As you move forward with your PIM software implementation, it is important to stay focused on the long-term value it will bring to your business. On the other side of this transformation, you will have a centralized platform to collect, manage, and enrich all your product information—a true single source of truth.
This foundation will enable you to efficiently create and maintain product catalogs while seamlessly distributing accurate, consistent data across marketing, sales, ecommerce, and distribution channels.
You are not just implementing a tool. You are building a structured, scalable framework for managing every detail tied to your products, from dimensions and specifications to descriptions, images, and compliance data. No more scattered spreadsheets, version confusion, or relying on tribal knowledge. Just one streamlined system built to support your growth.
A PIM solution simplifies the creation, maintenance, and distribution of product specifications and descriptions across all your catalogs, both online and offline. For marketers, it is a game-changer.
Companies that implement PIM typically experience:
- Increased efficiency and productivity across teams
- Improved accuracy and consistency of product data organization-wide
- Enhanced user experience across digital channels
- Higher sales performance and stronger return on investment
If your business is still managing product information through multiple spreadsheets, dealing with version control issues, or relying on manual processes to update thousands of SKUs, now is the time to shift. A PIM system becomes your single source of truth—eliminating redundant work, reducing errors, and ensuring your product content is always up to date and ready for every channel.
What to know before implementing PIM
Before starting a PIM implementation, it is important to consider a few key factors that will set your organization up for long-term success.
Ensure organization-wide readiness
Internal alignment is essential. Like any major platform implementation, such as a CMS or ERP, a PIM rollout requires full commitment from the organization. Many projects become more difficult than necessary simply because the business did not treat the initiative as a strategic priority.
Once the decision is made to move forward, leadership must clearly understand the scale of the effort. A successful PIM implementation is not just a technical upgrade but a business transformation. It requires time, focus, and cross-functional support to do it right.
Prepare for operational change
Implementing a PIM will not only centralize your product data but also reshape long-standing workflows. Processes for product enrichment, data approvals, and content distribution will evolve. This system becomes the new source of truth for your product information, which directly impacts how teams work together and how your business brings products to market.
PIM can completely transform the way your organization manages and delivers product content. However, this transformation takes planning, alignment, and patience. It is important to manage expectations early and build in ways to track progress and return on investment as the project evolves.
Locate your product data
Start by identifying where product data currently lives across your organization. This may include systems like your ERP, DAM, spreadsheets, or custom databases. Evaluate the quality and completeness of this data to understand how much cleansing and enrichment will be required.
Also, determine who owns or maintains different pieces of product data. Involve these stakeholders in the project early. Their knowledge will help define the data model and reduce the risk of missing critical information or building the system incorrectly.
Define where the data will be used
Clearly outline all the channels where product data will be displayed. While this may seem straightforward, it is essential for ensuring alignment across teams before the implementation begins.
Consider questions such as:
- Will the data be published on your website or mobile app?
- Does it need to be shared with distributors or retail partners like Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowe’s?
- Do you need to support printed catalogs or offline sales tools?
- Will internal teams such as sales, support, or merchandising need access to the same data?
Having this clarity will guide how you structure and distribute product information.
Set realistic implementation goals
To build a realistic implementation plan, be honest about the current state of your product data and internal processes.
Ask yourself:
- What are the business goals for implementing PIM?
- What challenges or roadblocks could impact success?
- How is product data created and maintained today?
- Where does the data live and how clean is it?
- How much of it needs to be enriched or standardized?
- What is the minimum amount of data required to launch?
- Are there any other major IT initiatives underway?
- What manual workflows will be impacted and are they documented?
Create a scalable launch plan
Your PIM implementation does not need to start with a full product catalog. Many organizations successfully launch in phases, starting with a core group of products or a percentage of the catalog. The right approach depends on how long you are willing to wait to go live, how much product data is needed for business continuity, and what level of risk is acceptable.
We have seen clients launch with a limited scope, then scale over time by enriching and activating additional product data. The key is to find the balance that aligns with your business needs and operational goals.
Focus on long-term business value
A strong PIM implementation improves time to market, product data accuracy, operational efficiency, and customer experience. It provides a central source of truth that supports consistency across all sales and marketing channels. With clear goals, realistic expectations, and the right implementation partner, PIM can be the foundation for your organization’s digital growth and success.