EUROPEAN DATA POOL STRATEGY BY MAGNUS SIREN MARTIN

EUROPEAN DATA POOL STRATEGY BY MAGNUS SIREN & MARTIN KREIJENBROEK JUNE 29 TH 2017 ZAVENTEM / BELGIUM

BACKGROUND • The FEST Presidency (Caroline van Marcke (President), Benedict Mahr (former President) and Beatrix Pollack (Vice President)) presented an idea to establish a common European Data Pool, containing common product data for European HVAC wholesalers at the FEST GA in Frankfurt on March 16 th 2017 • The feasibility of this idea of a common Data Pool was to be investigated further • Please note, that this idea has not been approved to be the official stand of the FEST Association

SCOPE (”THE REVOLUTIONARY MODEL”)

BASIC FACTS • The situation in Europe today could be described so, that product data transfer works well in Nordic countries and the Netherlands (= in general countries with well organized branch owned databases) and to some extent also in Germany and Italy • CNEBOD (Cooperating National ETIM-based Branch Owned Datapools) discussed the topic in a meeting on April 5 th in Amsterdam • ETIM International only maintains the ETIM-model structure and language masters in their database – No intentions whatsoever to store product related information

FEST AMBITIONS How can this be achieved?

WHAT IS CNEBOD • = Cooperating National ETIM-based Branch Owned Datapools • Group initiated by 2 ba - Active since January 2017 • Group represents 11 databases: • Electrical: CH, FI, IT, NL, NO, SE • HVAC: DE, DK, FI, (IT), NL, NO, SE • No product database: BE, PL, UK and ETIM International • Mission: to find evolutionary cooperation between the European databases • Next meeting in autumn 2017

CNEBOD FINDINGS 1. Revolutionary model – FEST Presidency idea • Portfolio problem – 90% or suppliers have 40 -96% country-overlap • Language problems – Especially “long descriptions” and other country specific aspects etc. , excluding ETIM • Not suitable for local national manufacturers • Good for attachments as Do. Ps, Images, BIM-elements • User rights policy differs in many countries – Connections to national wholesalers / installers / manufacturers etc. • Funding (investment + administration + maintenance) • Needs acceptance in all European countries – Both FEST and EUEW members 2. Evolutionary model – CNEBOD • Infrastructure partially existing - Based on cooperation between existing databases in Europe (= quick start) • Not all countries / branches have their own databases • New local databases can be hosted or “copied” by existing organizations (in other countries or branches) – Cost effective and quicker start • Language issues and country specific aspects handled locally • User rights policy easier to handle locally • No general acceptance needed – Network can be expanded gradually based on needs • CNEBOD members’ expertise available (= best knowledge in Europe of technical product data)

CASE – BIG ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURER Wholesaler 1 Local Sales organization National Database Wholesaler 2 Wholesaler 3 Headquarters PIM Local national sales organisations: • Have mandate to decide product portfolio, pricing, language, local approvals etc. • No mandate to decide other country’s affairs • Get basic data from HQ PIM • Produces local material on site

CNEBOD CASE EXPERIENCE • NL (2 ba) – BE database (HVAC/ELECTRIC)cooperation (investigated by MK/2 ba) • • Product overlap on markets surprisingly low • Product information 40 -90 % • Trade information 10 -20 % Cooperation possible by running a parallel database for BE market • FI (LVI-INFO) – SE (RSK) database (HVAC) cooperation (investigated by MS/LVI-INFO, HK/RSK) • Product overlap estimated to be very high • Product data format and country specific aspects not very easy to solve • Cooperation possible by selected data transfer but by running two separate databases • SE (RSK) – SE (SEG) database (HVAC/ELECTRIC) cooperation (in operation) • Parallel databases are run and developed by common service provider • NO (NRF) – NO (EFO) database (HVAC/ELECTRIC) cooperation (in operation) • Parallel databases are developed by common service provider

CASE – EXAMPLE OF PARALLEL DATABASES Manufacturer 2 Manufacturer 1 Manufacturer 3 Manufacturer 5 Manufacturer 4 Wholesaler 1 Wholesaler 2 Interface 1 Interface 2 Wholesaler 5 Wholesaler 6 Wholesaler 3 Database Hosting model: Installer 1 Installer 2 Installer 3 Database 1 Database 2 (Copy of DB 1) Local data exchange ? • Database core and interface copied from original provider (shared investment) • Database technical maintenance common (shared maintenance) • Data content of Database 2 managed either jointly or separate

CNEBOD CONCLUSIONS • One common European Data Pool can not very easily be realized, but might be possible in the future • The same benefits can be achieved with the CNEBOD Database Network Model • Primary work is to standardize data transfer (and product data content) • Common product identification is essential • Cooperation between databases is already established – Roadmap to be made

CNEBOD DATABASE NETWORK MODEL Wholesaler 1 Manufacturer 1 PIM Manufacturer 3 PIM Wholesaler 2 DB 1 Manufacturer 2 PIM Country A DB 2 Wholesaler 3 DB 5 Wholesaler 1 Manufacturer n PIM DB 4 DB 3 Wholesaler 2 Wholesaler 4 = VIRTUAL COMMON EUROPEAN DATABASE Wholesaler 5 Country B

DISCUSSION National aspects FEST EUEW Local aspects Lingual aspects Technical Arguments Legal aspects Political aspects Standards Classifications Certifications