MDM / PIM Implementation
Implement your MDM / PIM solution successfully. With our +25 years of experience, we can guide you through the entire process, from developing your Data Quality Business case and defining the implementation roadmap, to the actual implementation.
The road to a successful MDM / PIM Implementation
If you already have several software implementations under your belt, we won’t have to tell you that results can vary greatly. It is commonly known that high-level sales stories miss the finesse and detail needed to convey the added value of these software products for your business. The end goal is clear however; you want a solid MDM/PIM solution to benefit more from your data. But if you want to guarantee success, you have to actively take part in the implementation process. This means providing input, making decisions, evaluating the results, learning, and not being afraid to make a change when needed.
MDM / PIM Implementation
When you start the process of implementing new software, ‘simply’ writing new code, putting a configuration together, and releasing it into the wild is just the start. The technical side of things is extremely important of course. But we want to underline the importance of changing the mindset within the company when introducing a new solution into your corporate ecosystem. Our experience has taught us that how your teams adapt to new software is easily just as important as its deployment.
How to get started
SQLI can help your business with developing your Data Quality Business case, exploring all potential options and pitfalls together. This includes:
- Reviewing the types of risks related to poor product data quality, and specifying data quality expectations based on those risks.
- Clarifying what data quality means and defining data quality indicators.
- Defining data quality rules that can be used for assessment and governance.
- Identifying and measuring how poor data currently affects your business.
- Designing data quality improvement processes.
- Developing your data quality roadmap and building your information quality program
Request your MDM / PIM Implementation intake
We will help you to clearly define how your initiative to improve product data can support company objectives and strengthen the alignment between business and IT. The assessment uses your existing state as the baseline, provides hard facts for your decision-making, suggests measures for inspecting data quality, and determines the scope and best approach for this endeavour.
Our Implementation Process
We follow the SCRUM methodology, further adapted to the specifics of a PIM implementation, and ensure the team has the knowledge and skills to successfully deliver the project. This setup also actively requires your input, so the product owner should come from within your organization. It has to be someone who understands the wishes of the stakeholders, and knows how to prioritize the tasks. Combined with SQLI’s own experts, we also make sure to add a technical colleague and project manager to the team for good measure. This ensures you’re involved in every step of the implementation; from deciding the priorities, putting together the sprints, and actively working on the next sprint, to testing what is being delivered.
All the tools within SCRUM are used to showcase the progress from the 3- or 4-week sprints. This way, you’ll see the product come alive during a demo, gain insights into the direction it’s heading, and get to make changes where needed.
During the implementation, one or more QA team members will run User Acceptance Tests to ensure the implementation meets all the requirements. More elaborate testing is possible too of course, but its value needs to be discussed and determined as part of the master test plan.
Your UAT colleague knows the data best, and will have discussed usage and priorities with the product owner. This gives you the change to learn about the system, get some training, and familiarize yourself with the new setup and way of working. When you’re involved from the beginning you prevent unwanted surprises, and get a clear view on how and why things are done a certain way.
When you’re nearing the last few sprints of this project, a plan needs to be created that covers the go-live process. Everything needs to be moved to the production system, checked extensively, and put into a ready-state. You can opt for a soft go-live with a smaller team, have the new system run parallel to the old, or simply go for a hard switch to the new system. The best course of action depends on your current situation, and we can help you set up your go-live plan accordingly
Why SQLI?
SQLI has more than 25 years of experience with E-commerce. We run workshops, guide personal interviews, and take an objective deep dive into your solution, together with you, as 1 team. We have people with experience in all aspects of MDM/PIM, enabling us to guide you to a comprehensive 360° view of your current data management approach.