IDEA Seeks to Add Volumetrics Data

Earlier this week IDEA announced its Volumetrics initiative along with founding members.

With distributors investing into eCommerce (and some for the second and third time) and many in the supply chain pursuing “digital transformation, there becomes an ever-increasing need for data.

What becomes interesting regarding the data is the “haves and have-nots” of data.

By this consider,

Is it realistic to think that major manufacturers don’t have this information? Don’t they need it for their own packaging and shipping?

Could it be presumed that companies such as Home Depot, Grainger and similar have already asked for the information?

Now, it could be that, for some (maybe many) the information isn’t aggregated into one place and hence easy for them to submit to IDEA?

And it would be understandable if smaller manufacturers didn’t have the information, however, they still have their own internal needs for the same information.

IDEA’s press release

IDEA’s press release stated:

“The Industry Data Exchange Association, Inc. (IDEA), the industry-owned technology company that is the leading provider of electrical product data, announces Kendall Electric, Schaedler Yesco, CANTEX, and United Electric as the first IDEA Volumetrics Founders. This select group of distributor and manufacturer customers are working with IDEA to lead the industry-wide initiative to provide weight and dimensional data through the IDEA Connector data syndication platform.

By developing multiple levels of weight and dimensional data for e-commerce freight calculations, warehouse automation, logistics, and quality processes, IDEA Volumetrics will improve customer service and sales, increase efficiency and productivity, and make the channel more competitive.

As IDEA Volumetrics Founders, these companies will have direct input on the new service and advise on priorities.

IDEA also recognizes the industry’s initial IDEA Volumetrics subscriber, Franklin Empire Inc., the largest independently owned electrical distributor in Canada, with more than 500 employees and 23 branch locations and five assembly and repair shops in Québec and Ontario. Visit Franklin Empire at franklinempire.com.

“We believe in the power of strategic opportunities where we can take appropriate action to gather and share information that advances our entire industry, not just our company.

Said Farrah Mittel, President of Schaedler YESCO,  “IDEA Volumetrics supports our customer-centric approach. Volumetric data will allow us to accurately calculate shipping costs for our growing e-commerce business, as well achieve ideal space utilization and optimization goals that will help us accurately and efficiently service customers from our growing network of distribution centers across our marketplace.”

George Vorwick of United Electric commented, “United Electric continues to support industry initiatives designed to increase the efficiency of our channel and improve customer service. IDEA Volumetrics combines these two goals.

“We’re proud to be involved in IDEA Volumetrics to grow our library of data while contributing to building a better future for the electrical distribution channel.”

Distributors need weight and dimensional data to efficiently pick, pack, and ship to customers, yet the marketplace currently lacks this product information for many SKUs.

In addition to reaching out to manufacturers to supply the data, the IDEA Volumetrics team is working with customers to assemble and maintain weight and dimensional data for manufacturers’ product lines, including scanning products as needed. IDEA Volumetrics will provide this data in IDEA Connector for syndication to e-commerce software to calculate freight, automate warehousing, and improve quality processes.

IDEA Volumetrics is in partnership with Avalon CSC, an experienced supply chain and logistics company, to assemble and consult in the data collection with manufacturers and distributors.

IDEA Volumetrics anticipates delivering data for high-velocity electrical items, with tens of thousands in phase one this year. Electrical distributors who subscribe to receive the new service will be able to transmit weight and dimensional data via IDEA Connector into their ERP, WMS, and e-commerce systems.”

Observations

Given that IDEA apparently is not receiving this information from manufacturers, this is an admirable initiative to undertake to support its members.

It’s interesting that the founding companies are all independent distributors. Given that national chains are further along the eCommerce path than independent’s it is presumed they have the same need … or perhaps the need is already being served by these companies directly soliciting it from their manufacturers and/or receiving it from other sources (data providers)?

Aside from United Electric, the Founders and initial subscriber are all AD members. Knowing that AD is IDEA’s largest customers, it makes sense for AD members to spearhead this initiative and it would not be surprising for to hear that AD eCommerce Content Services, and/or AD’s supplier relations personnel, emphasize support for this initiative to AD suppliers. Given that, at least initially, AD’s eCommerce efforts were supported / enhanced by Unilog, perhaps the information couldn’t be obtained / enhanced through AD initiatives.

We understand from sources that other electrical industry eCommerce sources do have volumetric information that is sourced from manufacturers.

Bottom line. The more information for distributors the better as no manufacturer should want their independent distributors to be disadvantaged. It is good that these distributors stepped up to be supportive albeit it will probably be a challenge to get small and mid-sized manufacturers to allocate incremental resources to aggregated / developing the information, especially if the economy begins to slow as these companies will ask, “what’s the ROI”, especially if there is a fee to provide (don’t know if there is) and, at the same time, if the information is in IDEA, it’s assumed that it should be part of the data extract that distributors receive from IDEA.

Congrats to IDEA on seeking to enhance the data distributors need.