Guide to a successful PIM implementation

"Never start too complex. Get going, keep it simple, and build on it from there. It's not the system that solves the problem – it's what you and your organisation want to do with it."

– Daniel Jansson, PIM Architect at Cypoint

What PIM projects typically look like

No implementation is exactly like another – but the phases are often the same or very similar.

⚪ Phase 1 • Discovery & scoping

Understand your current state and define where you're going. Map where your product data lives today, which systems it needs to integrate with, and what business outcomes you want to achieve. This is the phase where the business must take ownership. No one else can define your requirements for you.

Current state analysis | System mapping | Requirements document | Data model (first draft)

🔵 Phase 2 • Design & modelling

Build the structure everything else rests on. The data model is the heart of your PIM implementation. What does your product hierarchy look like? Which attributes do you need? How should data flow between systems? Mistakes here are expensive to fix later – invest the time now.

Data model | Attribute structure | Integration design | Channel strategy

🟡 Phase 3 • Build & migration

Configure, integrate, and move data. The system is set up, integrations are built, and product data is migrated. Expect data cleansing to take time – product data is rarely as clean as you'd hope. This is also when you start testing and validating that everything works as intended.

Configuration | Data cleansing | Migration | Integration testing

🟢 Phase 4 • Training & go-live

Getting the organisation up and running. A system no one knows how to use is an expensive archive. Train users before go-live, not after. Clear roles and ownership of product data are just as important as the technology – this is where you determine whether it actually changes how you work.

Training | Onboarding | Role definition | Go-live

🟣 Phase 5 • Operations & continuous development

A PIM implementation is never truly done. The business evolves. The product range changes. You open new channels and markets. A PIM system needs ongoing attention – plan for governance from the start, not as an afterthought.

Operations | Continuous development | Ongoing training | Version updates

Common mistakes in PIM implementations

No implementation is perfect – but there are patterns for when things go wrong.

Starting with the system, not the business

The most common mistake. Before you even look at systems – define the business outcomes you want to achieve and the problem you're actually trying to solve. The system is a means, not an end.

Data cleansing is massively underestimated

This is often where things get critical. When you need to launch in a new market or sell through a new channel – and all product information suddenly needs to exist in German, in the right format, adapted to that channel's requirements. Without PIM it's a manual nightmare. With PIM it's a process.

Change management is overlooked

The system alone isn't enough. Buying a platform and hoping people start using it doesn't work. It requires training, clarity around roles, and sometimes a genuine shift in how people work with product data.

Integrations aren't scoped properly

Your PIM needs to talk to ERP, e-commerce, PLM, internal systems, marketplaces, and perhaps print. Integrations take time, require resources on both sides, and often hold surprises. Plan and scope them thoroughly.

"You can choose the world's best PIM system and still miss the mark. If the data flows to your other systems aren't right, if no one owns the responsibility for keeping it alive – then it mostly becomes an expensive place to store information."

– Carl Torgnyson, PIM Expert at Cypoint

7 tips for a successful PIM project

Lessons from implementations we've helped drive.

💡 1. Spread the knowledge – break silos early

A PIM implementation is an opportunity to onboard and upskill new people and break down information silos. Use the project actively to distribute ownership across the organisation. You'll avoid single-point-of-failure dependencies and save time – both benefits stick around long after the project closes.

🎯 2. Define must-haves vs. nice-to-haves from the start

Have a clear picture of what is business-critical and what can wait. Focus the implementation on what matters most first. It requires discipline – but it's essential to actually reaching the finish line.

✅ 3. Make improvements – not just a like-for-like migration

It's tempting to just "move over" what you have today. Don't. You're switching systems because you want to do things better – otherwise your backlog of improvements risks collecting dust. Like-for-like migrations are also tedious to build and costly to maintain.

🪧 4. It's never "just an IT project"

The business owns the scope. Your business needs should drive the project – not IT's. Successful projects have business-side engagement with the mandate to make decisions. Dedicate the right resources, or it's not worth doing at all.

🤝 5. Choose your implementation partner carefully

The partner can be the difference between a failed and a successful project. Don't choose on price alone. Choose the one who actually understands your business and your operating model. The right partner will also challenge you – and that's a feature, not a bug.

🏃 6. Be decisive – decisions need to be made as they come

During an implementation, situations constantly arise that require quick decisions. It's more important to make a call and move forward than to wait for the perfect answer. Wrong decisions can be corrected. No decision stops the project.

⌛ 7. Decide in advance when you'll freeze scope

Time always moves faster than you expect. Set a clear line – a date or a milestone – where you stop adding and start finishing. Otherwise the project keeps running without landing. There's always a next phase.

Checklist for a successful implementation

Not a definitive playbook – but a solid foundation to check against.