A Big Thank You!

IDEA has created a platform that allows different manufacturers and distributors to collaborate. Since everyone has a different point of view, the ability to discuss and learn from each other is a great benefit for everyone.

We would not be able to accomplish our goals without our SME’s (Subject Matter Expert) guidance and support. We would like to thank each and every one of you for your time and efforts.  Our contributors are our greatest asset, and we would like to spotlight them so you can get to know them a little better. Their knowledge and experience are invaluable tools which allow us to collaborate with the user community and better serve the electrical industry. 

What is Harmonized Data Model (HDM)? It is a single data model supported by NAED and NEMA, The IDEA Connector unifies multiple product data standards to support several syndication formats. IDEA is collaborating with SMEs, like Byan Siek to map product attributes between different standards. 

Get to Know HDM Subject Matter Expert Bryan Siek

What brought Bryan to the electrical Industry back in 1998? His brother was a project manager for an electrical firm and needed help with a big project. He started performing basic job functions and as his knowledge grew, he began to install electrical products for residential, commercial, industrial, civil, and telecom mobility applications. In 2015, Bryan joined City Electric Supply where he helped them venture into e-commerce as a product specialist. His role is to ensure data techs have all the electrical specifications and application information they need to populate the e-commerce site for customers to make confident buying decisions.

 Bryan has expertise in optimizing product data for end users, so having an SME like Bryan on board is beneficial because he can validate which critical attributes should be included in the Harmonized Data Model based on his experience. 

“To me, data management is the process of providing a sound strategy and governance over data. This includes validating standards that eliminate subjectivity and help integrate the data lifecycle for better quality of product data,” Bryan said.

His advice? 

“That’s the most rewarding part of working in the electrical supply chain: the ability to learn more about the new technologies that are introduced into our industry.” 

“Take a hard look at the data you are providing to end users. How is your data being displayed? Do the values allow for easy filtering? Do the attributes accurately correlate to the values you are providing? These types of questions allow for improvements that will benefit everyone.” 

“Being able to contribute and learn from others in this format has been a huge highlight for me. While past experiences are important to each person, the acceptance of new ideas allows us to move the industry forward.” 

If you want to help the industry solve data consistency problems, apply to be a Subject Matter Expert on the HDM Task Force.