Syndicate & Automate: Make Digital Business Easier

Expanding the Value of Product Data

IDEA makes conducting digital business easier as the electrical industry’s single source for the complete, high-quality, standardized product data you need to lower operating costs, raise profits, and satisfy customers.

Flexible EDI Integration with Expert Support

IDEA Exchange is a complete EDI solution for manufacturers and distributors, powered by the electrical industry’s #1 VAN and an expert support team on call to solve technical problems or manage your entire EDI operation.

Syndicate Product Data in Fewer Steps

The Harmonized Data Model (HDM) is a single data model in IDEA Connector that harmonizes multiple product data standards to efficiently support several syndication formats. This initiative will power a better customer experience with consistent data to sell more products with less data clean-up.

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Harmonized Data Model (HDM)

A Unified Data Model in IDEA Connector for the Electrical Industry

IDEA orchestrates collaboration between subject matter experts from various sectors of the electrical industry to develop a common language that will make conducting digital business easier. Our teams are focused on continuous data quality improvements with industry-backed initiatives like the Harmonized Data Model.

80 of the Top 100 Distributors
do Business with IDEA

Join the Rest of the Industry

Based on the Top 150 Distributor Ranking by Electrical Wholesaling

Solutions that Connect the Supply Chain

From manufacturer to distributor to end user, our product data syndication and EDI (electronic data interchange) solutions make business processes efficient, easy, and cost-effective. Our applications are built on a strong, standards-based foundation to help trading partners speak a common language.

Data Syndication

Speed up the sales and quote-to-cash cycles by reducing errors, returns, and operational expenses with complete, accurate product data. IDEA Connector supports global data syndication, as well as additional services that extend the value of your data.

B2B EDI Integration

IDEA Exchange provides complete managed services and a Tier-1 VAN solution that enables digital integration services between trading partners, which increases efficiency with faster, error-free business transactions.

Professional Data Services

Turn your product data into a business asset with tailored support from the experienced data professionals at IDEA. From consulting services to IDEA Connector onboarding, data cleansing, and mapping, IDEA provides comprehensive, customized data management services for short-term or ongoing distributor and manufacturer data projects.

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As an independent company, IDEA enables our distribution community to pool our resources and have a product data tool, IDEA Connector, that each of us individually can take advantage of to grow our businesses digitally.

Larry Stern

President, Standard Electric Supply
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“Digital Transformation is the evolution of doing business within our industry. We support IDEA because they are paramount and fundamental to our industry.”

Heather Nemeth

Director, Marketing Data Operations, Acuity Brands
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“The best technology solution we have as an industry is IDEA. The fact is we have an entity that's owned by all of us as members of NAED and NEMA.”

Brian DiBella

President & CEO, Legrand North America
John-Callen

“It’s an exciting time. IDEA Connector is evolving. Third party solution providers are building their functionality on top of IDEA Connector, creating an entire ecosystem for the electrical industry. As this grows, this will bring extensive value to the industry."

John Callen

Director of eTools Marketing, Lutron
Siddharth-Godbole

“The IDEA Exchange team is incredibly knowledgeable and efficient. I highly recommend IDEA to any company looking for a reliable and efficient partner in their digital transformational journey.”

Siddharth Godbole

Manager - EDI, Eaton
John-Hoffman

"Using the IDEA Connector, we’re able to deliver our high quality product data online in real time, which has been proven to speed up sales."

John Hoffman

EVP of Sales and Market Development, Legrand North America
Lura-McBride

"IDEA Connector enables us to share accurate information with a customer on-the-spot to help them make informed decisions. This is a huge advantage for our sales team."

Lura McBride

President & CEO, Van Meter, Inc.
Art-Cook

"With EDI, simpler is better, and IDEA Exchange has made our EDI processes much simpler. We don’t need to think about Exchange – it just works for us."

Art Cook

President, Buckles-Smith
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“Why would I recommend IDEA? Because IDEA adds the most value to our organization. They provide excellent customer service and have existing relationships with our supplier and partner network.”

Phil Hale

CIO, Elliot Electric Supply

Built by the Industry to
Solve Industry Challenges

As the joint venture of NAED, NEMA, and NEMRA, IDEA serves the electrical industry, as well as related verticals, including industrial, HVAC, and plumbing. We continue our involvement in data standards, and our solutions help manufacturers and distributors syndicate product content, power digital transformation, and increase efficiency.

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For Manufacturers

We help manufacturers bring products to market in cost-effective ways: one-to-many syndication, strengthening trading partner relationships, differentiating products, automating manual processes, and lowering operational costs.

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For Distributors

IDEA helps distributors compete digitally and meet rapidly evolving buyer expectations. Our solutions provide manufacturer-direct product data and digital automation for your sales teams, web storefronts, and mobile apps.

Get in Touch

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