MANN+HUMMEL
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
for eCatalog Suppliers
Contact for Suppliers:
eCatalog@mann-hummel.com
Date:
November 2006
Catalog and data format
MANN+HUMMEL GMBH makes great demands with regard to the quality of its suppliers. This also
applies to the quality of the electronic product catalogs. To be as accommodating as possible towards
the suppliers, MANN+HUMMEL does not intend to define its own solutions and has decided instead to
use a common standard for electronic purchasing using a central catalog system.
For this reason, the BMEcat Standard 1.2 is being used for integrating electronic supplier catalogs into
the internal catalog solution. It is used for exchanging catalog data between the supplier and
MANN+HUMMEL. Another requirement is that the suppliers have classified all articles according to
the classification standard eCl@ss 4.0 and have filled out the appropriate feature bars.
Applied standards:
• BMEcat, Version 1.2
• eCl@ss, Version 4.0 with feature bars filled out as far as possible
The current specifications and further information on the BMEcat can be found in the download section
of the BME homepage at www.bmecat.org. Information on eCl@ss can be found at www.eclassonline.com.
Explanations
Catalog version
The version number consists of a Master_ID and a Sub_ID in the format xxx.yyy. Each new supplier
starts with 001.001. The Master_ID is increased by 1 for each complete update. MANN+HUMMEL decides whether or not the update is a complete update. The Sub_ID is increased by 1 for each iteration.
The version number is unique and is applicable across the entire system. Differing version numbers
originated by the supplier will be corrected accordingly by MANN+HUMMEL.
Features
Features are used to specify a particular article more precisely in the lowest page node of the classification system and to facilitate precise selection of the correct article. The BMEcat specifies the
FNAME and FVALUE fields as mandatory fields as soon as a classification system is used. Since a
number of suppliers are at present still unable to provide features for the used classification system
eCl@ss 4.0, a catalog is imported even if these fields are empty.
Example
A retractable pencil has the eClass number 24-11-01-02. The following features are defined for this
number: colour, weight, manufacturer, length, refill system, product name, product type, line thickness,
body material, certificates, approval.
Prices
In the PRICE_AMOUNT field, a "." must be used as the decimal point, i.e. 3.12 instead of 3,12. The same
also applies for the value-added tax in the TAX field. For example, 0.16 must be entered instead of 0,16.
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
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Order and quantity units
The order and quantity units used in the BMEcat must comply with UN/ECE Recommendation 20. The
units of quantity and measurement are entered in the CONTENT_UNIT field in the BMEcat. Possible
units of measurement are, for example, m (metres) or kg (kilograms). The order units must be entered
in the ORDER_UNIT field. The correct quantity unit for e.g. piece is not piece or PCE but rather C62.
The specifications of UN/ECE Recommendation 20 can be found at:
http://www.unece.org/cefact/recommendations/rec_index.htm
http://www.unece.org/cefact/recommendations/rec20/rec20_rev3_Annex1e.pdf
Example
The article "cola bottle" which can only be purchased in a crate of ten bottles at a price of € 1.00 per
bottle can be presented in the following way in the BMEcat.
Note: The labels for ORDER_UNIT and CONTENT_UNIT have been selected in real language for illustration purposes and do not conform to UN/ECE Recommendation 20.
Case 1: Presentation of price per bottle
ORDER_UNIT = Crate
CONTENT_UNIT = Bottle
NO_CU_PER_OU = 10
PRICE_QUANTITY = 1/10 = 0.1
QUANTITY_MIN = 1
QUANTITY_INTERVAL = 1
PRICE_AMOUNT = 1
Case 2: Presentation of price per crate
ORDER_UNIT = Crate
CONTENT_UNIT = Bottle
NO_CU_PER_OU = 10
PRICE_QUANTITY = 1
QUANTITY_MIN = 1
QUANTITY_INTERVAL = 1
PRICE_AMOUNT = 10
Images and supplementary documents
To be able to display images and supplementary documents correctly in the catalog system, the BMEcat fields MIME_TYPE, MIME_SOURCE and MIME_PURPOSE must be filled out. The JPEG or GIF
format is always used to display images. Other MIME_TYPEs can be, for example, HTML documents,
PDF documents or URLs. In the MIME_PURPOSE field, the catalog system uses the attribute
value "normal" for images displayed in article lists, "normal" for displaying in a single-article
view and "detail" for an enlarged view of the article. "others" and "data_sheet" can be used for
other multimedia files, e.g. descriptions in PDF format.
Classification system
CLASSIFICATION_SYSTEM does not need to be supplied since the classification system is already
available in the catalog system. All that is necessary to assign the article via
ARTICLE_FEATURE.
