ETIM – what is it and how does it work?

1. ETIM – this is what you need to know:
2. What is ETIM?
3. History and development of ETIM
4. ETIM and BMEcat
5. ETIM – who uses it, who requires it
6. Advantages and ... disadvantages of ETIM classification
7. How to implement ETIM in a company?
8. Automation of ETIM with AI
9. Summary
10. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Contemporary sales of technical products require precise, unambiguous, and easy-to-process product data. The more technical the product, the less a marketing description suffices – it becomes crucial to present it in a structured way. The solution to this challenge is the international ETIM classification standard, which you will find increasingly applied by manufacturers, wholesalers, and in PIM systems. From this article, you will learn what ETIM is, how it works, what benefits it offers, and what limitations you need to consider. You will also get to know the Polish market and organizational context.

ETIM – this is what you need to know:

• ETIM is a standard for the classification of technical products – a "technical dictionary" that assigns a product to a class with specific attributes (e.g., model, temperature range).
• ETIM ≠ BMEcat – ETIM defines what we describe, and BMEcat how we record and transmit it in XML. Most often, ETIM data is delivered to recipients in BMEcat files.
• ETIM is an industry standard – manufacturers and distributors use it in PIM systems to more easily create electronic product catalogs and enable product comparison, e.g., in shopping comparison engines.
• Implementation of ETIM can be time-consuming, but AI tools (e.g., getName.ai) automate product recognition and attribute completion, reducing costs and shortening time.

What is ETIM?

ETIM (European Technical Information Model) is a standard for classifying technical products, which allows for a uniform description of the technical parameters of products regardless of language, country, or supplier. The goal of ETIM is a standardized, unambiguous technical description that enables the structuring of product data, which in turn allows for easy filtering, comparison, and transmission of information in a uniform format.

In ETIM, each product is assigned to one class. This class has a strictly defined set of attributes. Let's look at an example class:

id: EC011604: Portable air conditioner has the following attributes:

• model
  id: EF000010 | type: dictionary
• Operating principle
  id: EF004139 | typ: dictionary
• Operation
  id: EF002147 | typ: dictionary
• Timer
  id: EF000672 | typ: boolean
• Number of fan levels
  id: EF00062 | type: number
• Max. air volume
  id: EF002607 | type: number | unit: m³/h
• Temperature setting range
  id: EF021341 | typ: numerical range | unit: °C
• subsequent attributes, there are a total of 24 ...

The aim of ETIM is not a marketing description, but a standardized, unambiguous technical description, which allows, among other things:

• filter products by parameters,
• compare products regardless of the manufacturer,
• prepare catalogs and data exports,
• publish product data in BMEcat format,
• send data to PIM and ERP systems.

ETIM is a specific "technical dictionary" that enables standardized classification and description of product data. In search engines, the query "etim classification" often appears—and rightly so, because it is primarily a classification of technical products that organizes parameters and facilitates product classification in PIM systems and on the partner side.

History and development of ETIM

The ETIM model was created in the Netherlands in the early 1990s (the first work started in 1991 at the initiative of the electrotechnical industry). Over time, it evolved into an international standard – in 2008, the ETIM International association was established, which manages the development of the classification. Currently, ETIM has branches in over 20 countries.

Versions of the classification are updated on average every 2 years. Each new edition may introduce changes in the class structure, add attributes, or modify dictionary values. At the end of 2024, ETIM 10.0 was published.
ETIM classification structure

The ETIM model is based on several fundamental concepts:

• Class (prefix EC…) – defines the type of product (e.g., EC001109 – portable air conditioner).
• Attribute (prefix EF…) – describes a specific feature of the product (e.g., EF021341 – temperature adjustment range).
• Value (prefix EV…) – for select-type attributes, specifies permissible dictionary values (defined lists).
• Data type – type of data: number, logical value (yes/no), dictionary value, range of numbers (but note, it does not include a text field with an arbitrarily entered string).
• Units of measurement (prefix EU...) – e.g. V, W, mm, °C and used with numerical attributes.

Such an ETIM structure allows for precise descriptions of thousands of product types, making it very useful in industries with high technical variability and rich technical parameters.

ETIM and BMEcat

ETIM is a semantic model (describes what we convey), whereas BMEcat is an XML format for electronic product catalogs (defines how we record it). In practice, BMEcat acts as a package/carrier for product data – it can carry information described according to ETIM, but it doesn't have to.

