Wholesalers make the case for EDATA

Before EDATA came along it was a headache to find the correct, up to date product data sheets for our customers. It was a case of trawling through websites, scanning catalogue pages and uploading them as PDFs, just going wherever we could to find information. It was all a bit hit and miss, to be honest.

EDATA has been a massive improvement and it is our go-to location for Product Data Sheets. I have EDATA open all the time on a separate tab and ready to upload EDATA Data Sheets into my ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. Through our ERP system I can produce detailed quotes for my contractor customers. Our philosophy is to provide excellent customer service so every quote we provide is backed up with as much extra information as we can provide – and that includes EDATA Product Data Sheets.

We also help our contractor customers compile their Operation & Maintenance packs which they leave with their customers on completion of a project. Inside is all the documentation related to that job: warranties, policies, our quotation, and EDATA Product Data Sheets.

At the moment I have to manually upload the EDATA Data Sheets to our ERP system. An API link which integrates the latest EDATA information straight into our ERP system would be fantastic but that’s not here yet. EDATA is brilliant but there are limitations, but it is early days and I am sure these upgrades will come in time.

Having said that, an EDATA Data Sheet providing the original source of data is super useful. It shows exactly which products have gone into a project.

I appreciate that for manufacturers getting all your product data sorted isn’t an easy task but it is really worth it. Not only because wholesalers like us need it but also because that same data can drive other activity such as catalogue production, and support materials for a sales team. Just an observation, but I’ll have a meeting with an Area Sales Manager from a Manufacturer that is already in EDATA but the data sheets they show me are not from the data pool. That may mean there is one team working away to create static PDFs of data sheets, which their sales team is using, and another inputting the latest data into EDATA where the data sheet can be automatically generated and is bang up to date.

I’ve used EDATA for about a year now, and the PDF product data sheets in a consistent format are particularly helpful, especially when we are working on a submission for a big project. It’s much easier for our customers to review information, often from a variety of manufacturers, in a standard format.

“Now that EDATA is also integrated with the Agathos Chalice system, it’s even better, and faster – literally, one simple click and I can see all the manufacturers’ product data right in front of me. Brilliant.”

“The integration with Agathos Chalice and the EDATA data pool is impressive. For us, the opportunity to easily create instant PDF product data sheets for our stock and non-stock items is really helpful.”

“When you want to broaden your search for products or to review what different manufacturers are offering in their ranges, EDATA is a good tool to have. Granted, I’m not in EDATA every day, but as more manufacturers and products are visible in the data pool it becomes increasingly useful to wholesalers. Some manufacturer websites are slow and not easy to navigate, whereas EDATA is straightforward.  The fact that it is completely free because we are in the EDA is also very positive.”

“The EDATA data pool is fantastic and any wholesaler that is not using it is missing out.

“It used to take me hours to source product data sheets from each of our suppliers separately, but in EDATA they are all there in one hub.”

Billy from the EDA came to show us how the EDATA data pool works and I was surprised at how easy and great it is – there is no cost or pain to set up.

What I particularly like about EDATA is that product information from multiple manufacturers is all in one place and it saves us so much time. To be honest, some manufacturer websites are challenging and time-consuming to navigate and that is wasted time for us, time that could be better spent having meaningful conversations with customers.

I particularly like the fact that in EDATA all the product data sheets are in a standard format.

The EDA is setting up access for our whole branch team here, and I can really see massive value in the accurate product information that EDATA can provide to enhance our relationships with both our B2B and B2C customers.

“The inclusion of EDATA within the Agathos Chalice system is a great addition. It gives us immediate access to 1000s of product data sheets and important technical product information, which is especially useful for the Operation & Maintenance manuals we create for our customers.”