1. Product classification Standard for international e-Commerce ETIM International Warsaw, 28th of May, 2009
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2. Marc Habets - ETIM NL Director ETIM Netherlands
Employed since 2003
President ETIM International
Since foundation in 2008
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3. Agenda ETIM Netherlands Standards in product data management
ETIM model : what is it, how and why?
ETIM International
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4. ETIM = European Technical Information Model
ETIM Netherlands
ETIM = European Technical Information Model
ETIM NL = Foundation (started in1991)
Participants
Manufacturers  76 companies, majority position
Wholesalers  federations ECEG and TGF
and installers  federation UNETO-VNI
Standards for product classification and communication formats (e-business)
Electrotechnical, heating and sanitary
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5. Necessity of standards in product data management
To make the ever increasing material databases easily accessible for the user
in a user (customer) - friendly way.
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6. This necessity is demonstrated by:
rapid growth of product range ( in 1995, in 1997, in 2000, in 2002, > in 2009)
further growth of information needs per article
shorter product life cycle and quicker TTM (time to market)
product database quality more important
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7. Requirements Maintenance of product databases in an efficient way
Automated processing of article information
The suppliers are the owner – and responsible – for product information and distribution of product data in a standard way !
All participants have to use the same standards
Names
Structure
Interfaces
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8. Standards in product data management
Networks
Interfaces for data-exchange
Data carrier / media
Identification
Classification of products
Standards in product data management
All this aspects are important individually – don‘t mix!
All this aspects are requirements for efficient eBusiness – but only in a standardized way!
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9. Overview
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10. Overview Classification Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4
Assortment growth
„100“ articles
„1.000“ articles
„10.000“ articles
„ “ articles
Identification modus
Article number and article name
Grouping of
articles
Basic product description
Structured product description
Overview
Type of grouping
Classification
Identification
Codification
Product selection sources
+ from catalogues
+ from company database
+ from external database(s)
From stock
Product offering
Buy, what you can touch
Buy, what you can read
Buy, what you can select
Buy, what exists
Face to face
Computer to computer
Type of communication
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11. Classification of products Installer / contractor
- Relevant for all companies in the supply chain
- Relevant for all kind of processes
Manufacturer
Wholesaler
Installer / contractor
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12. ETIM Classification What is it?
Fixed model for classifying electrotechnical articles
without hierarchy
with features / parametric
Listing of the most important technical characteristics of each article class to describe and find the articles.
multi – lingual
media neutral
supplier neutral

13. ETIM Classification How? Why?
By using product classes, features and values, that are descibed in a standardized way. Synomyms are used to easily find the right products!
Why?
No double work, minimal failure costs, high data quality, optimal data applications, efficient product data management. Cost savings, surplus value and … your customers ask for it!

14. These are applications which use ETIM as the basis !!!
ETIM Classification - Is NOT
A software application
An article data base
A catalogue production tool
A search engine
These are applications which use ETIM as the basis !!!
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15. ETIM Classification – General advantages
Manufacturers:
total control of the information flow
Wholesalers:
maximum information to customers
Installers:
high-quality product information with very fast access
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16. Product classes (an example)

18. ETIM – model evolution From national and company standards
UNETO
1993
From national and company standards
1999
ETIM
Sonepar
ETIM TU
1996
ETIM
1.1/2.0
ETIM
Germany NL
2002
MECIM NL
To an international European standard
ETIM
International
2008

19. Current status ETIM – model
ETIM 4.0 published january 2008
ETIM 4.0 facts
Classes
Features
Class-features
Values
Class-feature-values 54467
Synonyms (EN, DE, NL)
In German, Dutch, English and Swedish (Spanish and French later this year)
BMEcat as standard interface (DE, SE; NL GS1)
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20. UNSPSC ETIM 4.0 (company-) ETIM – implementation specific
classifications
ETIM – implementation
in classification systems
Sector
Macro family
Family
Product
UNSPSC
Hierarchic approach
Features
Model
Shape
Material
Color
Etc..
Parametric approach
ETIM 4.0

21. ETIM International – full member organisations
ADIME Spain
ELDAS Switzerland
ETIM Germany
ETIM Netherlands
ICGME Belgium
SEG Sweden
ETIM Austria (expected)
SHE Poland supporting member !
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22. ETIM International
Non-profit organization, founded in 2008, seat in Brussels
Administration of all languages / classes from one administration group
One model for Europe, one interface for suppliers, sharing of costs
The use of ETIM offers advantages for all partners in the supply chain
ETIM is operational in more than one language and available for the use in different countries
Cooperations with other standardization organizations (like
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23. ETIM International
Ever more international wholesalers adopt ETIM as standard for their (global) product data management
Solar
Rexel
Sonepar
…..
The number of international suppliers that join and provide ETIM data increases rapidly
Just some of the most important ones on the next slide
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24. 22 April 2017

25. ETIM International No barriers for new member countries!
No charges for the development done in the last 15 years!
Just join ETIM International
Translate ETIM in your own language
Implement and start experiencing the benefits !!
ETIM classified data from important international
manufacturers are available and ready to use!
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26. e-Business = ETIM-Business !!
Thank you for your attention
Any questions? I will be here all day!
22 April 2017