File exhange with 2BA

Data transfer through standard messaging

For error-free transfer of product and trade data from manufacturer and wholesaler to the 2BA data pool, the applicable exchange formats, such as DICO (SALES005) of Ketenstandaard Bouw en Techniek or the international BMEcat 2005 ETIM Guidelines V4.0 standard are used.

2BA supports the following exchange formats:

Different mapping rules apply to the various exchange formats. Refer to the detailed documentation for information.

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As a wholesaler, you have a dual role within 2BA; you publish your trade data for customers (data supplier) and you enrich your data with the data of manufacturers (data buyer). To transfer the desired data, 2BA has the following options:

• In file form (‘in batch’) through periodic downloads
• Real-time using Web services

In file form (‘in batch’) through downloads

To receive the desired data in file form, 2BA has developed a very sophisticated tool: the 2BA Selection Profile. Using the Selection Profile, you define which manufacturers you want to receive the data from. In addition to the choice of manufacturers, you can also make refinements for each manufacturer, including to specific ETIM product class(es), discount groups or ranges of item codes. You also specify the exchange format in which you want to receive the linked data, at which frequency you want to receive the output, or whether you want only the mutations or a complete output. You can expand and/or modify your selection profiles, once configured, in the MY Beheer (My Account) Environment at any time.

2BA supports the following exchange formats for data collection:

 
Different mapping rules apply to the various exchange formats. Refer to the detailed documentation for information..

Go to documentation

Condition messages (ICC messages)

The condition message, also known as ICC message, is an exchange format that allows the purchasing conditions (discounts granted by the supplier to the buyer on certain item groups or net prices) on trade articles to be communicated. A condition means a standard or customer-specific agreement with regard to prices, net prices or discounts per item or item group. The standard described does not provide for the exchange of customer-specific or non-customer-specific agreements on orders for specific projects or agreements on prices or discounts related to purchase numbers or purchase amounts.

For unambiguous communication of trade data, it is very important that items fall into a predetermined discount group. The discount code is allocated by the supplier to a group of items that belong together. All items belonging to a certain discount group have the same discount for a customer. The codes are bilaterally agreed by way of the condition message.

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Real-time using Web Services

The 2BA Web Services are basic, lightweight and fast services (via JSON (Rest services) and SOAP (XML service) to let your systems integrate with the 2BA database. We offer services with which to search our database, retrieve product or item details, and services to automatically download your selection profiles, for example. This offers the possibility of extending your own web catalogue with, for example, the ETIM Classification.

Client Case Elektrobode

The manufacturer as source

The source for all product information within the 2BA data pool is the manufacturer or their importer or agent, if applicable. They provide their product and trade data, including all associated ETIM technical feature values, digital assets and product references and relationships to 2BA.

In order to classify products correctly and to add the correct ETIM characteristics, more and more manufacturers are using what is known as PIM (Product Management Information) software. Given the time saved and the greatly reduced risk of errors involved in delivering the product data correctly to 2BA, a well-functioning PIM system can now be considered almost indispensable.

The wholesaler as user and source

In turn, the wholesaler uses the classified product information stored in 2BA, including any digital assets added by the manufacturer, such as images, certificates, product sheets and manuals. Using the manufacturer’s product information as a basis, the wholesaler within 2BA adds its relevant trade information. This should include things like the gross price, packaging unit and the GTIN (formerly EAN code).

In this way, the price information linked to manufacturer products is provided by the wholesaler to the customers through 2BA. The wholesaler can be considered both a data buyer (from the manufacturer) and a data supplier for the customer (read: the installer).

Installer as end customer

The installer benefits from the product and trade data jointly provided by the manufacturer and wholesaler. From their own ERP software system, they are offered the possibility of searching online in the 2BA Data Pool and, in this way, quickly selecting the items they need and then use them, for example, in their CAD environment (through UOB) and/or in the calculation and purchasing process.