Blog » Best questions to ask in your PIM software demos
Best questions to ask in your PIM software demos
Author name: Anton Koroid
Product Information Management (PIM) tools play a pivotal role in modern business operations, especially for companies dealing with a vast array of products. Choosing the right PIM tool is crucial, and product demos are an excellent opportunity to evaluate your options. To ensure you make an informed decision, we have compiled a list of the best questions to ask during your PIM tool product demos.
Before delving into the specific questions, let’s briefly understand why choosing an effective PIM tool is essential for your business. PIM systems help businesses centralize, organize, and optimize their product data. These tools can
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streamline workflows,
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improve data quality,
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enhance the overall customer experience
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increase staff efficiency.
However, not all PIM solutions are created equal, which is why asking the right questions during product demos is crucial. At different stages of system implementation, companies face different groups of issues.
PIM selection stage
In the pre-launch sequence, the key point is the choice of the system developer company. Such a company must have a reputation, integrations, and partnerships with market leaders in various niches, as well as a strong technical foundation. This will make sure that all processes are running, and their debugging won’t require any additional investments.
At this stage, you’re focused on what your PIM needs to be able to do. The implementation of data, most of which comes from vendors and suppliers, is important at this stage. Entering this data can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Following this, the issue of data quality control arises. It’s important that PIM can aid in identifying inconsistencies and assist in correcting format errors on the fly, and do so before the information is sent downstream.
If a business expects to serve large amounts of multimedia data, it requires its PIM to be equipped with the capabilities to effectively manage it. Additionally, PIM should be a central hub for product data, the ability to collect data and distribute it across various interconnected sources and systems including ERP, CRM, logistics, accounting, invoicing systems, etc. Here are some questions you should follow strictly in this regard.
What is the place of the PIM development company in the market? Understanding the company’s market position and reputation can help gauge its reliability and commitment to innovation.
What e-commerce integrations does the company offer, and in which countries? Ensure that the PIM tool can seamlessly integrate with your existing e-commerce platforms and support the countries where you operate.
What is your experience with the PIM project? Inquire about the vendor’s track record with successful PIM implementations to assess their expertise.
What is the skill level of the project support team? Knowing the expertise and responsiveness of the support team can be critical for timely issue resolution.
What is your unique selling proposition (USP) compared to other PIMs? Identify what sets this PIM solution apart from competitors and how it aligns with your specific needs.
How can PIM help improve product data management? Understand the core capabilities of the PIM in managing and enriching product data.
How does PIM relate to other systems and IT components? Ensure that the PIM can seamlessly integrate with your existing IT ecosystem.
Does PIM help you optimize content? Explore how the PIM tool can assist in content optimization to improve customer engagement.
What is the average cost of PIM and implementation time? Get clarity on the pricing structure and the expected timeline for implementing the PIM system.
Technical Issues
At the stage of technical development of a PIM solution, system configurability and flexibility, as well as problems of data distribution, come to the fore. PIMs must also be able to supply the various downstream channels with the necessary data while maintaining access control. If a business requires many such integrations, complex APIs will be required to serve 3rd-party applications outside the organization.
Working with PIM will likely require ongoing support, bug fixes, and updates. The scalability capabilities of PIM also depend on routine maintenance, which can vary significantly in details, nuances, and price. Here are the questions worth answering at this stage.
Does a PIM system require a separate IT team? Assess whether the PIM tool can be managed effectively with your existing IT resources.
What is the average integration time for a new marketplace? Determine how quickly you can onboard new sales channels or marketplaces.
Can PIM provide standardized brand data? Check if the PIM can assist in maintaining consistent brand data across all your product listings.
Can I combine product data in PIM with sales channels? Understand how easily you can synchronize product data with various sales channels.
Does the PIM show the retailer's missing information and criteria? Ensure that the PIM tool can identify and highlight missing product information to improve data quality.
Does PIM offer a complete transformation from one platform’s product taxonomy to anothers at the attribute level? Evaluate whether the PIM allows for flexible attribute-level taxonomy transformations.
How to prepare your company for PIM implementation? Gain insights into the steps and best practices required for a successful PIM launch.
Further PIM support & development
When evaluating a PIM system, it’s essential to consider the system’s scalability, adaptability, and potential impact on your business as it grows. These questions about further PIM development are crucial to ensuring that your chosen PIM solution remains effective in the long term.
These are some questions on further PIM development that emphasize the importance of choosing a PIM solution that not only meets your current needs but also has the capability to evolve with your business, ensuring sustained success and competitiveness. Let’s explore these questions and their significance:
Can PIM handle the growing volume of product data? Ensure that the PIM can scale effectively to accommodate your growing product catalog.
Does SKU count impact implementation cost? Many PIM providers tie the PIM licensing fees to the number of SKU’s stored in the PIM. A growing product line will impact your total cost of ownership.
What PIM features are considered standard and what features are add-ons? Make user you understand the PIM system's licensing fee structure and what features come with different subscription levels. Evaluate these feautures against your specific needs.
How can PIM help me improve my customer experience? Explore how the PIM tool can enhance customer satisfaction through better product information.
Is the platform flexible enough to be future-ready? Assess whether the PIM solution can adapt to your evolving business needs and technological advancements.
Alternative Approach
In any endeavor, there’s always room to choose an alternative path. Here’s how PIMinto PIM’s support staff respond to some of the questions posed.
What is your unique selling proposition?
PIMinto’s USP includes an intuitively designed and user-friendly interface that gives an enhanced user experience. Combined with the fact the UI and API are engineered to deliver exceptional speed and ease of data storage, PIMinto enables any project team to easily collaborate, define, and collect and share all forms of product and digital asset information. The system is fast, scalable, and incredibly cost-effective. After all, it is distributed for free.
Is the platform flexible enough to be future-ready?
PIMinto’s benefits include the exchange of product data across multiple platforms and channels. It offers flexibility in choosing specific product SKU’s and attributes are available through the use of mapping and views. Each channel’ data and format is easily definable. Developers can directly connect to PIMinto through the API and transform fragmented data streams into a productive data source, delivering data directly into working applications. This provides incredible scalability and applicability across most industries.
Output
The concluding remarks emphasize the significance of selecting the right PIM tool for businesses seeking to optimize their product data management and gain a competitive advantage. The suggested questions to ask during PIM product demos are based on industry best practices and expert advice available in various online resources.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should be used as a guideline when evaluating PIM solutions. It is recommended that businesses conduct thorough research and consult with PIM experts to make well-informed decisions tailored to their specific needs and objectives. The choice of a PIM system should be based on a comprehensive evaluation of factors beyond the questions listed here, including budget constraints, business goals, and unique requirements.
Modified on: 09/25/2023