IDEA and ETIM North America Partner to Increase ETIM Adoption

SALT LAKE CITY and ARLINGTON, VA – September 30, 2024 – ETIM North America is pleased to announce that the Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA), jointly owned by NEMA and NAED, is once again a member of ETIM North America.

IDEA provides several solutions for their customers’ needs, most notably:

  • IDEA ConnectorSM, a data syndication platform for manufacturers to store and distribute their product information to their customers, and
  • IDEA ExchangeSM, powered by the industry’s #1 VAN, a complete EDI solution for manufacturers and distributors.

An international model for the standardization and classification of technical product descriptors, ETIM enables the efficient exchange of product data throughout the electrical industry ecosystem—from manufacturers, who produce the product content, through their distribution channels, to contractors, end-users and specifiers of their products.

“We look forward to assisting the ETIM North America team in refining the ETIM standard for North America and integrating the classification model into our Harmonized Data Model (HDM)-based IDEA ConnectorSM says David Oldfather, IDEA President and CEO.  “Our team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from across the electrical industry provide valuable product expertise to our HDM initiative and drawing on their insights, IDEA is pleased to support ETIM NA in its language and terminology translation efforts. As the technology arm for both NEMA and NAED, IDEA is committed to creating, supporting, and enabling the exchange of global data standards for the electrical industry, and we see ETIM as an important addition to our platform for the North American electrical market.”

While the ETIM model facilitates the transference of product information to support transactions and eCommerce information, it can also be a foundational element in enabling AI capabilities for companies. ETIM is applicable to many construction and industrial trades as a language-independent classification model to improve the quality and communication of product information and is especially valuable for web stores and other digital applications, including building design programs like CAD, BIM, and 3D modeling as well as AI applications.

“We are excited to welcome IDEA back as a Solution Provider member,” adds Mary Shaw, Executive Director of ETIM North America. “IDEA’s support will accelerate the adoption of the ETIM model across North America.” 

She adds that, “The goal of ETIM is to simplify product classifications so that products can be translated across languages,  technical barriers, and digital platforms without ambiguity. IDEA provides a valuable service to its customers with its HDM-based IDEA ConnectorSM platform, and we look forward to their support of the ETIM model. Their collaborative support will help manufacturers and distributors use the ETIM descriptors to improve their online product discovery and advance their digital journey.”

To learn more about ETIM North America, its Product Expert Groups, and how manufacturers, distributors, reps, and service companies can participate, visit www.etim-na.org or contact Mary Shaw at mary@etim-na.org.

To learn more about how IDEA helps manufacturers and distributors, visit www.idea4industry.com or contact the Customer Success team at ideacustomersuccess@idea4industry.com.

About IDEA

The Industry Data Exchange Association, Inc. (IDEA) was founded in 1998 by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) to serve as a single source of data for the electrical industry. Now, through flagship products IDEA Connector and IDEA Exchange, as well as a growing partner ecosystem, IDEA is the leading provider of complete, high-quality transactional and eCommerce-ready product content for the electrical industry and other industrial verticals. As the electrical industry’s standards body, IDEA sets, facilitates, normalizes, and monitors data standards via initiatives such as the Harmonized Data Model (HDM). Visit IDEA at www.idea4industry.com.

About ETIM North America

Based in Salt Lake City, with an office in Ottawa, Canada, ETIM North America is a non-profit chapter of ETIM International, responsible for the translation and adoption of the ETIM product classification model to support consistent communication of technical product information from manufacturers to end-users in the North American wholesale electrical industry and related construction and industrial sectors. www.etim-na.org