Workflow: definition and role in PIM

In PIM practice, workflows move products through lifecycle states such as created, in enrichment, in review, ready, published and phased out. Each state has entry rules, assigned roles and notifications. Workflows can run per product, per attribute group or per channel.

Illustrative example: a new product enters the workflow when ERP creates it. Marketing receives a task for texts, a translator receives tasks for three languages, and the product manager approves the technical group. The product moves to ready only when webshop completeness reaches 100 percent.

In a selection, workflow depth varies more between PIM products than buyers expect. Buyers should test parallel tasks, approvals per attribute group, escalation for overdue tasks and reporting on throughput. Workflows should reflect a process designed before selection, so the test uses the buyer's own lifecycle.