Product classification Standard for international e-Commerce ETIM International Warsaw, 28 th of May, 2009

1. Product classification Standard for international e-CommerceETIM InternationalWarsaw, 28th of May, 2009

2. Marc Habets - ETIM NL • Director ETIM Netherlands • Employed since 2003 • President ETIM International • Since foundation in 2008

3. Agenda ETIM Netherlands Standards in product data management ETIM model : what is it, how and why? ETIM International

4. 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

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.

6. This necessity is demonstrated by: • rapid growth of product range(90.000 in 1995, 160.000 in 1997, 280.000 in 2000, 500.000 in 2002, > 1.000.000 in 2009) • further growth of information needs per article • shorter product life cycle and quicker TTM (time to market) • product database quality more important

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

8. Standards in product data management • Identification • Classification of products • Interfaces for data-exchange • Networks • Data carrier / media All this aspects are important individually – don‘t mix! All this aspects are requirements for efficient eBusiness – but only in a standardized way!

9. Overview

10. Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 „100“ articles „1.000“ articles „10.000“ articles „100.000“ articles Assortment growth Article number and article name Grouping of articles Basic product description Structured product description Identification modus Overview Type of grouping Classification Identification Codification Product selection sources + from catalogues + from company database + from external database(s) From stock Buy, what you can read Buy, what you can touch Buy, what you can select Buy, what exists Product offering Face - to - face Computer - to - computer Type of communication

11. Classification of products - Relevant for all companies in the supply chain - Relevant for all kind of processes Installer / contractor Manufacturer Wholesaler

12. ETIM Classification • 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 • What is it?

13. ETIM Classification • How? • Byusing product classes, features and values, that are descibed in a standardizedway. Synomyms are used to easilyfind the right products! • Why? • No double work, minimal failurecosts, high data quality, optimal data applications, efficient product data management. Costsavings, surplus value and … yourcustomersaskforit!

14. 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 !!!

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

16. Product classes (an example)

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

19. Current status ETIM – model • ETIM 4.0 published january 2008 • ETIM 4.0 facts • Classes 2159 • Features 6980 • Class-features 22486 • Values 7070 • Class-feature-values 54467 • Synonyms 46665 (EN, DE, NL) • In German, Dutch, English and Swedish (Spanish and French later this year) • BMEcat as standard interface (DE, SE; NL GS1)

20. Sector Macro family Family Product Features Model Shape Material Color Etc.. (company-) specific classifications ETIM – implementation in classification systems UNSPSC Hierarchic approach Parametric approach ETIM 4.0

21. ETIM International – full member organisations SHE Poland supporting member ! • ADIME Spain • ELDAS Switzerland • ETIM Germany • ETIM Netherlands • ICGME Belgium • SEG Sweden • ETIM Austria (expected)

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 ETIMoffersadvantages 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 eCl@ss)

23. ETIM International • Ever more international wholesalersadopt ETIM as standardfortheir (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

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!

26. e-Business = ETIM-Business !! Thank you for your attention Any questions? I will be here all day!