PIM Readiness Assessment

Product information management (PIM) requires a significant investment of time and resources. It requires a lot of preparation—and considerable change management.

To add to the confusion, PIM can mean a lot of different things, from simple data collection and syndication to full-scale organizational change. And it’s a rapidly evolving industry.

Before diving into PIM, your business may want to test the waters. Are your current data practices are holding you back? Can you chart a path forward using a lighter investment approach?

If you think you need PIM but aren’t sure, you’re probably wondering:

Is PIM appropriate for my use case?
Questions of scale, benefits versus cost, and industry fit are common
Will PIM support my current systems?
For example: ERP, CRM, PLM, or DAM
How ready is my organization for PIM?
Accurate expectations for staffing, budget, and timeline

Why you need a PIM readiness assessment

Before you implement PIM software, your business has work to do. Your data must be identified. You need to understand your product data lifecycle, from inception to the shelf. And you need a plan in place for data governance, so the time you invest in your data isn’t wasted.

From there, you’ll select the right PIM platform for your business needs. Then and only then can you begin your PIM software implementation. If you skip any steps in this process, you’re wasting time and money.

For many businesses, it makes sense to begin with a smaller consulting engagement to test the waters. Ntara’s PIM readiness assessment is an initial consultation project. It helps you determine if PIM is right for you and helps scope your pre-implementation projects.

Illustration representing what you need to know about a PIM readiness assessment. On the right, a large gray circle with PIM in the center labeled PIM implementation. On the left, four smaller circles that point to PIM. On the top, a black circle with a red outline and a white magnifying glass icon labeled "data identification." Below that, a black circle with a blue outline and four carat arrows pointing right labeled "product data lifecycle." Below that, a black circle with a yellow outline and a white checklist icon labeled "data governance." At the bottom, a black circle with a blue outline. In the center, three white circles with a checkmark on the center one labeled "PIM software selection."

Illustration showing the elements of a PIM readiness assessment. On the top right, a gray circle with the words "PIM readiness assessment" inside it. On the bottom left, three black circles. One says "business overview" with a white icon of a checklist attached. It connects to the PIM readiness assessment with a blue bar and black arrow. In One says "doc/data review" with a white icon of a flowchart. It connects to the PIM readiness assessment with a red bar and a black arrow. The third says "follow-up interviews" with a white icon of people talking. It connects to the PIM readiness assessment with a yellow bar and a black arrow.

What is a PIM readiness assessment?

A PIM readiness assessment is a short, lightweight consulting engagement. This isn’t a detailed, pre-implementation project. It’s directional in nature and helps you understand more about your company’s pathway to PIM.

This project gives your team access to Ntara’s PIM and product data experts. Over a few weeks, we’ll conduct:

An overview of your business
Identify current data goals, processes, systems, and roles/responsibilities
A review of existing product documentation and data flows
Learn what you have, what shape it’s in, and what’s missing
Follow-up interviews
Review our findings and ensure alignment before recommendations

While the approach is standardized to be efficient, we’ll listen closely to your team’s concerns at the beginning. This ensures we target your most important questions about PIM.

At the end of this engagement, we present our PIM readiness findings. Those insights will help you gauge where you are currently, and what you need to do next in your product data and PIM software implementation journey.

What you get from a PIM readiness assessment

This project will give you a rapid assessment of your organization’s current state of product data management. It will also give you a vision for the future.