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WESCO Distribution Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, has joined ETIM North America (NA), Salt Lake City, UT, the product classification standards organization.
As a direct distributor member of ETIM, WESCO will be able to participate in all of ETIM NA’s Product Expert (PE) Groups. Currently there are three PE Groups, encompassing power distribution/automation and drives, wiring devices/lighting controls and wire/cable/conduit products, with expansion into wire management, fuses, transformers, and enclosures coming soon.
“We are pleased to be involved in setting the product descriptor standards for our organization and industry in partnership with ETIM NA,” said Akash Khurana, WESCO’s executive VP and chief information and digital officer. “The ETIM model supports us in our vision of becoming the best tech-enabled supply chain solutions provider in the world.”
Mary Shaw, ETIM NA’s executive director, said in the press release that it’s important manufacturers and distributors of all sizes, who value channel efficiency and recognize that the electrical ecosystem is undergoing a digital transformation, be part of the process. The more companies involved, the quicker the refinement of the model to North American products can be completed, she said.
“We are excited that WESCO is joining ETIM NA,” she said in the release. “I have worked e-commerce and data standards development with WESCO’s data teams in the past and know that their product expertise helps bring the voice of their customers and suppliers to conversations. This will help us make great progress in our classification initiative and will benefit the entire channel.”
Matt Christensen, chairman of ETIM NA and president of Distributor Data Solutions, said in the press release, “WESCO joining ETIM NA is a testament to how much the association has achieved in less than two years and the importance of an enhanced product classification standard for the electrical industry. WESCO’s participation emphasizes the importance of ETIM to helping electrical distributors compete tomorrow.”
As the Electrical Sector Board chair and president of IDEA, David Oldfather encourages all IDEA members to support the ETIM model and work together to improve product descriptions and product classifications for the industry.
To learn more about ETIM North America, its Product Expert Groups, and how manufacturers, distributors and service companies can participate, visit www.etim-na.org or contact Mary Shaw at [email protected].