DataFlux Speeds Product Data Quality with Accelerator for Commodity Coding

Release date: 5/13/2008

New DataFlux Accelerator powers eCl@ss and UNSPSC classification to drive spend management and supply chain optimization.

Cary, NC (May 13, 2008) — DataFlux, a leading provider of data quality and data integration solutions, today announced the release of the DataFlux Accelerator for Commodity Coding, a unique offering designed to enrich inventory and item data – and support improved supply chain management initiatives. By appending a universal code to products, supplies and services, organizations can more effectively communicate across the trading network and lay the groundwork for spend analysis, master data management (MDM) and product consolidation efforts.

The Accelerator for Commodity Coding allows business users and data stewards to control the process of assigning classification codes to product, inventory and purchasing data. The system combines the patented DataFlux matching engine with a web-based application for reviewing results and refining classification rules to help the Accelerator “learn” to automatically assign codes in the future.

“As companies increase the depth and breadth of their supply chain, many organizations have struggled to control the movement of goods,” said Tony Fisher, president and CEO of DataFlux. “Fortunately, industry standards can enhance this process, but the incorporation of these standards has typically required costly, routine services engagements. With this Accelerator, we give companies more control over this vital task – and create a platform of high-quality data that can enhance all supply chain efforts.”

The Accelerator for Commodity Coding initially supports two primary standards – UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code) and eCl@ss – for classification of products and services. The system uses DataFlux matching technology to classify data using a knowledge base of defined rules, taxonomies, and data cleansing and standardization routines. These rules are further refined through user-driven intervention to identify matches that the system could not find automatically.

“While companies are reaping the knowledge benefits of spend analytics tools, the real asset is in the results achieved by the identification of the information,” said Mickey North Rizza in the February 2007 AMR Research Report, “Great News for Procurement: Spend Analytics Capabilities Are Improving.” “The old saying ‘knowledge is power’ is critical to procurement and sourcing organizations. Negotiations rely on the knowledge of spend, category management, and line-item information.”

DataFlux Accelerators are sets of pre-built technical services and business rules based on the DataFlux core technology platform. Accelerators combine award-winning DataFlux technology with the knowledge gleaned from thousands of data quality solution implementations. By combining cutting-edge data quality tools with proven processes, Accelerators greatly reduce the time required to realize tangible results from a data quality program.