In the construction and installation sector, retailers, wholesalers and specifiers increasingly expect standardised product data. Two standards are decisive here: ETIM and GS1.
ETIM: one product language for technical products
ETIM is an open, international classification standard that defines per product class which characteristics must be described in a uniform way. As a result, everyone in the chain speaks the same language: a manufacturer describes its product according to the same model that a wholesaler or specifier expects. This speeds up the onboarding of products and reduces errors and disputes.
GS1: validated data, published once
GS1 develops global standards for product identification and product data, with well-known examples such as GTINs and barcodes. Via the GS1 database (GDSN), a supplier publishes its product information once, after which retailers retrieve it automatically and validated. Large retail chains often require this, because they don’t want to maintain dozens of separate connections.
In PimLayer: via partner Qmica
PimLayer manages your product data in a structured way and publishes it via our partner Qmica in line with the GS1 and ETIM standards. Your specifications flow automatically in the right format, so you can:
- list products faster with large retailers
- enter your data only once
- avoid errors, disputes and double entry
- be future-proof for other GS1 and ETIM users
This way, meeting your customers’ requirements becomes an automatic consequence of how you manage your data, not a separate project.
Source: GS1 and ETIM publishing via partner Qmica (pimlayer.be/gs1).