The move to a Product Information Management (PIM) system is the path to e-commerce maturity for many wholesalers. However, implementation doesn't always go smoothly. The biggest challenges are often not technical but relate to processes, data quality, and human factors.
In this article, we discuss the most common pitfalls and — more importantly — how to avoid them for a smooth start.
At a glance: the biggest PIM pitfalls
- Unclear roles and responsibilities
- "Garbage In, Garbage Out": the trap of fragmented data
- Underestimating the mountain of work
- The solution: start small and scale up
1. Unclear roles and responsibilities
A PIM system touches multiple departments: Purchasing, Marketing, and Sales. A common problem is that no clear data owner is appointed. Who decides on the commercial product name? Who is responsible for the accuracy of technical specifications?
Without clear agreements, data remains incomplete or systems contradict each other. The result: a PIM filled with conflicting information, with no team that feels responsible for it.
2. "Garbage In, Garbage Out": the trap of fragmented data
A PIM is meant to enrich data, not to mask a messy archive. The biggest culprit is often the proliferation of source files: dozens of Excel sheets, folders on a shared drive, and product information that lives in employees' heads.
If you dump all of this into a PIM unfiltered, you're just moving the problem. You get more order, but the data itself remains unreliable. A thorough inventory and cleansing of source data is not optional — it's a prerequisite.
3. Underestimating the mountain of work
Moving from Excel to a PIM is the ideal moment for a major cleanup. However, many organizations underestimate how much time it takes to check, enrich, and supply thousands of items with the right media.
It's not a one-time export, but a process of validation and refinement. Schedule time in the calendar. Involve the right people. And don't assume the vendor will do this work for you — they can deliver the tool, not knowledge about your products.
A PIM implementation only truly succeeds when the team understands that the system is there to help them, not to give them extra work.
Wesley Regtuit — Business Line Manager, PLGGR
4. The solution: start small and scale up
The most successful implementations begin with a test import of a small, well-defined group of products. This lets you verify that the field mapping is correct, that data transfers properly to your webshop or app, and that the team understands the workflow.
Only when the foundation is solid and everyone knows what is expected of them should you roll out the system to the full assortment. This sounds conservative, but it prevents major remediation efforts later.
Conclusion: preparation is half the battle
Most problems during a PIM implementation can be avoided by looking critically at your current data and processes beforehand. By establishing responsibilities, cleansing source data, and taking the time for a careful migration, you lay a foundation you can build on for years.
Want to know which step your organisation should take first? Schedule a no-obligation conversation with one of our specialists.
