EDATA Gold Status: Easy Access Product Data for Our Wholesalers
The EDATA, “the ‘by the industry for the industry’ data pool”, was set up by the Electrical Distributors’ Association to make sharing product information that customers need easier. For manufacturers, getting set up with EDATA can be quite an undertaking, requiring extra resources, a meticulous adherence to strict processes and the organisation of large quantities of data. We are proud that our Technical Team not only succeeded in this two-year project but excelled by achieving Gold Circle Membership recognition from EDA! But exactly what is EDATA, and how does it work?
What is EDATA?
Today’s electrical contractors are well-informed, savvy shoppers with a great appetite for technical detail. Their proactive purchasing habits mean that only superior lighting products rise to the top, but they need easy access to this information to make these informed decisions! EDATA is a cloud-based portal designed for manufacturers like ROBUS to efficiently share and manage product information, including images, with wholesalers who can in turn share it with their customers, effectively creating an information-rich ecosystem that benefits everyone on the supply chain.
EDA wholesalers have free access to the data pool so they can bulk download product information and access Live Product Data Sheets for their customers, empowering them to drive business success. These sheets can be used for all kinds of documentation such as tenders, quotes, submittals, operations and maintenance guides, etc. All this great work is run by a not-for-profit enterprise that is supported by subscribers.
How Do You Get Started with EDATA?
EDATA makes valuable product information accessible for those who need it, resulting in a smoother, more satisfying customer experience so we are delighted to be involved. As with most things, to save time and costs in the long run you need to invest resources at the beginning! Our QC & Technical Manager, Michael Moran, and Piotr Rak from our Technical Team committed to this journey for two years, working directly with the EDA Data Services Team.
First, we needed to understand what kind of data is required. The EDATA data pool is made up of three categories of product data: 1) Manufacturer Master Data, 2) Digital Assets, 3) Technical Attributes. Gathering and organising this data takes time and can require cross-departmental collaboration, so strong project management is essential. Next up was the preparation of our data to meet the specific requirements of EDATA. For example, the Technical Attributes data is required in the format of the ETIM Data Model. This is not a database but rather a type of classification structure that needs to be applied to the technical information of products. The ultimate purpose of this is to ensure B2B customers have clear and consistent product data that they can compare on a like-for-like basis.
We Achieved Gold Circle Membership with EDA
Currently, only fifty manufacturers are Gold Circle Members of EDATA, and ROBUS is now one of them! Gold status means that we passed the strict quality benchmarks set by the EDATA Data Pool. To achieve this honour, manufacturers must meet certain in-built quality control measures to ensure the data provided meets a high standard. You don’t have to go straight for Gold; it is possible to work your way up the standards from Bronze to Silver and this can be helpful when organising resources for such a big project. But aiming for excellence is in our DNA at ROBUS, so we set out with gold as the goal!
What’s Next for ROBUS and EDATA?
As you may have guessed, the EDATA journey does not end when you successfully import all your product data into the platform. It is a longstanding commitment to keep your product data up to date and ensure you continuously meet the EDATA standards. At ROBUS, our internal data management process now incorporates EDATA, guaranteeing the product information we supply to wholesalers satisfies customer expectations. After all, we are on a mission to make your workday easier.
