eCl@ss (Classification)
eCl@ss (Classification) is an international industry standard that uniquely describes products and services through a four-level class code and standardized properties, thereby harmonizing data exchange between companies.
eCl@ss (Classification) is a cross-industry, international standard for the uniform description of products and services. At its core are a four-level, hierarchical class code and an extensive catalog of standardized properties (characteristics) with defined values and units. Instead of capturing products only with free text and inconsistent attributes, companies assign each item to a unique eCl@ss class and describe it through standardized property sets – machine-readable, language-neutral and interpretable across company boundaries.
The standard is maintained by eCl@ss e. V., based in Cologne, a consortium of industry, trade and associations. eCl@ss is therefore a so-called classification or content standard: it does not define the transmission format (like EDI or EDIFACT), but the shared vocabulary used to structure product data in terms of content. In practice, eCl@ss is especially widespread in technical B2B trade, industry, plant engineering and procurement.
At a glance
- International classification standard for products and services, maintained by eCl@ss e. V.
- Four-level class code (segment, main group, group, subgroup) plus standardized properties
- Language-neutral, machine-readable product description via unique IRDIs
- Widespread in technical B2B trade, industry, procurement and electronic catalogs
- Content standard – complements exchange formats like BMEcat, EDI or marketplace feeds
How is eCl@ss (Classification) structured?
The standard consists of two central building blocks: the class hierarchy and the property model. The class hierarchy assigns each product a unique eight-digit class code made up of four two-digit levels. The first level is the segment, followed by main group, group and subgroup. An example: the code runs from "electrical engineering" via "cable/wire" down to the specific subgroup of a product type. This unique number makes items identifiable independently of language and product name.
The second building block is the properties. Each class is assigned a set of standardized characteristics – such as nominal voltage, length, material or protection class – each with a defined unit and, in part, prescribed value lists. This defines what a property is called, which unit applies and which values are permitted. This standardization prevents misunderstandings, such as different spellings or units for the same property.
IRDI: the unique identifier
Every class and every property receives an internationally unique identifier, the IRDI (International Registration Data Identifier) per ISO/IEC 11179. This ID allows a property to be referenced unambiguously across systems and languages – "Länge" in German and "length" in English point to the same IRDI. This is the technical basis for two companies to understand their product data without manual mapping.
Advanced and BASIC: the two variants
eCl@ss is maintained in two variants. eCl@ss BASIC represents the pure class hierarchy with properties and is suited to cataloging and search. eCl@ss ADVANCED goes considerably further: it describes products through structured property lists, blocks, polycatalogs and aspects, thereby enabling deep, formalized product modeling – important, for example, for configurable technical products or connecting to digital twins.
The standard is developed further in regular releases; new classes and properties are added, obsolete ones are adjusted. For companies this means they should reference a specific eCl@ss version and plan release changes so that classifications remain consistent. An unconsidered version jump can otherwise cause class codes or property assignments to no longer match already delivered catalogs.
Benefits and relevance of eCl@ss (Classification)
The main benefit lies in data quality and interoperability. When manufacturers, distributors and buyers use the same classification and the same properties, product data can be exchanged, compared and processed automatically without manual translation. This reduces errors, speeds up catalog maintenance and makes assortments searchable across system boundaries.
For procurement, eCl@ss is particularly valuable: purchasing organizations can analyze spending by product group (spend analysis), standardize supplier catalogs and standardize electronic ordering processes. In trade, clean classification improves product search, filtering and data transfer to marketplaces and portals. eCl@ss is also an anchor for data quality in master data systems: it enforces structured, complete attribution instead of free-text chaos.
eCl@ss is also increasingly relevant in the context of Industry 4.0 and the Asset Administration Shell: standardized properties with unique IRDIs form the semantic basis for machines and systems to interpret product properties automatically. Those who classify consistently today create the prerequisite for later automation and digital twins – a strategic side effect that goes beyond mere catalog maintenance.
eCl@ss (Classification) in the ERP and PIM system
In the ERP system, eCl@ss primarily affects the item master and product data maintenance. Items receive an eCl@ss classification property alongside the internal item number and are described through the standardized properties. Some ERP systems offer fields or add-on modules for classification systems; often, however, an upstream PIM (Product Information Management) handles the actual property maintenance and delivers the classified data to ERP, shop and catalogs.
In practice, the question always arises of where the classified properties are the leading data source. For many technical items this authority lies in the PIM, while the ERP maintains the commercially relevant fields such as prices, stock levels and units. A clean delineation of which system owns which field prevents contradictory product data and is the prerequisite for the eCl@ss classification remaining consistent across all channels.
Interplay with exchange formats
eCl@ss defines the content, not the transport format. For the actual data exchange, classified product data is usually transmitted via catalog formats like BMEcat or via EDI/EDIFACT messages and modern APIs. eCl@ss and these formats therefore complement each other: the format transports the message, eCl@ss ensures that sender and receiver speak the same language for classes and properties.
Example
Classified electrical wholesale catalog
A mid-sized electrical wholesaler maintains around 40,000 items and supplies industrial customers who order via electronic procurement. Until now, the product data existed in inconsistent free-text fields, which caused errors in search and catalog import. The wholesaler classifies its assortment according to eCl@ss: each item receives an eCl@ss class code and is described through standardized properties such as nominal voltage, length and protection class.
The classified data is maintained in the PIM, fed back to the ERP and delivered as a BMEcat catalog to the customers’ purchasing systems. The result: customers find items through consistent filters, catalog imports run without rework, and the wholesaler can also hand its assortment over to marketplaces and portals that expect eCl@ss without extra effort.
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