News & Events

This Week in IDEA | March 3, 2010

Our eNewsletter, This Week in IDEA, keeps you informed with the latest news and education about IDEA, our solutions and services, and our customers and partners. IDEA’s knowledgeable staff and other contributing writers share insights, resources and special offers to help you Unleash the power of e. Subscribe now to receive This Week in IDEA in your email inbox every other Thursday and add our RSS feed to your reader.

Contents

Subscribe to This Week in IDEA

New Resource! Electrical Attribute Schema eLearning Module Available on Portal

The UNSPSC-based Electrical Attribute Schema, released by the IDEA Industry Standards Committee (ISC) in 2009, was developed to standardize the way electrical products are described, and ultimately, how they’re sold. A new interactive eLearning module is now available on the IDEA Portal to help the industry maximize the full potential of the schema.

The new training course provides an overview of the Electrical Attribute Schema benefits, walks through the schema components, and explains how manufacturers and distributors can apply the schema to their business model. You can explore the module at your own pace and view it 24/7 on the web. The module gives you the option to complete the entire training course or jump ahead to a topic of interest using the contents menu bar (see screenshot below for an example).

 The demo sections of the module walk you through the schema components and demonstrate how to:

  • Filter the schema by product category and attribute
  • Search for descriptions and examples of each attribute
  • Use attribute abbreviations to develop clear descriptions
  • Identify the number of attributes available for each product category

The course wraps up with an FAQ section that answers important questions about the essential correlation between UNSPSC product category codes and the schema.

At the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

  • State the purpose of the Electrical Industry Attribute Schema
  • Describe the benefits of using the schema to catalog product data
  • Utilize the schema attributes with their associated UNSPSC product categories for assigning or identifying descriptors to industry-related products

This eLearning module will be an extremely helpful resource to manufacturers as they continue assigning UNSPSC codes to their products in the IDW Data Synchronization Platform and begin utilizing the schema to reach eBusiness goals with distributors. The module is available for public use and is accessible on the IDEA Portal under Training>Standards. The new module will display at the top of the file list.

Take the Electrical Attribute Schema course now or access it later on the IDEA Portal!

Tags for this post: unspsc training attribute schema

Back To Top

IDEA E-Biz Forum 2010 Website Unveiled

All you need to know about the IDEA E-Biz Forum 2010 is now just a click away. Find out what’s new in 2010 and make your plans to participate as a sponsor, exhibitor and/or attendee.

The Forum has evolved into an essential training and educational event for everyone who takes advantage of IDEA’s business-to-business (B2B) solutions and professional services. This is the event for B2B leaders to come and discover how to utilize the latest eBusiness strategies and technologies to optimize performance throughout all business sectors including operations, finance, sales and marketing, and trading partner relationships.

The 2010 website provides information you need to:

  • Build a business case for senior management and explain why the Forum is worth your company’s time and resources
  • Subscribe to get Forum specials, updates and important deadline reminders
  • Reserve your flight and hotel
  • Register as a sponsor, exhibitor and/or individual

Find out how IDEA’s training and educational event will help you “eOptimize Performance and Profitability” in 2010 – visit the 2010 Forum website now!

Tags for this post: ebiz forum news

Back To Top

Outsource Your GDSN Synchronization Efforts to IDEA

IDEA’s Data Management Service, known as DMS, is a professional service provided to suppliers that use IRD CERICOMX® to synchronize data in the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) and publish product catalogs to retailers such as Lowe's and Walmart. The DMS gives suppliers the option to outsource their GDSN synchronization efforts, enabling them to make product updates and seamlessly notify retailers without having to become an expert on the GDSN data sync requirements.

As part of the DMS service, IDEA works with suppliers to:

  • Compile data
  • Find proper codes
  • Validate data against GDSN rules
  • Publish and sort through retailer messages
  • And much more

The only time the supplier will be contacted is when additional product information is needed. The Data Management Service gives suppliers a peace of mind in knowing their product data is continuously synchronized with retailers and accessible 24/7 in a safe and secure hosted environment.

Suppliers can contact their account manager or email to request more information about DMS or to start taking advantage of the professional service today.

Tags for this post: data synchronization ird professional services

Back To Top

March Training Opportunities

This month IDEA continues to offer live training sessions for customers online in addition to on-demand eLearning resources.

UNSPSC Training and Assistance

The population of United Nations Standard Products and Services Codes (UNSPSC) is essential for the industry to begin utilizing and benefiting from the first Electrical Attribute Schema. Training will continually be offered to IDEA customers so that these codes can be appropriately maintained and utilized in the future. UNSPSC codes will be required at the commodity level in the IDW Data Synchronization Platform on July 1, 2010.

Download the UNSPSC Service Document to find out how IDEA can help you develop a custom assistance program for your company. Contact your IDEA account manager or email to sign up this month.

Need a refresher? You can access the Electrical Attribute Schema eLearning Module 24/7 on the Portal under Training>Standards.

Live IDW Training

IDEA offers one-on-one IDW training sessions online. The trainings are divided into two parts for manufacturers and distributors. Part one reviews the essential business elements of IDW and part two dives deeper into the application. Niche training (e.g. Utilities Workstation, Net Price, Inbound Mapping, etc.) is also available upon request.

Need a refresher? You can access the IDW eLearning Module 24/7 on the Portal  under Training>IDW>Training Modules.

Customers interested in scheduling a live IDW training session should contact at .

Live IDX Tracker Training Schedule

  • Tuesday, March 2: 1:30-2:30PM
  • Tuesday, March 9: 1:30-2:30PM
  • Tuesday, March 16: 1:30-2:30PM
  • Tuesday, March 23: 1:30-2:30PM

Need a refresher? You can access the IDX Tracker eLearning Module 24/7 on the Portal  under Training>IDX>Training Modules.

Customers interested in scheduling a live IDX Tracker training session should contact at .

Tags for this post: idw unspsc idx training

Back To Top

New Synchronization Customers

IDEA, a 1SYNC Data Pool On-Board Solution (OBS) partner, implements suppliers that subscribe to the 1SYNC data pool using IDEA's IRD CERICOMX® application. IDEA was recently assigned 42 suppliers:

These companies will be trained to use IRD CERICOMX®, an online catalog that suppliers use to register product data with the GS1 Registry® and GDSN via the 1SYNC Data Pool. Suppliers also use this solution to publish product data to demand partners including retailers like Lowe’s and Walmart.

Tags for this post: None

Back To Top

Need more info?

Customer Service:

View Latest eBusiness education and news for the electrical supply chain. Become an eBiz expert today! subscribe >