Table of Contents

Overview

ETIM (ElectroTechnical Information Model) is an international classification standard designed to structure and exchange technical product data. By using ETIM, companies ensure that product information is consistent, comparable, and ready for digital processes such as e-commerce, procurement, and PIM (Product Information Management).

Our software supports the import and use of ETIM classifications, allowing you to:

  1. Assign standardized ETIM classes and features to your items.
  2. Keep your product data aligned with the latest ETIM versions.
  3. Manage product attributes, synonyms, and keywords consistently.
  4. Upgrade existing classifications when new ETIM releases become available.

This documentation describes how to Import ETIM data data, work with ETIM on items, and manage upgrades between versions.

ETIM Versions

ETIM publishes new model releases every few years. Each release (e.g., ETIM 8.0, 9.0, 10.0) contains updated classes, features, and keywords.

Key points:

  1. You can import one or more ETIM versions into the system.
  2. Items may be linked to a specific ETIM version.
  3. New versions do not automatically overwrite older ones – you must decide how to handle upgrades.
  4. The system provides an ETIM Upgrade Report to help you migrate from older to newer classes.

[!TIP] We recommend always keeping the latest ETIM release available in your system so that new items can be classified consistently.

Best practice

When working with ETIM classifications in your system:

  1. Plan version strategy – decide whether you’ll maintain multiple ETIM versions in parallel or always upgrade to the latest one.
  2. Use “Keep failed” upgrade mode – this ensures that only successfully mapped classes are upgraded, while unmapped ones remain in the system for manual review.
  3. Validate imports – after importing a new ETIM release, check that classes, features, and keywords appear correctly.
  4. Assign consistently – use ETIM classes at item creation rather than later, to ensure product data is structured from the start.
  5. Leverage features and keywords – ETIM is not only about classification numbers; use the attributes and synonyms to enrich your product content.