Do we need a proof of concept before choosing a PIM?

A proof of concept is worth its cost when one specific risk remains after the scenario demos. In most selections, well-prepared scenario-based demos on your own data answer the core questions, and a proof of concept adds time without new information.

Run a proof of concept when:

• The data model is complex, for example deep variant structures, configurable products or many relations.
• An integration is unusual or business-critical, such as a real-time link with a specific ERP or PLM.
• AI features carry a large part of the business case and need testing on your supplier files.
• Two finalists score so close that a hands-on test is the fairest tiebreaker.

Design it like a small project. In the PIMvendors method it runs for one week in week 10, with the top 2 vendors, on your own sample data, with written success criteria agreed in advance. Running it with both finalists keeps the commercial tension alive. Expect to pay for it, or negotiate the fee as a credit against the implementation.

A proof of concept answers one or two risks, and it has to involve your own users. A vendor configuring alone and presenting the result repeats the demo in a longer form.

Link the proof of concept to the contract, so that a successful configuration and its documentation carry into the implementation.