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
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Requirements regarding supplier catalogs
To guarantee consistent and high-quality data in the supplier catalogs, it must be ensured that a supplier is able to provide the necessary "content quality". The required criteria are listed below.
General specifications
• Catalog data standard: BMEcat, Version 1.2
• Classification standard: eCl@ss, Version 4.0
Predefined fields
The supplier must fill certain BMEcat fields with a predefined content. These fields are listed below.
They must be transferred unchanged to the catalog.
The italicized data need to be defined individually for each supplier by the MANN+HUMMEL purchaser.
BMEcat element
BUYER_ID
BUYER_NAME
SUPPLIER_ID
type="buyer_specific"
SUPPLIER_NAME
CATALOG_ID
CATALOG_NAME
CATALOG_VERSION
CURRENCY
LANGUAGE
TERRITORY
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
Content
MHUK
MHUK
Supplier no. of SAP
Supplier Name
Name_Supplier_no.
Catalog Name which user can see
001.001
GBP/EUR…..
EN,deu….
GB;DE;FR…..
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Used / required fields for articles
We use the following fields of BMEcat 1.2 for displaying your catalog and product data in our target
system. Depending on the type of field, the field is either optional or mandatory. The field length value
indicates the maximum field length.
Note: Certain fields are defined as mandatory fields contrary to the BMEcat specifications. These are
indicated as follows: *Mandatory*.
Field /
Description
BMEcat field
Label
Specification of data fields which identify and verbally describe an article
(ARTICLE_DETAILS) – Mandatory
Article
Mode in which articles are read in
ARTICLE mode=new
Article number from the supplier
SUPPLIER_AID
Supplier
Field
Mandatory/
length Optional
6
32
Mandatory
Mandatory
Mandatory
article No.
Short description
Brief and concise description of the DESCRIPTION_SHORT
article
80
Long description
Detailed description of the article
EAN number
Further article ID from the supplier
DESCRIPTION_LONG
64000 Optional
EAN
SUPPLIER_ALT_ID
14
50
Optional
Optional
BUYER_AID type = …
50
Optional
MANUFACTURER_AID
50
Optional
MANUFACTURER_NAME
ERP_GROUP_BUYER
50
*Mandatory*
10
*Mandatory*
6
Optional
20
Optional
50
Optional
64000
Optional
250
Optional
50
*Mandatory*
60
*Mandatory*
EAN number
Alternative article
No.
Article No. from
buyer
“type" defines the type of article
number.
type = "Standard range": value = S
type = "SAP_MATNR": value =
SAP material number
Manufacturer
article No.
Manufacturer
ERP product group
of buying company
Article number from the manufacturer
Name of the manufacturer
Material group or category of the
article in the ERP system of the
buying company
Specification from MANN+HUMMEL:
Planned delivery
time
Special treatment
class
Keyword
Remarks
Special article features
eCl@ss number of the article without "-", i.e. 24140501 for e.g.
copying paper
Time in working days that the sup- DELIVERY_TIME
plier requires for delivery
Additional classification of the arti- SPECIAL_cle (hazardous goods). Here "type" TREATMENT_CLASS
defines the special treatment regu- type = …
lation.
Keyword which makes finding the
KEYWORD
article easier
Additional remarks from the supREMARKS
plier
Assignment of additional special
ARTICLE_STATUS type =
attributes. Here "type" specifies the …
special feature.
