Cembre Ltd has become the latest manufacturer to make a formal commitment to sponsor EDATA, the electrotechnical sector’s data pool, for the next three years. Their commitment brings the total number of sponsors to 24, comprising a mix of manufacturers and wholesalers of various sizes. The sponsors’ pledges means that the EDATA Data Pool can enter the next phase of its development: making high quality product data available at no cost to EDA wholesalers and their branches, and continuing to develop the platform based on the input of the members.
EDATA is growing steadily with 70 leading brands signed up to share their high quality product data with electrical wholesalers. Every EDA wholesaler has free access to the data pool where they can download data in bulk to drive websites, e-shops, ordering and invoicing, and ERP systems, and create individual data sheets on the fly.
Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA, said “Sponsorship is more than a financial commitment: each partner business is taking responsibility for playing their part in driving the future of this sector’s key data and digitalisation initiative.
“Each sponsor will have a place on the EDATA Steering Group: this Group has responsibility for the strategic direction and development of the data pool. They elect the members of the EDA Data Services Board every two years and will also have an opportunity to stand themselves when places become available. A small number of opportunities still exist to get involved in the EDATA sponsorship programme.
“When EDATA launched in 2020 we secured support from 25 Founder businesses, a mix of wholesalers and manufacturers. This initial three-year commitment ended in December 2022. We are grateful to the Founders for supporting us through our critical start-up years. Our sponsorship scheme builds on that solid foundation to take EDATA to its next phase of development.
“Digitalisation is about helping businesses benefit from the efficiencies in productivity which streamlined high quality data can deliver to every point in the supply chain. Absolutely, this is about driving sales from manufacturer to wholesaler, and wholesaler to contractor, but it is also about improving the accuracy and traceability of product information during a building’s lifetime.”
EDATA manufacturer sponsors:
ABB Ltd – Electrification
Aico Ltd
Ansell Lighting
Cembre Ltd
Deta Electrical Co Ltd
Eaton
Electrium Sales (A Siemens Company)
Glen Dimplex Heating & Ventilation
Hager Ltd
LEDVANCE Ltd
Marshall-Tufflex Ltd
Prysmian Group
Schneider Electric Ltd
Vent-Axia
EDATA wholesaler sponsors:
BEMCO – British Electrical Manufacturing Company
BED (Corby) Ltd
CEF
Edmundson Electrical Ltd
Fegime UK
LEW Electrical Distributors
R & M Electrical Group Ltd
Rexel UK Ltd
Stearn Electric Co Ltd
The IBA Buying Group
Launched in 2020 by the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA), the EDATA data pool is a cloud-based portal through which manufacturers can share their product data and images with multiple wholesalers simultaneously.
