What to consider when choosing the right PIM service provider

Product Information Management, or PIM for short, has become a central part of digital processes for many medium-sized companies. Anyone who needs to provide product data for several sales channels, languages, markets or customer groups requires clear structures, reliable data flows and defined responsibilities.

However, a PIM system alone does not automatically solve this task. Its real value only emerges when product data is modelled cleanly, processes are set up sensibly and systems such as ERP, online shops, marketplaces or print outputs are connected reliably. This is often where it becomes clear whether a PIM project will work in the long term or create additional effort later on.

Many companies therefore face the question of whether they should implement their PIM project directly with the software vendor or with a specialised PIM service provider. Functions and licence costs play a role, but they are not enough on their own. Project experience, integration expertise and an understanding of existing business processes are much more decisive.

Vendors and service providers look at a PIM project from different angles. A vendor naturally thinks strongly from the perspective of its own product and its further development. The focus is on the system’s functions and technical possibilities. This is important, but it is not always enough when the requirements go beyond a standalone PIM system.

A PIM service provider looks at the project more from the company’s perspective. The focus is on processes, data flows, the system landscape and the target architecture. The PIM system is one component within a larger architecture.

This difference can be decisive for companies. In practice, it is rarely just about whether a system supports certain fields, workflows or export formats. The more relevant question is how product data is created within the company, where it is maintained, which systems are involved and how it reliably reaches different channels.

A product-centred approach only answers these questions in part. A process- and integration-oriented approach, on the other hand, takes the entire value chain around product data into account.

PIM projects differ in terms of industry, product range, system landscape and objectives. Nevertheless, similar patterns appear again and again in practice. Product data is distributed across ERP systems, Excel files, media repositories, old databases or directly in the online shop. Responsibilities have often “grown historically”, as the saying goes. Data models have rarely been consistently designed for future requirements.

An experienced PIM service provider recognises these patterns early on. This does not remove every layer of complexity, but it helps to assess typical risks realistically and address them in a targeted way.

This experience is not reflected in rigid templates, but in a structured approach. Proven data models, roles, workflows and integration concepts do not have to be reinvented every time. They are adapted to the specific starting point.

This pragmatic perspective is especially important for medium-sized companies. PIM projects need to be professionally sound, but they should not become unnecessarily complex. A good project creates clarity about which data will be maintained where in the future, which processes can be automated and which requirements should deliberately be postponed at first.

Experience shows that many PIM projects start with similar issues. Data exists, but it is not consistent. Technical attributes, product texts, translations, media and classifications follow different rules. There are often no clear specifications regarding which department maintains which data and when content is approved.

This becomes particularly critical when these topics only become visible during implementation. Additional coordination is then required, data models have to be adjusted retrospectively or interfaces become more complex than planned.

A PIM service provider should therefore not only support the technical implementation, but also examine the initial situation before the project starts. This includes existing data quality, the systems involved, maintenance processes and future output channels.

Three questions help with the initial assessment:

• Which data will be maintained as the leading data in which system?
• Which processes should be simplified or automated through the PIM?
• Which requirements are truly necessary for the first project phase?

This focus keeps the project realistic. Not everything has to be implemented immediately. What matters is that the basic structure is robust.

A PIM system only delivers its full benefit when it works together with other applications. In many companies, the ERP system provides the commercial master data. In the PIM, this data is enriched, structured and prepared for different channels. From there, it is transferred to online shops, marketplaces, data portals, catalogue systems or other output channels.

The technical interface is only one part of the task. At least as important is the functional definition of data flows. Prices and stock levels often remain in the ERP. Marketing texts, images, technical attributes and channel-specific content, on the other hand, are maintained in the PIM. The online shop then only needs the information that is relevant for search, filters, product detail pages and purchasing decisions.

A PIM project is also an organisational project. Data quality does not come from software alone, but from clear rules. These include responsibilities, mandatory fields, approval processes, naming conventions and quality checks.

A good PIM concept therefore answers more than just technical questions. It also defines how product information is created, checked and published in day-to-day work. Who is responsible for technical attributes? Who maintains marketing texts? Which fields are mandatory for specific product groups? When is a product considered complete?

An experienced PIM service provider supports companies in setting up these rules in a practical way. The goal is not an overloaded governance model, but a process that works in daily operations. Data quality must be understandable for the teams involved. Otherwise, workarounds, shadow lists and manual corrections quickly emerge.

The selection of a PIM service provider should not be based on technical competence alone. The decisive factor is whether the partner understands the interaction between data, processes, systems and organisation.

A good service provider asks the right questions early on, for example:

• What does the existing system landscape look like?
• Where is product data currently maintained?
• Which responsibilities exist within specialist departments and IT?
• Which output channels should be connected in the future?

They do not view the PIM in isolation, but in the context of ERP, e-commerce, marketing, sales and service.

The project approach is also important. A PIM project needs a clear structure, from analysis and concept development to implementation, training and operation. Requirements should be recorded properly, prioritised and translated into realistic project phases.

Communication is also a selection criterion. A suitable PIM service provider makes it transparent how the project is planned and managed:

• Are efforts estimated realistically?
• Are risks addressed openly?
• Is it clear which tasks are handled by the service provider?
• Is it clear which decisions need to be made internally?

This transparency is especially important in PIM projects because specialist departments and IT need to work closely together.