The Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) and EDA Affiliate Solution Provider Sharp-aX Computer Systems have announced the successful integration of the EDATA data pool with Sharp-aX’s software.

Richard Appleton, Head of Digitalisation at the EDA, explained: “With over 312,000 products and images in the data pool from over 100 leading brands, and growing daily, it makes sense to link all that valuable information from manufacturers directly into the systems that wholesaler teams use every day.

“EDATA continues to work as a standalone cloud based portal but creating systems that talk to each other means wholesalers benefit from smoother, quicker and more efficient working processes and manufacturers benefit because it gives them extra brand visibility. This technical collaboration between Sharp-aX and the EDA saves wholesalers time and effort, and arms staff with the highest quality product information and downloadable PDF data sheets to provide to customers in quotations and for O&M manuals.”

Jean Freeman, MD at Sharp-aX said: “We are delighted to be working with the EDA and their EDATA team. There has been a very positive response from our wholesaler customers to the integration between the Sharp-aX systems and the rich product information and images from the EDATA data pool.

“At Sharp-aX we recognise that EDA wholesaler teams need improved efficiency and automation to reduce manual work arounds and to streamline workflows and processes. Systems that talk to one another in real time – as EDATA and Sharp-aX do – deliver better data accuracy and visibility so that EDA wholesaler teams, and their contractor customers, can make faster, more informed decisions.”

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The UK’s EDATA data pool has become one of only five European data pools with a live external link from within the heart of ETIM International’s online Classification Management Tool (CMT) – a link which is designed to help manufacturers adopt the ETIM standard for their products.

Whilst EDATA is the “new kid on the block” in terms of data pools, it now takes its place alongside the pre-eminent established pools that also have a live ETIM link, including 2ba in the Netherlands, Install data in Belgium, and the Swedish and Finnish data pools RSK and Sahkonumerot.

The live link between the ETIM system and EDATA offers UK manufacturers practical and invaluable help and support with the ETIM classification. From the ETIM International site, the live EDATA link connects directly into EDATA where visitors can see every product listed in that class.

EDATA lead, Richard Appleton, Head of Digitalisation at the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA), explained: “Logical and consistent information about a product’s performance and technical spec is key to driving sales – wholesalers and contractors need that information. This is why it is important for all manufacturers in our sector to adopt ETIM – there is real strength in consistency.

“This direct ETIM-EDATA link is yet another way we are helping UK manufacturers apply the ETIM standard to their products – it’s all about transparency, sharing best practice, and encouraging consistency. From the ETIM site the link takes visitors straight to the same class of products in the EDATA data pool, allowing manufacturers to drill down and see how others have interpreted ETIM standard for their products, and adopt a consistent approach.

“This link is another part of the toolkit of help and support we’ve developed. Manufacturers can download a free white paper “Starting your ETIM Journey: A Guide for Manufacturers”, and a set of 10 product-themed ETIM Guidance Notes – all of which are available at www.etim-uk-and-ie.org. Most importantly, we have recruited a new data expert to work with manufacturers on ETIM – Phil Thompson.”

The EDATA data pool, which is managed by the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) has the ETIM data standard at its heart: the technical specification and performance information for the ever-growing volume of 317,000+ products inside EDATA are organised according to ETIM’s logical and uniform structure.

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Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO of the Electrical Distributors’ Association, explains how the EDA’s product data pool is giving wholesalers access to the best product information for use in their business.

In 2017 the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) embarked on a major initiative to help its members digitalise their businesses. This digitalisation drive hinged on converting manufacturers’ product information and images into a consistent digital format so that it was more easily transferable along the supply chain and available for wholesalers’ e-commerce platforms.

Manufacturers are the guardians of their product information – they know the part number, GTIN code, technical spec, measurements, performance, marketing wording, packaging and sustainability information, and have images in various orientations and colour-ways, and so on. The problem was, each manufacturer organised this information differently. For wholesalers dealing with multiple suppliers this was a massive headache. Over several years, the EDA team worked with manufacturers to standardise the way their data was classified and shared using the universal ETIM data standard as their starting point.

