P28-29 EDA Update:Layout 1 26/05/2021 15:32 Page 29 EDAUpdate EDATA& ETIM


EDATAis a strategic initiative of the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA)under their EDA Data Services Limited banner. Its mission is to facilitate digitalisation of the UK electrotechnical sector bringing tangible benefits for all members of the supply chain. This will be achieved by the creation, management, and transfer of accurate, consistent, high quality product data with ETIM at its heart.


T


hirty nine electrotechnical manufacturers have signed up to the not-for-profit data pool, EDATA, to distribute their product information to wholesalers.


EDATA opened its doors to manufacturers and wholesalers in early 2020,


starting with a three-year commitment from 25 Founders: 10 wholesalers and 15 manufacturers. Since then, a further 24 leading manufacturers have subscribed to the service.


The latest manufacturers to choose the self-service portal, and in doing so to play an active role in EDATA’s development, are:


Airflow Developments Ltd Atkore BEG (UK) Ltd BELL Lighting Deligo Ltd EnviroVent Ltd Europa Components & Equipment PLC Gewiss UK Ltd JCC NVC Lighting Ltd Securi-Flex Ltd Termination Technology Ltd Timeguard Ltd WAGO Ltd


Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA, explains EDATA’s guiding principles:


“EDATA was created to help digitalise the UK’s electrotechnical sector and, crucially, is not-for-profit: any surplus from annual subscriptions is ploughed back to develop the service or returned to members. All the product data inside remains the property of the manufacturer: each business is responsible for its upkeep through the self-service portal. EDATA is on-target to hold 250,000 SKUs by the end of 2022 but volume is not the only measure of success. Richard Appleton, general manager at EDA Data Services, explains: “Our focus is to offer the highest quality product data possible and that is not achievable overnight. We won’t jeopardise quality in the push for data volume. Our objective is to provide wholesalers with accurate, consistent, fully populated and reliable product data sourced directly from their key suppliers. The manufacturers that sign up to EDATA receive a full package of support, tailored to where they are on their product data journey – and each company is at a different stage.”


The full list of EDATA members is available online at www.eda.org.uk/etim-edata/edata/


ETIM’s UK update is a further push towards data excellence ETIM continues to gain traction with those manufacturers keen to ensure their products are found with ease by B2B purchasers, with the latest release reflecting enhancements created specifically for the UK electrotechnical market.


ewnews.co.uk


ETIM 8.0 includes new categories specifically in response to the needs of the UK market, covering steel trunking and fittings, fused connection units and electric showers, as well as updates for consumer units, UK fire performance standards for cable, and BS fuses. Richard Appleton explains: “A complete and accurate description of a


product’s technical performance, which is what ETIM captures, is an essential e-commerce ingredient without which contractors cannot successfully search, filter and buy the right product for the job. Data that’s not ETIM classified leaves wholesalers with the huge headache of how to get hold of accurate and complete technical performance data to put in front of their contractor customers. “The ETIM working groups that we set up, made up of manufacturer


products experts, take a deep dive into the standard from a UK perspective. This enables us to justify requests for new features, values and even classes where we think it is necessary. Work to review the ETIM standard for domestic fans and wiring accessories is already in progress, with cable management and circuit protection in the planning stages and many more to follow after that.


“Our aim, however, is as much to educate manufacturers on how to use the existing standard and apply it consistently. After each expert group has finished its work we compile a set of guidance notes with worked examples which will greatly simplify the task of ETIM classifying a manufacturer’s product range.”


For more information on the EDA, visit www.eda.org.uk


June 2021 electrical wholesaler | 29


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44