Course
Run a PIM selection you can defend.
A three-lesson framework for a confident PIM selection, from the first stakeholder interview to the signed contract.
Why this exists
Most PIM projects are lost before the first demo
Teams book vendor demos before agreeing on what they actually need. They watch polished feature presentations and mistake them for fit. They sign contracts with blind spots that surface months later, when changing course is expensive.
The vendor is rarely the reason a selection goes wrong. The missing groundwork is. This course turns that groundwork into a repeatable process, built on 15 years of independent selections across chemicals, building materials, consumer goods, and manufacturing.
Three lessons
From stakeholder interviews to a signed contract
- 01
Discovery and shortlisting
Map the current state across people, process, data, and technology. Write scenario-based requirements that capture real complexity instead of a generic feature list. Cut a long vendor list to the four or five that deserve your team’s time.
- 02
Vendor preparation and scenario demos
Brief vendors so they demonstrate what matters to you. Run a two-stage demo process with assigned roles and structured scoring. Compare finalists with a balanced scorecard instead of competing gut reactions.
- 03
Final selection and negotiation
Stress-test finalists with deep-dive demos on advanced scenarios. Assess the implementation team you will work with for months. Understand the six drivers of PIM pricing, and structure a deal that protects the project before you sign.
What you walk away with
A selection you can defend to the board
- Align stakeholders before the first demo.
- Build scenarios that force vendors to prove real capability.
- Score what you see against trade-offs worth discussing.
- Evaluate implementation partners, not only the software.
- Negotiate terms that still hold up during delivery.
Your instructor
Stephan Spijkers
Co-founder
Co-founder of PIMvendors, with more than 20 years helping organisations select and operationalise PIM. Over the past 15 years he has run dozens of independent selections across industries and catalog complexities.