Importantly, BMEcat:

• may contain data classified according to ETIM, eCl@ss, or the manufacturer's own classification,
• can combine several classifications in one file simultaneously (e.g., ETIM attributes and eCl@ss attributes),
• in B2B circulation is de facto a standard product data carrier.

In daily work, the question often arises: what is etim bmecat? Simply put, this phrase means preparing data according to the ETIM standard and then distributing it in a BMEcat file. This combination allows for consistent exchange of product information in the industry.

BMEcat without ETIM can fully exist, because BMEcat is a carrier/format. On the other hand, ETIM data can be maintained and shared also outside of BMEcat, for example through an API. However, in real integrations between companies, BMEcat remains the most commonly accepted exchange standard.

ETIM – who uses it, who requires it

On the Polish market, data compliant with the ETIM standard is primarily prepared by manufacturers and companies involved in maintaining product information. They are responsible for completing attributes and providing data in a uniform format. However, the main beneficiaries of standardization are distributors and wholesalers who need consistent information for their e-commerce platforms. Thanks to ETIM, they gain, among others:

• easy integration of data from multiple providers,
• possibility of building comparable product catalogs,
• more efficient service for end customers,
• lower integration costs due to process automation,
• faster product time-to-market.

In practice, both manufacturers and distributors use PIM systems (e.g. Pimcore), which enable data management in accordance with ETIM and export in BMEcat format. The problem arises on the manufacturer's side if they do not have their own PIM – in that case, tools like ETIM-Mapper are supportive, allowing the preparation and transfer of data in the required format. Additionally, some wholesalers provide suppliers with simple Excel templates with lists of ETIM classes and attributes, which shows that the standard is also applicable outside the XML environment.

Advantages and ... disadvantages of ETIM classification

Classification ETIM, like any standard, has its strengths and limitations – learn about the most important advantages and disadvantages of its application.

Advantages:

• Linguistic and cultural neutrality – a uniform standard independent of country or language.
• Unambiguous technical description – standardized data, independent of the manufacturer.
• High data quality – coherent and complete information for PIM systems.
• Facilitation for customers - the ability to filter, compare, and search for products by parameters.
• Data exchange support – export of product information to the BMEcat format.
• Compliance with standards – alignment with European and national standards for product data exchange.

Advantages and limitations:

• No multi-select for dictionary attributes – one dictionary-type attribute cannot have multiple values simultaneously. This necessitates the creation of many binary attributes (Yes/No) for features present in the product (e.g., separate fields: does it contain glass?, does it contain metal?).
• Frequent version changes – new versions of ETIM can change the structure of classes and attributes, which requires updating and adapting data (costly maintenance).
• Incomplete coverage of unique features – manufacturers indicate that some unique product features are not reflected in the existing class attributes. This is the price of compromise – ETIM defines a common denominator for the entire product group, which sometimes means the loss of very specific information.

How to implement ETIM in a company?

Implementation of the ETIM classification is a project that requires many resources and good coordination. Learn the typical steps of this process:

• Choice of model version – specification of the target ETIM version (e.g., ETIM 10.0).
• ETIM class mapping – assigning existing assortment groups to the appropriate ETIM classes.
• Filling in attribute values – collecting and entering data for the required attributes of each class according to the specification.
• Data export – generating a file with data (e.g., in BMEcat format) and verifying its correctness.

From our experience, the implementation team should consist of representatives from the product department and the IT department. It is also crucial to properly train the individuals responsible for data quality and to establish validation procedures to maintain information consistency over time.

Automation of ETIM with AI

Anyone who has tried to manually fill in ETIM attributes for thousands of products knows that it is an extremely tedious task. In response, a tool was created getName.ai using AI, which can, among other things:

• recognize the appropriate product class based on the description,
• identify the values of individual ETIM attributes,
• convert numerical values considering the target unit of measurement
• choose the correct value from the dictionary list.

Tool getName.ai allows automating the entire process based solely on the product description, operating independently of language and input format.

Such an approach significantly reduces the time required for data preparation, decreases the risk of human errors, and allows focusing on validation and quality control, instead of tedious manual field completion.

Summary

ETIM is a powerful standardization tool that allows you to organize product data, build the foundations of good technical communication, and prepare information for publication across multiple distribution channels. A well-implemented ETIM product classification facilitates standardization and accelerates data publication processes.