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, representing ETIM UK, has been elected to the Executive Board of ETIM International following the organisation’s recent AGM in Italy.

Margaret will serve on the Board for the next three years alongside representatives from ETIM organisations in Norway, the Netherlands, North America, Finland, France and Germany. Members of the ETIM Executive Board are elected from the ETIM International General Assembly, the body representing each of its 19 country organisations.

Margaret has represented the UK on the General Assembly since 2017 when the UK joined ETIM International and the data standard was adopted by the UK in the electrotechnical sector. In late 2019 ETIM UK expanded to become a partnership between the EDA and the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), with each organisation overseeing the management and promotion of the ETIM data model in their sectors.

Of her appointment, Margaret said, “I am delighted to be able to represent the UK’s interests during strategic discussions about ETIM’s development. The universal adoption of the ETIM standard by UK manufacturers in the electrotechnical, building materials, plumbing, HVAC sectors continues to be a priority. The ETIM standard brings both reliability and consistency to the way technical product information is organised and made available to wholesalers and merchants. Without ETIM, the idiosyncratic organisation of product information wastes time and effort, putting the burden on the wholesalers or merchants to find workarounds.

“In the electrotechnical sector, the ETIM standard is a key part of the EDATA data pool. Every product in EDATA – and there are over 272,000 SKUs currently – has the facility to offer technical information to Wholesalers using the ETIM structure. Wholesalers will notice that when they generate product data sheets from EDATA that the technical specification carries the ETIM branding.”

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