Case Study
How an electrical engineering manufacturer classified 12,000 products in accordance with ETIM — and automated its partner portals in the process
An electrical engineering manufacturer with 480 employees and 12,000 SKUs (switchgear, sensors, controls) was under pressure — from outside and from within.
The problem
- Retailers and wholesalers required ETIM-compliant data feeds (industry standard for electrical engineering)
- Classification was manual, inconsistent, and error-prone
- Product data was scattered: ERP, Excel spreadsheets, local folders
- Media (images, certificates, CAD drawings) were not centrally available
- Each channel needed different data formats — manual conversion was the standard
The consequences
- Queries from partners (“What data is missing?”)
- Delisting threats from major retailers
- No scalability for new markets or partners
The trigger: Why now?
Three external factors compelled action:
- External pressure: Wholesalers threatened delisting — “No listing without ETIM data”
- Compliance risk: The Digital Product Passport (DPP) was getting closer — a new EU regulation that requires structured product data. The company wasn't prepared.
- Competitive disadvantage: Competitors already had automated partner portals and were able to react faster
The approach: Three phases in 12 weeks
Phase 1: DPP/ETIM Readiness Assessment (week 1)
First understand, then act:
- Gap image created: 40% of the products did not have an ETIM class, 60% lacked classification attributes
- Responsibilities unclear: “Who classifies? Who checks? Who releases?”
- Priorities defined: Top 100 products first (80/20 principle), then scaling
upshot: Clear overview of the scope and a realistic roadmap.
Stage 2: Classification Governance (Week 2-4)
The systems were brought together:
- ERP connection: Product management learned the classification logic
- Validation rules in PIM: Mandatory fields, value lists, dependencies — everything checked automatically
- Workflow defined: Classification → QA check → Approval → Publication
upshot: Consistent, comprehensible classification. No more errors due to manual input.
Phase 3: PIM rollout & portal automation (week 5—12)
The systems came together:
- PIM implementation (Akeneo): Central administration of all product data and classifications
- Technical documentation: 5 partner portals were automatically fed daily with up-to-date data
- Hypercare phase: Images, certificates, CAD drawings were managed centrally and automatically exported to the portals
- quality checks: Automatic validation before export (no more incorrect data)
upshot: Everything is automated. Partners receive up-to-date, correct data every day.
The results: measurable and strategic
Compliance: 100% ETIM compliance for top 500 products in 12 weeks
- All top products are now correctly classified
- Basis created for DPP requirements
- No more delisting risks
Automation: Partner portals are updated daily
- Before: Manually, every 6 months (if ever)
- After: Automatic daily, 100% up to date
- effect: Partners always have the latest data
Error reduction: Retailers' inquiries down by 70%
- Fewer requests for missing data
- Fewer complaints due to incorrect classification
- Higher partner satisfaction
DPP readiness: Basis created for digital product passport
- Structured data is available
- Processes are established
- Scaling to more products is easy
What made that possible? Proof Points
Service & methodology:
- ETIM classification expertise (training, best practices, validation logic)
- Governance consulting (roles, processes, responsibilities)
- Change management (training, documentation, support)
Technical integration:
- ERP connection (Microsoft Dynamics)
- DAM integration (Bynder) for media management
- 5 partner portals (API-based, synchronized daily)
- Automated validation and quality control
Step-by-step rollout:
- Top products first (quick results)
- Iterative rollout (more products will follow)
- Scalable to new partners and markets
The message for you
If you're also under pressure — when partners are demanding ETIM data, when DPP requirements are getting closer, when your classification is manual and prone to errors — then it's time for a solution.
The good thing: With a structured approach (Assessment → Governance → Automation), you can achieve 100% compliance in 12 weeks and automate your partner portals.
Next step
Book a free DPP Readiness Call.
We'll look at your situation, show you where you stand, what requirements you have and how you can prepare yourself.
Book a DPP Readiness Call
