Audit catalogue quality before a PIM go-live

Six weeks before a PIM or website go-live is the worst time to discover the data is not ready. SKULaunch audits catalogue quality against the new data model early: completeness, duplicates, inconsistent values and misclassified products, so you know the size of the problem while there is still time to fix it.

The problem

Go-live plans assume the data will be fine. Then test loads fail, filters are empty and stakeholders see half-complete products on the staging site. The project slips, or launches with known problems. A proper audit up front would have shown it, but nobody had the tools or time.

Before and after

An illustrative example from a pre-launch audit.

Before: the assumption

"The data is mostly there, we'll tidy it up after launch." Go-live in six weeks.

After: the audit in SKULaunch

• Completeness against the new model by category, lowest first
• Duplicates and conflicting records identified
• Attributes with inconsistent values listed with counts
• Products in the wrong or catch-all categories flagged
• A realistic plan for what to fix before and after launch

How it works in SKULaunch

1. Load the data and the target model. Import current products and the new taxonomy and attributes.
2. Measure. Completeness, value consistency and classification are measured against the new model.
3. Prioritise. Rank gaps by category and channel importance.
4. Fix in the same place. Move straight from audit to enrichment and clean-up.

What a go-live audit should answer

Four questions decide whether you are ready. Is every product in a real category? Are the attributes behind filters complete for the top categories? Are values consistent enough for filters to work? Are there duplicates that will confuse search? If you can answer those with numbers, you can plan the launch honestly.

What changes

No surprises at go-live, and a plan based on data rather than hope.

Common questions

Can we audit before buying anything else?

Yes. A trial is enough to load data and measure it.

Do you offer an audit service?

Start with Data, SKULaunch's sister consultancy, runs audits if you want it done for you.

How long does an audit take?

Loading and measuring takes days, not weeks. Interpreting the results takes product knowledge.

See cleaning data before a PIM migration, measuring completeness, and product data management for distributors.