By 2020 plans were formed to create a standardised, cloud based portal where the information about manufacturers’ product information could be stored in a consistent format and graded for quality, consistency and completeness. The EDATA data pool was born.

Fast forward a few years, and by mid-2025 EDATA has swelled to offer valuable, enriched, deep, comprehensive technical information and images on over 300,000 products sold through UK electrical wholesalers. This volume grows daily, with over 200 leading electrotechnical brands opting to share their product information and images with multiple wholesalers via the data pool. It picked up a national Innovation of the Year Award in 2024.

EDATA is a ‘by the industry, for the industry’ enterprise governed by a board of equal numbers of wholesalers and manufacturers. Its strategic direction is determined by a Steering Group of representatives from 29 business sponsors – leading wholesalers and manufacturers that have committed to support EDATA and to volunteer time towards its development.

Three reasons why the EDATA data pool is so powerful

1. informative: information on hundreds of thousands of products available on demand to enhance wholesalers’ customer service.
2. intelligent: product descriptions, technical information, and images, all to the highest specification, to populate web sites and support sales.
3. indispensable: download Product Data Sheets, in a consistent format, for quotes, tenders, submittals, and Operation & Maintenance Manuals.

Here’s how EDA Wholesalers are using the EDATA data pool

Trade counter customer service: where speed, accuracy and efficiency matter

• Immediate access to an online portal with high-quality information on hundreds of thousands of SKUs in one time-saving hub.
• Download individual product data sheets to support sales conversations.

For Tenders, Submittals and Operation & Maintenance Manuals

• Time consuming, complex and often high stakes, anything that can transform response times and help wholesalers win more business is good news – and the EDATA data pool can do just that.
• New products and specification changes would be impossible to track if wholesalers had to deal with each manufacturer separately. EDATA keeps it all in one central hub.
• Wholesalers tell us how much they value EDATA’s PDF Product Data Sheets: created on demand using the latest information and images inside the data pool, making it easier for your customers to compare like-with-like.

Reporting on sustainability and packaging data

• Introduced in 2025, sustainability and packaging info, including embodied carbon, recycled content, WEEE/RoHS/REACH, energy efficiency as well as packaging volumetrics and material breakdown, plus other valuable data.

E-commerce, click and collect services: where compelling images and product descriptions drive sales

• Bulk download the latest product descriptions, marketing bullet points, technical spec and images from the data pool to drive websites, e-shops and click and collect services.

Still re-keying information for printed catalogues and e-catalogues?

• Re-keying information is a time-consuming and resource-heavy process, it also increases the risk of errors. Far better to streamline the whole project and take a feed of images and product information direct from EDATA.

EDATA integrates with your business software

• Work continues to integrate EDATA with wholesalers’ business systems, such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Warehouse Management and stock control software, Product Information Management (PIM) systems and so on.
• Some software providers have already completed their EDATA integration with many EDA Wholesalers already benefitting from EDATA’s rich product information and images.

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Aurora Lighting has achieved Gold Standard data within the EDATA product data pool. This milestone highlights Aurora’s ongoing commitment to providing the highest-quality product information to its distribution partners.

Aurora understands the vital role that accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date product data plays in today’s digital supply chain. By achieving Gold Standard data within EDATA, Aurora ensures that wholesalers, contractors, and specifiers have seamless access to precise product specifications, improving efficiency and decision-making across the industry.

By achieving Gold Standard data, Aurora Lighting provides its partners with:

• Consistent, structured, and verified product data
• Easy integration with wholesalers’ digital platforms
• Reliable and detailed product specifications for end-users

As an EDA Affiliated Member, Aurora Lighting is committed to supporting the association’s mission to drive best practices and innovation within the electrical distribution sector. Through EDATA, Aurora is helping to set new standards in product transparency, accessibility, and sustainability.

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Luceco PLC (BG Electrical) is the 18th manufacturer to announce their sponsorship of EDATA, the electrotechnical sector’s data pool which is managed by the Electrical Distributors’ Association.

The 28 sponsors, a mix of manufacturers and wholesalers of various sizes, have each pledged their support to the data pool which offers EDA wholesalers and branches free access to information and images on 280,000+ products sold through the supply chain.

