PIM for a demo creation. It visualizes the fulfillment of business needs. It also makes the PIM features come forward. A sample presentation of PIM output can be helpful. It helps PIM professionals to guide non-professionals. To understand the actual data outputs of PIM.
Working with Data During PIM Implementation
This phase optimizes the drivers of PIM. These drivers are the product data. During the PIM review, the supported data formats are pre-defined. So, in this phase, the analysis of existing and current data sources was performed. They were checked for being compatible with PIM guidelines. To avoid any data mishaps, errors, and inconsistencies.
Data Gathering
This step involves listing all existing data sources. To avoid any data source exclusion. The listed data source systems are taken into account. It makes them get connected with PIM. It also eases PIM data analytics by enabling data extraction from all sources to make all data sources consistent in their trajectory. As well as the future workings of data sources within PIM.
Data Check
Data extraction stands first in it. It involves the existing data extraction. This extraction comes after data gathering. It includes quality, format, and compatibility checks. To maintain data accuracy within PIM. It also removes data malignancy and secures data incorporation.
Setting the Data Governance Policy
The data check in the previous phase involved it. Data governance policies are at the root of these checks. The logging mechanism is the best policy to understand it. It involves specified data access to a pre-defined user log-in. This policy secures or fragmentizes the visibility of the data. Hence, the top-secret info remains under high-security checks. These policies also involve violations and punishments. They were made functional in PIM data governance. These policies are also customized for particular businesses.
Building Data Taxonomy
Automation in product information management is remarkable. It also helps in forming data taxonomies. But customization is also here to be arranged in a personal way. This taxonomy includes arranging related products into one category. Or linking the related categories to form a product domain. Businesses can make personal choices about how to arrange data. This arrangement can also be role-specific. So, no one interrupts the taxonomy of the other one.
Defining Product Data Attributes
The data taxonomy is based on product data attributes. Each business had its specific product attributes. For example, kitchenware had different attributes than furniture. Hence, PIM personalization defines the business-specific interface of products. The core product attributes include color, size, price, stock, usage, and preventive specifications. PIM ensures the uniformity of product attributes within its taxonomy.
Testing
This phase looks at the proper fixing of data aspects. The previous processes were analyzed in this phase. It means the data sources, system integration, data format, and taxonomies are channeled. It answers the question of whether PIM fulfills the required data dynamics. The testing is essential to see if any additional improvement is needed in PIM.
Data Migration
After testing the PIM configuration, the extracted data in the previous go for transformation. The data sources after compatibility with the decided data taxonomy. The data was finally imported into PIM. To start the workflow and PIM validation to align with business needs.
Data Synchronization/Syndication
The continuity of refreshing data is essential. Because customer and marketing trends change each time, this phase requires timely and cost-effective product data updates. The assigned team will refresh the previous formats. To meet the upcoming data trends. Data mapping helps in this process. It lists out areas that need refreshment. So, data synchronization or syndication provides data scalability.
How to Implement PIM and Overcome Potential Challenges
We hope you get all the insight concerning PIM implementation. This implementation saves your business from the following challenges:
Data Inaccuracies and Inconsistencies
Product information management had robust data quality checks. These validating checks save data from errors. It was reviewed that PIM data management is more accurate than a management person. This is because it excludes errors and incomplete or inconsistent data. It alarms any data malignancy. It also does faster data validation than humans. It saves data histories with visuals. To recap any previous data trends, consistency and accuracy are more robust via PIM.
Onboarding Nontechnical Users
PIM also saves businesses from onboarding nontechnical users via a user-friendly interface and pop-up guidance. It eases nontechnical user navigation. It helps them to input data and see the PIM process easily. Train them to become functionalized in data management. Its automation workflow also fastens their technical skills. It makes them do basic commands to fulfill their working role.
Involving Many Parts
Team collaboration is another big challenge. It results in delayed work and business progression. Via PIM, it will be resolved. From the start, it collaborates with all working teams. Integrating them with the existing system also collects them in one line. For example, it involves production, management, and marketing teams. The production team made it available. The management team then takes these products. Manage them by inputting them in PIM. Then, the marketing team, via PIM, makes their showcasing in the market. Hence, all of them command their functions with the ease of PIM.
Final Thoughts
In a brief recap, the implementation of PIM is essential. It makes every process in its built-in dynamics. Hence, it eases business teams’ work. Product information management (PIM) is a budgetary investment. It releases your business from financial challenges. It excludes management labor costs, fragmented investment, infrastructure, or other product marketing costs. It was best to move with the evolving market.