ECLASS (product classification standard)

In short

• The standard states that it is ISO/IEC-compliant. A product is placed in a class, and the class defines the properties that describe it.

• ECLASS has four classification levels, and its codes have eight digits, written in the form 27-21-07-17. The standard states about 48,000 product classes and over 23,000 unique properties.

• ECLASS comes in two forms. Basic has a simple, flat structure and is often used in purchasing, sales and controlling. Advanced has a flexible, hierarchical structure with blocks and aspects and is mainly used in engineering and CAx.

Example

A manufacturer of immersion thermostats classifies them under 27-21-07-17, which the release list names „Tauchthermostat“. Segment 27 above it is „Elektro-, Automatisierungs- und Prozessleittechnik“, that is, electrical, automation and process control engineering. The manufacturer then fills in the ECLASS properties. A buyer whose procurement system uses ECLASS can sort and compare these thermostats with the products of other suppliers.

Each ECLASS property carries an IRDI (International Registration Data Identifier), a globally unique identifier based on ISO/IEC 11179. ECLASS e.V. in Cologne maintains the standard and publishes a new release every year.

What to watch for

• Customers may use different releases. Find out which release a file or a system uses before you match the data. ECLASS publishes a new release every year, so a customer’s data may follow an older one.

• Basic and Advanced data are not the same. Check which form a supplier delivers.

• Classification alone does not identify the article. Keep the article number as well, and check the exact variant on the spec sheet.

Not to be confused with

• ETIM: a classification with two levels, focused on technical products in the building trades.

• BMEcat: the exchange format that carries product data. It is not a classification.

• UNSPSC: a code system that is mainly used in the US.