Ian Hunter, Trade Sales Director at Luceco PLC said of their sponsorship: “I am a very strong advocate for EDATA. It is through the EDATA data pool that Luceco gives EDA wholesalers easy access to rich accurate product data that helps them deliver exemplary customer service and increased sales whether that’s across the trade counter, through tenders and submittals or e-commerce.

“Luceco has been part of EDATA since 2020. Becoming an EDATA sponsor is an important strategic decision for us, demonstrating our commitment to the data pool, and playing our part in its development.”

Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA, said “Luceco’s sponsorship means they gain a place on the EDATA Steering Group, giving them a voice in how the data pool evolves. Ian has been a strong supporter of EDATA since its inception and it is thanks to the generosity of all the sponsors that we can make access to EDATA free to every EDA wholesaler and branch.”

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The Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) and Affiliate Member Agathos Systems Ltd have announced the integration of the award-winning EDATA data pool and the Chalice ERP system.

EDA Wholesalers and branches already benefit from free access to the EDATA data pool, but this latest technical connection gives Chalice customers centralised access to rich product information, images and PDF product data sheets for thousands of products from leading manufacturers.

Richard Appleton, Head of Digitalisation at the EDA said, “Making the rich product information that’s inside EDATA available in other software systems is the next phase of our journey. Product data is a valuable resource and it makes sense to maximise its usage to grow business.

“Creating systems that talk to each other means wholesalers benefit from smoother, quicker and more efficient working processes and manufacturers benefit because it gives them extra brand visibility. The link saves wholesalers time and effort, and arms staff with the highest quality product information and downloadable PDF data sheets to provide to customers in quotations and for O&M manuals.

“Congratulations to Agathos for seizing the opportunity and making it happen.”

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Six businesses celebrated receiving an EDA Data Quality Award recently as part of the Association’s Annual Digitalisation Forum in the City of London. Presenting the Awards were Edgar Aponte, CEO at Rexel UK, and Richard Appleton, the EDA’s Head of Digitalisation.

This year’s winners were drawn from amongst the 70+ leading manufacturer brands subscribing to the EDATA data pool to share their product information with multiple wholesalers. Every EDA member wholesaler has free access to EDATA, and this year an additional award was given to Worcester Electrical Distributors Ltd in recognition of their early adoption and integration of the data pool into their business.

This year’s EDA Data Quality Award winners were:

Aico Ltd
Overall Data Quality Award <1,000 SKUs

D G Controls Ltd
Overall Data Quality Award 1,000 – 2,000 SKUs

CMP Products Ltd
Overall Data Quality Award >2,000 SKUs

Atkore Unistrut & Marco
Most Complete ETIM data 

Electrium Sales Ltd (A Siemens Company)
Data Maintenance Award

Worcester Electrical Distributors Ltd
EDATA Early Adopter

100 delegates attended the EDA’s Digitalisation Forum & Data Quality Awards, hearing presentations from expert speakers on a range of digitalisation topics, including a session and panel discussion on the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the UK’s electrotechnical sector delivered by AI expert and innovator, Paul Bratcher.

In addition to the main Awards, eight businesses received a commendation for achieving Gold Standard product data in the EDATA data pool, bringing the total number of manufacturers with Gold Standard product data to 39:

• Aurora Lighting
• Atkore Unistrut & Marco
• CMP Products Ltd
• Deta Electric Co Ltd
• Electrium Sales (A Siemens Company)
• Elta Trade
• Greenbrook
• Olympic Fixings

Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA, said: “The EDATA data pool is one of the key pillars of the EDA’s work and we have experienced substantial growth since we launched in 2020. In October this year we sailed past the 200,000 SKUs live in EDATA but we never take our eyes off the ball when it comes to data quality. Wholesalers, and their contractor customers, depend on easy access to enriched product information to drive sales and today our Awards recognise the fantastic work that businesses of all sizes are putting in to supporting wholesaler businesses.”

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Armorduct has joined the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) as an affiliate manufacturer has also joined the EDATA data pool, where manufacturers share their product data with multiple wholesalers.

