PIM consultancy: The benefits of using a consulting partner
The changing eCommerce landscape
There are many more regular eCommerce customers than ever before, and they are expecting digital channels to deliver a very high baseline standard for the product information they need to make purchasing decisions.
This also applies to B2B customers with industrial manufacturers and distributors. Purchasing behaviour has changed notably and the line between B2C and B2B customers is becoming increasingly blurred, so the old sales practices in the latter are becoming obsolete.
The technology is more than ready…Are you?
There are many highly sophisticated platforms on the market. They apply the latest developments in machine learning and AI to a wide range of templates, scheduling tools and semantic analysis to enhance process efficiency and optimise internal workflows. Mostly cloud-based, they make it easy to scale your business and to get products to market fast. They enable teams to create and deliver rich, media-heavy, and excellent-quality product experiences and are capable of providing a truly compelling omni-channel customer experience.
So, why do I need a consulting partner?
Because their expertise and experience are essential when shaping and implementing a PIM project which is aligned with your strategic business goals and internal performance.
Product data management has moved far beyond straightforward implementation of and support for off-the-shelf PIM solutions. Successful PIM projects require partnerships between tech vendors and specialist consultants. The latter focus on creation of detailed and strategic plans and development of a robust business case. Part of their expertise lies in carrying out a discovery phase to identify precise organisational pain points and generate concrete solutions.
Further reasons why using a PIM consulting partner is a wise move:
- Transforming the business to being truly data-driven is a daunting, multi-faceted endeavour, and a ‘DIY’ approach risks failure
- The rise in volume and complexity of product data requires analysis, insight, and decision-making about longer-term organisational growth objectives
- Consultancy partners can look objectively at reasons for sluggish time to market; manual processing of product data when it is ingested from suppliers; manual correction, and a lack of internal data standardisation
- Identifying inefficient use of people, material, and money
- low levels of data governance maturity, leading to chronic problems with data quality – inaccurate, incomplete, inconsistent, outdated or duplicated
- assessing the company’s data maturity level and making recommendations concerning standards of product data governance
A network of experts to cover all bases
The key factor in driving a PIM project to fruition is to have a business vision. This means:
- Carrying out a discovery phase involving all key stakeholders and users to establish a road map between current and desired positions
- Developing a compelling PIM business case to quantify tangible added business value.
- Using the above to gain ‘C’-suite buy-in – crucial if the project is to reach fruition.
Which teams and managers will benefit?
Marketing teams, who want to deliver a consistent and compelling omnichannel CX
Product data onboarding teams, who want stronger and more optimised relations with suppliers
eCommerce managers, who want to add value to insights and make more confident decisions
Start with Data – a flexible, wrap-around approach to PIM implementation projects
From extensive experience, we have learned that some of the key questions we help our clients to address are;
- What is the current value of our data?
- Are our current product data management protocols fit for purpose?
- What’s the best product data management solution for us?
- How do we decide which technology partners are right for our requirements?
- How do we get the new system online and optimise its operations?
- How will we get everyone up to speed on the full capabilities of the chosen solution?
- How will we get everyone up to speed on the full capabilities of the chosen solution?
- Will we need guidance, advice, and practical assistance with embedding the new system in our organisation’s operations and strategies?
A consultancy partner will enable you to answer these questions so that when you implement a particular PIM , you can be absolutely sure it will be a seamless process towards an optimised solution.
Get in touch for a free initial consultation so you can find out more about how our PIM consultancy services can unlock the potential for added value, both for your business and your customers.
Ready to deliver your PIM implementation?
For retailers and distributors
We have a highly experienced team of retail PIM consultants ready to support your implementation from supplier onboarding through to customer experience
Ben Adams, CEO
For brands and manufacturers
We can help get your products onto the digital shelf, with our accelerators
Beth Parker, PIM Consultant