In brief: ECLASS is a cross-industry standard for classifying and unambiguously describing products and services. It is maintained by ECLASS e.V. and is widely used in industry, procurement and engineering.
ETIM is particularly relevant to distributors of electrical and building services products, while ECLASS is more widely used in industry, procurement and for technical data throughout the product lifecycle. Many manufacturers need to support both. A PIM system maintains an internal data model and maps it to both standards.
ECLASS properties are also used for digital twins and the Asset Administration Shell. Well-structured product data therefore also helps meet future requirements such as the Digital Product Passport.
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PIM KNOWLEDGE
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AI agents read product data, not product pages. How the Model Context Protocol (MCP) works, which PIM vendors already offer MCP servers, and how to prepare your data model and governance.
How do you prepare your PIM for the Digital Product Passport? Learn how robust data governance and GS1 standards help you meet EU requirements.
In recent years, PIM has evolved from an administrative necessity into one of the most business-critical strategic disciplines in the digital economy.
The strategic realignment of the world’s leading PIM vendors in the age of agentic artificial intelligence, illustrated by SAP’s acquisition of Reltio.
The landscape of enterprise software for managing product information (PIM), master data (MDM), digital assets (DAM) and content
End the Excel back-and-forth: A PIM with a supplier portal automates data imports, ensures quality at the source and significantly reduces manual work for your procurement team.
Find out in 3 minutes whether a PIM system could benefit your business and which PIM systems could be right for you!
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