ART Launches Data Standard Toolkit

ART recently launched its data standard toolkit to help support its members with technical and educational resources around data standards in the furniture and home design industry. The toolkit is aiming to get retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers on the same page when it comes to exchanging product information for catalog and inventory management.

“We’ve heard this numerous times during our ART Conference panel sessions: retailers are frustrated with creating their own e-commerce website, manufacturers and wholesalers are frustrated with trying to provide the information the way each platform needs it. There is a flood of options and a drought of agreement on what information is required. We wanted to create a standard that is vetted by all these end users.” Sharon Davis, the Executive Director of ART said.

“Companies in this field should compete on products, not on the tools they are using. This toolkit aims to help retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers reduce the manual labor that comes with creating and distributing multiple datasets,” Edi Muresan of step-up.today, one of the tech companies that supports ART in the development of this toolkit, said.

What is the data standard toolkit?

• A common language for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to describe products.
• Simple and straightforward. Use the same dataset for all your business partners. 
• It’s easy to use and easy to interpret. It incorporates extensive attribute options per category allowing the individual end-user to make the choices appropriate for their business.
• Best practices that will clarify which data is important for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.

Who is the toolkit for?

 

Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers who want to have a clear understanding of what information about physical products their partners need and who aim to do better e-comm business. “Whether you are an industry veteran or a new hire, the tool can ease your workload of completing the dataset, updating it, or distributing it,” Dan Wieczorek of Amber Engine said. Amber Engine is a tech company collaborating on the toolkit.

How can your company contribute to the ART data standard toolkit?

ART welcomes input from members and anyone else interested in data standardization in our industry. “The more we hear from you, the stronger the toolkit will be,” Davis said. “We are currently working on a data standard certification for all contributing companies and we hope this will become a coveted recognition in our industry,” she added.

About ART:  Founded in 1988, ART is a network of home decor professionals who collaborate and combine their vast experience and diverse backgrounds into resources that will educate, promote and support the home furnishings industry. ART members are leaders in the home furnishings industry.  We are manufacturers, importers, retailers, sales representatives, product designers, interior designers and industry support professionals.