IDEA Partners with Salsify to Automate How Manufacturers Publish Product Data to IDEA Connector
New integration replaces manual exports and custom builds with two pre-built channels that send Salsify PIM data directly into IDEA Connector
News Summary
- IDEA has partnered with Salsify, a product information management provider, to give electrical manufacturers a direct, automated path for publishing product data into IDEA Connector.
- Two pre-built channels, one for core product data and one for category-specific attributes, replace the exports, reformatting, and custom builds the process has required until now.
- Subscribed electrical distributors receive more complete, standards-compliant product information for their websites, ERP systems, and quoting tools.
IDEA, the electrical industry’s data and technology provider, announces an integration with Salsify that lets manufacturers publish product data directly from the Salsify PIM into IDEA Connector, the industry’s platform for standardized manufacturer product data.
For electrical manufacturers, product data increasingly decides whether they make the shortlist or win the sale, sometimes before a salesperson ever picks up the phone. Buyers now research and shortlist suppliers using AI-powered tools, and distributors are raising the bar on what standards product data has to meet before they will list it at all. When that data is incomplete or inconsistent, manufacturers not only rank lower, but they may disappear from consideration.
For manufacturers using Salsify, publishing product information to IDEA Connector has historically required additional steps. Manufacturers either reformatted exports to meet IDEA requirements or worked with Salsify Support to build and maintain a custom channel. The new connection replaces that with two pre-built channels, one for core product data and one for category-specific attributes, that publish directly from the Salsify PIM into IDEA Connector. Manufacturers map their data into the existing structure once. From there, pre-validated updates flow into IDEA Connector, making standardized product information available to subscribed distributors without requiring a custom Salsify support process.
“IDEA exists to make it easier for manufacturers and distributors to exchange trusted information and do business together,” said Mike Wentz, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at IDEA. “This connection with Salsify removes friction for manufacturers while maintaining the data standards distributors rely on. Better product information moves through the industry faster, with less manual work on both sides.”
IDEA’s data standards are what let distributors trust the product information they receive. The pre-built channels carry validation for formatting and attributes, so manufacturers meet those standards as part of publishing rather than as a separate step.
“Product data used to be the paperwork nobody wanted to deal with. Now it’s the first thing an AI agent or a distributor’s system evaluates before your product even gets near a customer,” said Mandy Earle, head of industrial markets at Salsify. “This connection means manufacturers can keep their product information aligned with IDEA’s evolving standards while reducing the manual work required to get high-quality data in front of distributors.”
“Using this connection is a significant improvement to our internal workflow. With Salsify’s direct connection to IDEA Connector, products that meet applicable requirements can be delivered while our team reviews and addresses any remaining data issues,” said Seth Gilbert, Senior Digital Marketing Manager at Atkore. “The Salsify channel also helps us keep our product attributes aligned with the latest IDEA Connector requirements.”
The connection is available now to Salsify customers through an Early Access program. IDEA and Salsify will demonstrate it at eBiz 2026, IDEA’s annual conference on digital business in the electrical industry, September 29 to October 1 in Denver, at Salsify booth #15.
For more information, visit https://idea4industry.com/connector/.
About IDEA
IDEA helps manufacturers and distributors turn data into a strategic business asset. Trusted by the electrical industry to solve industry challenges, IDEA provides the data infrastructure, technology, standards, and expertise that connects trading partners and makes digital business easier.
Through product data syndication, EDI and transaction automation, data standards, professional data services, and actionable sales intelligence, IDEA helps companies improve data quality, reduce manual processes and operating costs, accelerate speed to market, strengthen trading partner relationships, and uncover new opportunities for profitable growth.
At its core, IDEA helps manufacturers and distributors work better together by creating a more connected, efficient, and data-driven supply chain.
About Salsify
Salsify helps thousands of brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in over 140 countries win on the digital and agentic shelves. The company’s Product Experience Management (PXM) platform enables organizations to centralize all of their product content, connect to the commerce ecosystem, and automate business processes to deliver the best possible product experiences across every selling destination and agentic commerce opportunity.
For more information, visit https://www.salsify.com.
Media Contacts
Rachel Slade
IDEA
Sonia Coleman
IDEA