Why isn't PIM solely an IT project?

PIM is not just an IT project because its primary function is managing and distributing product information that impacts nearly every department. While IT implements and maintains the system, marketing, sales, operations, and warehousing rely on the data. For instance, marketing uses PIM for product storytelling, while logistics uses it for shipping dimensions. Without cross-functional input, the system will not meet key business needs.

What are the risks of a PIM project isolated to one department?

Isolating a PIM project to one department often leads to incomplete data, poor adoption, and a system that fails to deliver its full potential. You risk having data gaps because other departments, like sales or operations, weren't consulted on their specific data needs. This can result in manual workarounds outside the PIM, undermining its purpose as a central source of truth and ultimately reducing ROI.

How can we ensure cross-departmental buy-in for PIM?

Ensure cross-departmental buy-in by involving stakeholders from all affected teams from the project's inception. Conduct workshops to understand their specific pain points and data requirements. Clearly communicate the benefits tailored to each department, such as improved data accuracy for sales or streamlined content creation for marketing. Appoint departmental champions to advocate for the PIM and facilitate training.

What role do senior leadership play in PIM success?

Senior leadership plays a crucial role by providing consistent sponsorship and communicating the strategic importance of the PIM initiative across the organisation. Their visible commitment reinforces that the PIM is a company-wide priority, not just a departmental one. This helps secure necessary resources, overcome inter-departmental conflicts, and drive adoption by signaling that active participation is expected and valued.

How does PIM impact our B2B trade operations?

For B2B trade, PIM significantly enhances efficiency and accuracy. It centralises complex product attributes, technical specifications, and rich media critical for detailed product catalogues and proposals. This allows sales teams to quickly access precise information for quoting and ensures consistent data presentation across various channels, including customer portals and EDI feeds. It streamlines the creation of customised product assortments for key accounts, reducing errors and improving customer satisfaction.

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Issue 037BriefingProduct DataRef 126

Why your PIM project is not just a product team problem

Implementing a Product Information Management (PIM) system can be viewed as an IT or product team task, but its success hinges on company-wide engagement. Neglecting this broader impact often results in poor adoption and reduced return on investment.

Ricki Larkin· AI Solutions Specialist

15 Jul 20255 min readReviewed July 2025

"A PIM system is fundamentally an enterprise data platform, affecting workflows, data quality, and outputs across sales, marketing, operations, and customer service."

Written by

Ricki Larkin

AI Solutions Specialist

8 years at iWeb

LinkedIn →Speak with Ricki about your brief →

Ricki leads AI implementation across commerce, content and operational workflows at iWeb. He writes about agentic commerce, AI-assisted product enrichment, retrieval quality, governance, and the commercial difference between AI demonstrations and AI systems that survive production use. Consistently focused on practical AI applications with measurable operational payoff.

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