Classification of articles (ARTICLE_FEATURES) – *Mandatory*
Classification and
Classification and feature group
feature group system system
REFERENCE_FEATURE_
SYSTEM_NAME
Specification from MANN+HUMMEL:
Group ID
ECLASS-4.0
ID of the referenced group within
the classification and feature group
system,
e.g. 24-14-05-01
REFERENCE_FEATURE_
GROUP_ID
Optional
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
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Feature name
Feature unit
Feature description
Feature value
Unique name of the feature to be
described
Measurement unit of the feature
Additional description of the feature
Prominence of the referenced
feature
FNAME
60
Mandatory
FUNIT
FDESCR
FVALUE
20
250
60
Optional
Optional
Mandatory
3
Mandatory
3
*Mandatory*
-
*Mandatory*
-
*Mandatory*
-
Optional
-
Optional
-
Optional
-
Optional
-
Optional
Specification of ordering conditions and packaging arrangements
(ARTICLE_ORDER_DETAILS)
Æ See also the paragraph "Order and quantity units"
Order unit
Unit in which the article can be ORDER_UNIT
ordered
Content unit
Unit used for the article within
CONTENT_UNIT
an order unit
Package quantity
Number of content units per
NO_CU_PER_OU
order unit of the article
Price quantity
A multiple or fraction of the
PRICE_QUANTITY
order unit indicating the quantity
to which all specified prices
relate
Minimum order
Minimum order quantity of the
QUANTITY_MIN
quantity
article
Quantity interval
Number indicating the multiples QUANTITY_INTERVAL
in which the article can be ordered
Specification of price data (ARTICLE_PRICE_DETAILS)
Valid as of
Date from which the article
DATETIME
prices become valid
type=“valid_start_date”
Valid until
Date after which the article
DATETIME
prices are no longer valid
type=“valid_end_date”
Daily price
Daily price identifier
DAILY_PRICE
Field /
Label
Price type
Description
BMEcat field
Attribute which specifies the
ARTICLE_PRICE
price type
Specification from MANN+HUMMEL:
ARTICLE_PRICE price_type=“net_customer“
Price
Price amount
PRICE_AMOUNT
Lower graduated
Lower quantity limit for graduLOWER_BOUND
price limit
ated prices
References to supplementary multimedia data (MIME_INFO)
Field
Mandalength tory/Optional
-
Mandatory
20
Mandatory
-
Mandatory
Optional
MIME_TYPE
MIME_SOURCE
30
250
Optional
Mandatory
MIME_DESCR
250
Optional
MIME_ALT
50
Optional
MIME_PURPOSE
20
*Mandatory*
Æ See also the paragraph "Images and supplementary documents"
Mime type
Source
Description
Alternative text
Purpose
Type of supplementary document
Relative path and file name or URL
address
Description of the supplementary
file
Alternative text in case, for example, the file cannot be reproduced
by the browser on the target system
Desired purpose of the MIME
document on the target system
Specification from MANN+HUMMEL: At least one image
must be supplied as
MIME_PURPOSE = "normal"
Note: If a catalog is also provided in another language, the values must be left unchanged in the
MIME_SOURCE (Source) element.
Optional: References to other articles (ARTICLE_REFERENCE)
Reference type
Describes how the two articles are
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
ARTICLE_REFERENCE
20
Mandatory
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Number
Reference article
Product catalog
Version
related
Indicates the number of articles
being referred to
Unique article number which is to
be referred to
Unique CATALOG_ID if the reference article is not listed in the
same catalog
Version of the referenced product
catalog
type = ...
ARTICLE_REFERENCE
quantity = …
ART_ID_TO
-
Optional
32
Mandatory
CATALOG_ID
20
Optional
CATALOG_VERSION
7
Optional
BMEcat field
Field
Mandatory/
length Optional
Used / required fields for catalog structure
Field /
Label
Description
Specification of the catalog structure (CATALOG_GROUP_SYSTEM)
Catalog system ID
Catalog system
name
Description
Catalog structure
Group No.
Group name
Group description
Parent group
Sequence
MIME information
Keyword
ID of the catalog group system
Name of the catalog group system
GROUP_SYSTEM_ID
50
GROUP_SYSTEM_NAME 50
Optional
Optional
Description of the catalog group
system
Specifies a group within a catalog
group system
Unique ID which identifies the
group
Name of the catalog group
Brief description of the respective
group
GROUP_ID of the higher-level
catalog group
Sequence for catalog groups
Supplementary multimedia information
Keyword for the group
GROUP_SYSTEM_
DESCRIPTION
CATALOG_STRUCTURE
type = ...
GROUP_ID
250
Optional
4
Mandatory
50
Mandatory
GROUP_NAME
GROUP_DESCRIPTION
50
250
Mandatory
Optional
PARENT_ID
50
Mandatory
GROUP_ORDER
MIME_INFO (see above)
-
Optional
Optional
KEYWORD
50
Optional
BMEcat field
Field
Mandatory/
length Optional
Used / required fields for mapping articles to catalog structure
Field /
Label
Description
Specification for mapping the articles to the catalog structure
(ARTICLE_TO_CATALOG_GROUP_MAP)
Article No.
Catalog group
Article sequence
Unique number identifying the
article (SUPPLIER_AID)
Unique ID identifying the catalog
group (GROUP_ID)
Sequence in which articles are
placed in a catalog group in the
target system
ART_ID
32
Mandatory
CATALOG_GROUP_ID
50
Mandatory
ARTICLE_TO_CATALOG_
GROUP_MAP_ORDER
-
Optional
Note: The following fields are used for searching in the catalogs: DESCRIPTION_SHORT, MANUFACTURER_NAME, MANUFACTURER_AID, SUPPLIER_AID
Requirements regarding BMEcat format
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