Open Datacheck – the efficient way to high quality product data

Article by VEG

As of October 1, 2019 the well-established and highly appreciated business solution Open Datacheck is also available for manufacturers and wholesalers of electronic goods on the German market.

Today, product master data is the foundation for almost all business operations in sales. They are essential for customer services, findability in catalogues and online shops, and they facilitate all internal processes. At the same time, data volumes increase, as we require more and more information on products, including details on materials and components, sizes and measurements of products and packaging, product images and videos, building information modelling (BIM) details, and legal documentation.

However, even in these times of growing digitalization the industry, wholesale and installers often struggle with varying qualities of product data. What is more, each manufacturer and wholesaler uses individual standards and methods of data transfer. In order to provide high quality, standardized data and – above all – to spare manufacturers from time-consuming one-on-one coordination with each wholesaler, the online platform Open Datacheck connects existing tools and allows for an automated check and smooth transfer of qualified data that complies with predetermined standards.

What is Open Datacheck?

Open Datacheck is an online solution provided the German Association of S-HVAC Wholesalers (DG Haustechnik) and developed by ITEK GmbH. The platform entered the market in mid-2016. Today, the tool provides more than 80 percent of S-HVAC wholesalers in Germany with qualified data on 2.7 million products from over 200 manufacturers.

How does Open Datacheck work?

Manufacturers sign up to Open Datacheck and gain secure access to the online platform. Once logged-on they upload and check their product data against a predetermined standard – the latest official Data Quality Requirements Guide (DQR Guide) which is developed in cooperation with manufacturers, wholesalers and installers, based upon the ETIM Guideline and provided by ITEK. Comprehensive test protocols help suppliers to improve data quality and provide additional statistical information. Once a satisfactory quality level is reached, the manufacturer decides which wholesalers gain access to their product data. Thus, the industry fully controls the distribution of their data and wholesale benefits from high-quality, officially approved datasets.

What is new about Open Datacheck?

DG Haustechnik and the German Association of Electrical Wholesalers (VEG) have now decided to extend their existing cooperation. As of 1 October 2019, the platform also accommodates suppliers and wholesalers from the electrical industry in addition to the sanitary, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning sector. In the next stage, VEG and ITEK will develop a sector-specific, ETIM-based DQR Guide to cater for needs and demands within the electrical industry.

How do you get information on Open Datacheck?

For more information on Open Datacheck, visit the dedicated website at www.open-datacheck.de or contact Anselm Hoffmeister of the German Association of Electrical Wholesalers (VEG) at hoffmeister@veg.de.