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local markets, which are subject to strict governance procedures in order to maintain the integrity of the standard. ETIM is based on a language-agnostic coding structure so trading
partners in different countries can exchange product data without language being a barrier. This means manufacturers can send one set of product data out to multiple countries, making it easier to move into new market territories.
What have been some key successes of the EDA’s data digitalisation project so far? This is a long-term project, and we are still very much at the early stages. Key successes to date include establishment of ETIM, which was launched in UK in 2017, at least to the point where it is widely recognised, and many manufacturers are working towards creating ETIM data. EDATA has acted as a driver for change, giving manufacturers a compelling reason to focus on high quality product data - for them, a major project in its own right. The EDA team works closely with each manufacturer to guide them through the onboarding process and the result of this process will benefit the industry as much as the platform itself.
What strategies are you employing to encourage industry stakeholders to engage with the EDATA product data pool? Word of mouth has been an effective and organic way to spread the message. Our 25 founding wholesaler and manufacturer members, who form the EDATA Steering Group, have been “champions of EDATA” when speaking to their trading partners. We are also active in terms of social media marketing – we put out
regular information through the Taking Stock newsletter, the EDA web site and LinkedIn. We are also putting out a new quarterly newsletter specifically for digitalisation news, as well as an online digitalistion forum in December.
What are your targets for the EDATA project, for 2021 and beyond? We have a target of complete data from more than 100 manufacturers and 250,000 products by end of 2022. This should give critical mass for most
ewnews.co.uk December 2020 electrical wholesaler | 25
mainstream wholesalers. We will also be promoting data quality by introducing Gold, Silver or Bronze status awards for manufacturers whose data reaches a certain standard. Our next target is to engage with solution providers (PIM software, ERP
systems and ecommerce/web site builders) to embed the ETIM structure and the ability to import/export data to/from EDATA into their systems. With both data and compatible software available “off the shelf”, both manufacturers and wholesalers will be able to focus on their own strategy and USP.
Last, but not least, we have started working with wholesalers to embed the data in their systems. We hope to see EDATA become their primary source of ecommerce product data during 2021.
What's been the most important industry lesson you have learned in your career so far? Technology should never be an end in itself. Know your business objectives, then use technology as part of a strategy to achieve those objectives. Secondly, if you believe you are doing the right thing, then stick to your
guns. There will always be competition, market disruptors and conflicting opinions, but you need to distinguish these from the real market trends which do require a change of strategy.
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