Pre-implementation analysis -100 questions to perfect PIM

Implementing a Product Information Management (PIM) system is a process that requires careful planning and preparation. Before any implementation work begins, you need to conduct a pre-implementation analysis.

Its purpose is to examine the company’s needs and requirements and to develop a strategy for implementing PIM that will meet them.

The pre-implementation analysis is a key element of the PIM implementation process. It makes it possible to understand the business characteristics of the organisation, identify the source of the problems that PIM is intended to address and determine the objectives to be achieved.

Pre-implementation analysis also makes it possible to decide on the scope and scale of the project, identify the resources and skills needed to implement PIM effectively, and better prepare for potential difficulties, minimising the risk of delays or failures in the implementation phase.

Our guidebook focuses on the role of pre-implementation analysis in the PIM implementation process. Here are some of the questions that need to be asked in order to conduct an effective analysis.

 

If you decide to outsource the PIM implementation, it is crucial to define the criteria for cooperation between your company and the contractor. Another important aspect is the technology offered by the supplier, the hosting solutions, the guarantees, the after-sales service, and the technical support. These are important indicators of how the company is keeping peace with IT and meeting the challenges faced by its customers.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

1. How long have the companies been on the market? What experience do they have in building PIM systems? Do they have a portfolio of completed PIM projects on their website? Which companies have used their services? Are these companies similar to yours (size, number of branches, industry)?
2. What opinions about the projects can you find on review sites, websites, or other sources?
3. What technologies have been used in the projects implemented? Does the company explain or describe why it recommends a particular solution?
4. Does the company create valuable publications that provide guidance and help answer your questions?
5. Will you get a system that meets your specific needs? Will the system be adapted / designed to suit your existing processes?
    

The success of implementing the PIM platform mainly depends on adapting it to the needs of the organisations and employees who use its functionality in their everyday work. There are considerable differences in this respect, as it depends on the specifics of the business, the organisational structure of the company, the users and the nature of their work.

In order to better determine the needs of the organisation, it is necessary to analyse its organisational structure and determine the source of the data to be loaded into the system. It is then necessary to specify the general departments' information needs and the employees' tasks, which differ at department and position levels.

By analysing these tasks, it is possible to see how the functions designed can support employees in their work, optimising the time and number of activities performed.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

1. What is the organisational structure of the company? What are the departments in which employees work?
2. Will there be a need for integration with communication or collaboration tools?
3. How will the IT department and the implementation team work together?
4. Will the platform include task management, document sharing and time-tracking features?
5. Do you have any ideas for PIM platform features to be implemented in the future?
   
    

In addition to implementing the PIM platform, the most important element is to ensure that its development is systematic and that it works efficiently. The best way to do this is to appoint a team of people (a few or more, preferably from different departments) to do this. In many cases, this will include system administrator, product manager, analyst, form designer and end users who use product data, for instance, to plan marketing activities.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

1. How will the PIM platform development team be structured?
2. What will be the role of each member?
3. Which people will be actively involved, and from which departments? How often and in what form will they meet?
4. Which team members will be responsible for entering, formatting or updating the content (e.g. in the product offer)?
5. Who will be responsible for content verification? How often will this verification be done?
6. Are you considering, for example, creating a user manual with rules for publishing content? Such a document makes it possible to maintain the consistency of the PIM platform.
    

Providing structure, intuitive navigation, and a satisfying visual effect is extremely important when designing a system.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

CONTENT ARCHITECTURE

1. What kind of content will be published on the PIM platform?
2. What content or features/modules should only be available to selected people or departments? What are these departments?
3. Which features of the PIM system should be available to all employees?
4. Will it be necessary to create additional multimedia materials, e.g., video tutorials?

INTEGRATIONS

1. With how many systems should PIM be integrated?
2. What types of data and content do you want to integrate?
3. Who will be responsible for the integration?
4. Are there any plans to migrate data to other systems in the near future, i.e. after implementation?

NAVIGATION

1. Which of the navigation elements should be changed in terms of their current operation?
2. Does the architecture and layout of the platform already exist?
3. Is there a plan to create a mock-up of the system to test key functionality and navigation before implementation?
4. What other methods can be used to personalise the PIM platform?

GRAPHIC DESIGN

1. What brand elements need to be considered when creating the graphic design? (e.g., logo, already available materials)
2. Does the company already have a graphic design? Or does it need to be updated?
3. Does the company have a database of photos, icons, and graphics to be placed in the system?
    

When writing about the availability of PIM, we really mean access to useful functions of the system. For most employees, this may be, for example, to obtain information about a particular product, add technical parameters, and for others to develop a product offer based on data from the system. We can develop solutions based on these needs and make them available through the platform. Most importantly, it is up to you to decide which of the functions of the PIM system you want to prioritise.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

1. How will employees be able to access the platform? Will it be through a domain login or a local system account?
2. Do you want all of your employees to have access to the same information in the PIM system? You may need to separate the data types (e.g., public, confidential, sensitive, access for selected groups - which ones?).
3. For example, people working in delegations often need different types of information. How are they going to get it quickly when they are away from the company? What about employees working remotely?
    

The first question that arises in the early stages of considering PIM is: Should we choose an off-the-shelf platform or design and implement a bespoke application? A particular organisation's needs and business objectives will determine which option to choose.

It is, therefore, essential to consider these needs during pre-implementation analysis. If you decide not to go through this stage, you have to take the risk of choosing software that does not live up to your expectations. Over time, this can lead to additional costs that could be avoided by a detailed analysis phase.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

1. What systems are in use in the organisation? Which ones are most frequently used by people in particular departments?
2. Will all of them require integration with the PIM platform? What is the business case for each of the above? Perhaps there are other ways of achieving the same effect.
3. What technologies does the security department prefer, and what are their recommendations for implementing them?
    

Cost and time of implementation largely determine the choices made. Pay attention to the cost justification. It should be in line with the functionalities of both a specific part of the PIM system and the entire platform.

Before implementing the PIM system, it is worth analysing your needs. This will give you a complete picture of the investment without taking considerable financial risk.

Take a moment to think about these questions:

COST OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. Has the budget for implementing the PIM platform been defined internally? What was the basis for these proposals?
2. Are the technological background elements (e.g., SSL certificates, servers, domains, licensing costs, etc.) included in the budget? Do you take into account both fixed and variable costs? What are they?
3. Have you included a budget margin for unforeseen expenses (e.g. new functionality or further integration)? It is often during the implementation when interesting ideas come to mind.

IMPLEMENTATION TIME

1. Is there an estimated date for the launch of the PIM platform? Does the whole system have to be built within this time, or can the implementation be phased?
2. How much time is needed to plan and implement the PIM system? Since a good system needs to be built in close cooperation with the supplier, it is worth clarifying this with the supplier after the pre-implementation analysis and considering the availability of your assets.
3. How much data will be migrated from the organisation's systems? What type of data will be transferred, and from which systems?
    

Once the PIM platform is built, employees should be encouraged and supported to use the new tool. The situation is quite different if the organisation has already had this type of solution in the past - the employees will already have a certain perspective on it.

The objectives should be clearly defined during the training and combined with practical application. In this way, you increase employee involvement and motivate them to use the PIM platform systematically.

The training should enable future users to put the new tools into practice. Take a moment to think about these questions:

1. What is the expected number of participants in the training course? Which departments will be involved?
2. How will the training be delivered (face-to-face and/or distance learning)? Which method is more suitable for the organisation and its employees?
3. What types of training are you considering? (e.g., individual, group, e-learning).
4. Will department managers be involved in the design of the courses to help identify critical elements and users?