Digitalisation
Rachel Morris, marketing manager at Ansell Lighting: “Good quality product information is important for the success and growth of a business, in particular online e-commerce selling. Google relies on accurate and trusted product data to precisely identify products that are available for shoppers, so making your product content easily searchable is crucial to achieving visibility amongst your competitors. In addition, it created a positive impression on the customer. They don’t want to have to work too hard to find the information they need.
“We started our journey back in 2014. The initial driving force was an international customer who needed ETIM standard data, which at the time we did not have, and the exchange highlighted an area in which we could improve. We partnered with data agency Electrika who we still work with today and they helped us with organising our data and ETIM classification. It took time and effort to get to where we are today in terms of a Gold standard. We had to be painstaking in our evaluation of our data, rectifying any gaps and making improvements, but it has been worth it.
“The EDATA platform offers manufacturers a central ‘single source of truth’ resource for uploading product information, technical data and images. This means there is now a central resource available to aid in making the process of data exchange easier for the wholesale channel. Wholesalers can now download data and trust its accuracy and then replicate it on their customer-facing e-commerce channels. For manufacturers it also offers greater control over their data, ensuring wholesalers are not displaying obsolete or incorrect data.”
Andy Douglas, managing director of Timeguard: “We welcomed EDATA as an unambiguous benchmark for the quality of the product data that wholesalers need to share with customers, so we were quick off the blocks to join the scheme. As we work exclusively with the wholesale channel, and understand what you need, the data and assets were already in existence and ready for uploading as EDATA. Even so, we were delighted that we went straight into the Gold
ewnews.co.uk
Circle of EDATA Members whose product data is of a particularly high standard.
“By setting the bar as high as possible for the quality of product information, the EDA is helping you to maintain the trust and goodwill of your customers. Being able to syndicate our data through a single channel while retaining full control of how our products and brand are presented is a great benefit and ensures that you are always giving your customers the best information. Greater accuracy means fewer returns.
“We do recognise that some specifiers and contractors prefer to use e-PIM, a Product Information Management system developed for the electrical and construction industry, so we offer ePIM standard datasheets available via the Timeguard website, with other website and media assets freely available on request.”
Richard Moyes, marketing, development and intelligence director at Prysmian UK: “Ensuring EDATA can be used efficiently depends on how searchable the product data is. Search-friendly product data is vital to allow customers quicker, easier access to it. We’re working in a time when there are so many competing brands, all operating in an increasingly virtual world – customers will not be able to find the best quality products if they are not searchable.
“Prysmian are global members of
ETIM International, EDATA’s governing body, and have played a major role in developing the data standard for cable products. Starting our EDATA journey began in 2019, just as you may imagine though: collating all our product data from various locations and uploading it to our PIM (Product Information Management) system, which automatically sends it to EDATA. This was a big, but entirely worth it challenge.
“EDATA will be a key driver in the progress of the sector. Without extensive product data stored in the correct way, no company is able to progress in the world as it is – it will essentially become invisible. Furthermore, EDATA helps enable the industry to compete with online retailers by bringing visibility and searchability to our products and, crucially, trusted guidance that only we as manufacturers can offer.”
June 2021 electrical wholesaler | 22
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