ECl@ss


eCl@ss is a product classification for classification of products and services, which is maintained by the industry consortia eCl@ss e.V. association.

Use

eCl@ss supports the digital exchange of product descriptions and service descriptions, based on standardized data formats based on IEC 61360. It is used in engineering tools as base for transfer of planning data, in ERP systems as base for product master data, and as base for exchange of product data.

Structure

The eCl@ss classification system is based on a hierarchical grouping of products and services. There are 4 levels of hierarchy:
This classification provides a grouping from point of view of purchasing.
A product class has a 1:1-relation to an application class. Application classes are described in further details with properties according IEC 61360. This approach separates the definition of the classification hierarchy from the definition of the product descriptions.

Standards

The eCl@ss dictionary is based on international standards.
The eCl@ss e.V. association publishes regularly new versions of the eCl@ss dictionary. Different versions of the eCl@ss dictionary may differ in regard to defined classes and properties.
In order to support the update of product data, which are based on eCl@ss, additional files are published for each version, that support automatized migration of product data.