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Data Certification Innovation Advisory Council Panel

IDEA eBiz Forum September 25, 2014

The IDW will provide a highly cost-effective means for distributors, manufacturers, and manufacturers representatives to synchronize their databases, thereby ensuring: •  A single source repository

•  Complete, accurate, and timely data

•  Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week •  Improved customer service with fewer errors, more accurate

and timely product information, as well as reduced order processing time

•  Improved profitability through reduced cost and improved productivity

Definition of Success

March 28, 1998

Relentless pursuit of and continuous progress towards a stated goal

IDW Original Press Release 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Wentz 800 - 289 - 8771 x 6936 Internet: www.tradeservice.com

ROSSLYN, VA -- The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NA ED), today announced that an agreement has been reached to develop an Industry Data Warehouse (IDW) for the electrical products industry. The data warehouse will allow partners to exchange product information electronically through a common interface point . NEMA and NAED have secured commitments from leading manufacturers and distributors to fund the development of the IDW. A new, not - for - profit membership association, named the Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA), has been incorporated to manage th e IDW and related electronic commerce matters for the industry. The National Electrical Manufacturers Representatives Association (NEMRA) has also fully endorsed the data warehouse. The Board of Directors of IDEA will have equal representation from both electrical manufacturers and distributors. The officers of the new association are: Chairman - David Crum, President and Chief Executive Officer, Crum Electric Supply Co., Inc.; Vice Chairman - Clyde Moore, President and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas & Bet ts Corporation; Secretary - Jay Platt, President, Platt Electric Supply, Inc.; Treasurer - Thomas J. Malott, President and Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Jim McClung, chairman of NEMA, sees enormous potential benefit for the industry when the IDW becomes operational. "This powerful use of today's best technology will reduce industry costs and improve customer service," said McClung. To take advantage of the IDW, manufacturers are urged to configure their product and pricing databases in accordance with the new database guideline published recently by NEMA. The product descriptor database is intended to establish a collection of specific data fields and definitions to be gathered, exchanged and used in local business processes that can be displayed on channel partner web sites. The guideline presents in essence a common language that should be spoken by all parties in the electrical supply channel.

Current Background and Timeline

March 2013: NAED Technology Task Force: Distributors need improved data quality

“All items fully populated to achieve extremely high quality and consistency”

Dec. 2013: IDEA Shareholders: Make the IDW a single source for data

“What is in the IDW now?”

July 2014: IDEA Shareholders: What additional data is needed?

Manufacturers: “Let us know what is needed and we will provide it”

July 2014: IDEA Board of Directors: Focus on Depth, Breadth and Quality

“Mandate 43 critical fields – measure it and provide visibility to users”

2014 Definition of Success

The Success Metrics:

The Goal:

Data Certification

•  Innovation Advisory Council Sub-Committee

•  First IDW metric to measure both Quantity and Quality

•  Builds on Bands-of-Excellence Quantity

•  Expands from 4 to 43 Critical Fields

•  Process will be validated by third party

•  IDEA resources

The Facts:

§  Compliance Metric – % of items complete for 43 critical fields

§  All active items must be 100% complete for all 43 fields

§  New items required by February 1, 2015

§  All active existing IDW Items required by October 1, 2015

§  Excellence Metric – compliant items evaluated for quality §  43 fields content checked for consistency and accuracy

§  Programmatic check for all items

§  Visual check for a statistically valid sample set to evaluate quality of data to standards

§  Certification process will be performed quarterly on each account

Data Certification – Two Checks

Quality  CertificationItems  

Checked Key  Fields  CheckedAutomated  

CheckVisual  Check

Critical  Fields Active 43 Yes Yes

§  Web Ready Content Rating §  Key marketing data fields for web stores evaluated for quality

§  Item level rating

§  Visibility for distributor imports

Import Certification for Distributors