Alfie Rowe, Managing Director at Amorduct, said: “We pride ourselves on offering the wholesaler the best possible service by working closely with them to meet a contractor’s needs. Joining the EDA and EDATA is an important step for us in that drive by making as much information as easily available as possible.

“Having the highest quality product information readily at hand is a vital part of that service, but we aim to go further than other manufacturers by offering a more flexible alternative in addition to our standard product offer. We will work as an extension of the wholesaler so that we can help them solve problems for the contractor, whether that’s to save time on site or to meet a particularly tricky design brief for cable management.

Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA added “We are delighted to welcome Armorduct to the Association and to the EDATA data pool, which is a key pillar of our work to digitalise the UK’s electrotechnical sector. Armorduct recognises the efficiencies in productivity that streamlined high quality data can deliver to every point in the supply chain. This is primarily about driving sales from manufacturer to wholesaler, and wholesaler to contractor, but it is also about improving the accuracy and traceability of product information during a building’s lifetime – an increasingly important demand in the construction sector.”

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In this month’s Face to Face we hear from Ade Solomon, Group Sales Director at Olympic Fixings, to find out more about the company and the sector it operates in.

1. When and how was Olympic Fixings established?

Olympic Fixings was established over 30 years ago. I joined at the start of 2018, now with over 36 years of experience selling fasteners and fixings, along with fellow Directors Paul Gordon & Gareth Williams. Our aim was to modernise the business and drive growth through product innovation and a new customer service proposition.

2. What sets Olympic apart from other fixing suppliers?

Our mantra is “Quality at our core”. That’s quality in our products, our packaging and the service we offer our customers. We believe fixings are more than just commodities to be traded simply on price. The electrical contractor needs to be able to trust the integrity and suitability of the fixings that are being used. We get great feedback from end users that they trust the quality of the Olympic fixings brand.

Relative to some players in the market we are a small team, passionate about what we do, flexible, innovative and prepared to respond quickly to changes in our customer’s needs.

3. What products and solutions are currently proving popular in the electrical sector?

We have sold a limited range of our products in convenient Trade-Tubs for many years. Based on customer feedback we have added many new variants and the feedback from end users has been fantastic. In addition to the ever-popular screw and red plug tub we’ve added tubs of popular sized steel and brass machine screws, self-drilling screws, self-tapping screws, grommets and fire rated fixings. All designed to help the electrical contractor keep van stock organised and avoid time lost on site by not having the right fixing for the job.

Many of our customers have asked us to source non-catalogue products and so we have launched Olympic Fixings Sourcing – OFS. Instead of turning away an enquiry for “unusual” fixings, wholesalers can now use OFS to satisfy their customer requirement and make some additional sales and margin along the way.

4. How does Olympic Fixings support its wholesalers?

We are loyal to the channel – we don’t supply directly through Amazon or, unlike many others, the hybrid national retailers who have taken so much value away from the electrical wholesale channel.

Our customer proposition is based on being easy to deal with – 3,500 SKU offered for sale, in nearly all cases, down to the single unit as part of a carriage paid order.

Wholesalers can order by phone, email or through our online catalogue which carries an additional discount to recognise that the wholesaler is doing more of the work.

By building brands rather than simply trading commodities, wholesalers who sell Olympic Fixings products can expect to make higher cash margins. We have a range of merchandising solutions from simple countertop units through to full metre wide merchandising stands.

Product data is now available through the ePim platform and we are very proud that we’ve recently been awarded Gold Standard by EDATA. 

5. What are Olympic’s goals for the year ahead?

More product innovation is coming with an exciting range of solar fixings about to be introduced. We have recently launched the “tetra” four way nylon expansion wall plug which can be used in brick, stone concrete or drylining – another value-add product for the wholesaler.

We have signed up to attend all the Elex Trade Shows and are we’re excited to continue the dialogue with our trade end-users. We are working hard on our sustainability plan under the headers of people, product and planet and you can expect to see further innovation in our packaging and in the way we work.

An exciting year ahead for Olympic Fixings and its wholesaler partners.

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