Preparing your PIM project upstream with the Quable and Datal vision ensures successful deployment

A PIM (Product Information Management) project is more than just the technical deployment of a new tool: it's above all about transforming and adapting the organization and management of product information. That's why success comes when PIM becomes natural, fluid and useful to everyone, well beyond the project itself.

At Quable, publisher of PIM & DAM solutions, and Datala brand specializing in data projects, we share the conviction that a successful project depends above all on rigorous preparation and a clear vision of business objectives.

Above and beyond the specifications, it's a matter of preparing all the business and technical teams for the change, because behind the tools, there are people.

In this article, we're going to share our experience with you, to help make your PIM project a complete success.

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In concrete terms, why launch a PIM project?

It is crucial to understand why PIM is necessary:

• Save time organizing, centralizing and searching product data
• Reduce the use of Excel files
• Reduce data entry and update errors
• Expand into new channels and markets
• Automate media production

Listing all the general pain points will enable you to define the main actions to be planned with the deployment of the PIM solution. This list will enable you to challenge and understand the causes with your business teams.

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Involve the right players and define the right organization from the outset

A PIM project succeeds when all players are involved, because PIM solutions are strategic and cross-functional.

Datal recommends defining the people who will drive the projects and be involved in them:

• A project manager: his/her role will be to steer, organize, plan tasks, monitor deadlines and manage the budget.
• A business referent for each department: purchasing, marketing, communications, etc., to centralize actions and decisions and share them with other employees.
• A technical advisor: a key player in guiding technical choices and removing constraints.
• The General Manager: to pass on important information. This will also enable us to share project progress and KPIs.

This varies from company to company, but here's the ideal PIM project team. Beyond the team, you need to be able to share information via project committees.

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Surveying, supporting and understanding business teams 

First of all, a complete study of business irritants, limits and needs is imperative. Depending on the company, the following players are generally involved: 

• Marketing: to adapt, enrich and classify products across different channels.
• Communication: to list the media and files used for production.
• Purchasing: to share data sent by suppliers and current constraints.
• IT: to list current tools, their performance and limitations.
• Suppliers: essential if they can automate and facilitate the sending of data to the future solution.
• Customers: these are the most relevant to give you concrete, constructive feedback on the state of your data and your products.

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Audit the current data model and build the future foundation

For Datal, this often overlooked phase is the one that will save considerable time in solution integration. 

Indeed, there are several questions that need to be answered in order to properly frame a PIM project:

• What data needs to be integrated into the solution?
• What is the current data format? Is it causing problems?
• Who is responsible for validation?
• How are products classified on the different channels?
• What are the groupings and how are they made?
• What are the associations?

Datal also recommends preparing an initial data dictionary, as this work is essential for listing attributes, their format, assignment to objects, roles... Customers who start a PIM project with a first dictionary save +50% time on data modeling.

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Anticipating flows, integration and automation

A PIM is always part of a wider environment: ERP, DAM, CMS, e-commerce, marketplaces, translation or print publishing tools.

Datal recommends mapping these flows as early as the preparation phase, so as to know their current limits and adapt the connection. This enables you to prioritize integrations, choose the right connectors and anticipate data exchanges.

Quable, with its open API and native connectors, facilitates these integrations and guarantees data consistency across the entire digital ecosystem.

And what about data recovery? Today, the tools are already well implemented, with data, and the aim is to capitalize on this existing data. But often, the data is not ready for integration, and needs to be standardized. It's in this upstream phase that we define the data control and recovery strategy.

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Plan and manage the PIM project realistically and progressively

Most PIM deployments achieved in less than 6 months rely on effective project management. Whether agile, waterfall or hybrid, the aim is to pace, challenge and manage the deployment schedule.

Upstream, you need to define all the tasks involved in the project: participation in workshops, buyer contributions, marketing between workshops, development of flows by IT, adaptation of channels (ERP, e-commerce sites). Then define the time to be spent per contributor on the project. The idea of a RACI with timeframes can make sense, provided that tasks are properly segmented.

And in the day-to-day monitoring of the project, weekly steering with follow-up committees and synchronization points. Beyond the method, you need active listening, transparent communication, a desire to keep moving forward - in short, more than just "skills" 😉.

All this has to be orchestrated with a master's hand, so that the teams have enough time to work calmly and efficiently, and the aim is not to add to the difficulty.

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How Datal supports its customers

At Datal, the method has been carefully worked out in relation to feedback from the field and integration projects carried out. This method has been fine-tuned over more than 5 years of experience in data and digital projects. 

1. Understanding and analyzing : interviews to understand current limitations. We then carry out a detailed analysis of your digital ecosystem, tools, data and roles, to provide the first clues. 
2. Framing and prioritizing : thanks to concrete, objective workshops, Datal not only helps you frame and prioritize, but also challenges you with good data management practices, and provides concrete experience of the uses and limits encountered by other companies. 
3. Recommending and preparing : finally, the aim is to provide a complete response to the limits and challenges, with organizational and technical recommendations, while presenting and prioritizing the action plan.

From auditing through to scoping, specification writing and solution integration, Datal offers comprehensive support to maximize your ROI.

About Datal

Datal is an independent brand specializing in product data management projectsPIM, DAM, MDM) thanks to its cross-disciplinary, multi-faceted experience. Datal supports companies in three areas: consulting, solutions and performance, to align strategy, processes and technologies around reliable, controlled product data.

Through a pragmatic, results-oriented approach, Datal helps brands, retailers and manufacturers make the most of their data ecosystem: project scoping, data structuring and integration, training and continuous improvement.

Contact Datal here

The aim is to turn product data into a real lever for efficiency, consistency and sustainable growth.