Key Takeaways
ETIM is a product classification standard (electrical, HVAC, installation). It defines classes and features so manufacturers, distributors, and software systems speak the same language.
BMEcat is an XML-based catalogue exchange format from Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik.It transfers product data but wasn’t designed for ETIM. Now largely legacy, being replaced by xChange.
ETIM xChange is the modern, JSON-based successor to BMEcat, built specifically for ETIM data.
- Direct mapping to ETIM classes, features, and values
- Supports API integration and automated workflows
- Current version: v2.0 (Nov 2025) — adds environmental, packaging, and media data
ETIM xChange is used by manufacturers, distributors, and software vendors to exchange structured product data efficiently.
Understanding the Three Building Blocks
Before anything else, it's worth being clear on three terms that get used constantly in this space — and sometimes interchangeably, even though they mean quite different things.
ETIM
ETIM (European Technical Information Model) is a product classification standard. It defines a common language for describing technical products, primarily in the electrical, HVAC, and installation industries. It does this through a structured library of classes (product types) and features (attributes), each with defined value types and units.
In plain terms: ETIM tells you what a product is and what properties it has, in a way that every manufacturer, distributor, and software system can agree on.
A circuit breaker isn't called something slightly different by every supplier, since in ETIM, it has a fixed class, fixed features, and fixed allowed values. That consistency is the whole point. ETIM is maintained by ETIM International, a non-profit organisation with national member bodies across Europe and beyond.
BMEcat
BMEcat is an XML-based file format for exchanging product catalogues electronically between trading partners. It was developed by the BME (Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik) in Germany and became widely adopted in the technical trade industry as a standard way to send product data from suppliers to buyers or distributors.
BMEcat is not a classification system — it's a container.
BMEcat defines how a product catalogue file should be structured: what fields to include, how to organise them, how to reference images and documents, and so on. Over time, BMEcat was extended to carry ETIM classification data, but this was more of a workaround than a clean solution. The format was never originally designed with ETIM in mind, and that mismatch created friction.
BMEcat served the industry well for many years, but it is now considered a legacy format and is gradually being replaced by its successor, ETIM xChange.
ETIM xChange
ETIM xChange is the official successor to BMEcat — a modern, JSON-based catalogue exchange format designed from the ground up to work with ETIM classification. This is a meaningful shift from BMEcat: xChange uses JSON instead of XML (more developer-friendly, easier to read, and better suited to API-based integrations), and ETIM support is built in from the start rather than bolted on. The structure of an xChange file maps directly to the ETIM data model: classes, features, values, and release versions are all first-class citizens in the format.
Developed and maintained by ETIM International, ETIM xChange is the format the industry is actively moving towards for exchanging ETIM-classified product data between manufacturers, distributors, and software platforms.
Quick Overview: ETIM vs BMEcat vs ETIM xChange
| ETIM | BMEcat | ETIM xChange | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A product classification standard | A catalogue file exchange format | A catalogue file exchange format |
| Purpose | Defines how products are described and categorised | Transfers product catalogues between trading partners | Transfers ETIM-classified product catalogues between trading partners |
| Developed by | ETIM International | BME (Germany) | ETIM International |
| Status | Active — regularly updated | Legacy — being phased out | Active — the recommended standard |
| ETIM support | It is ETIM | Bolted on, not native | Built in from the start |
| File format | Not a file format | XML | JSON |
| Who uses it | Manufacturers, distributors, software vendors | Manufacturers, distributors (historically) | Manufacturers, distributors, software vendors |
Current Version
ETIM xChange version 2.0 is the current official release, published on 27 November 2025 by ETIM International.
The standard has a short but meaningful version history:
- Version 1.0 — released 19 February 2024. The inaugural release: the first product data exchange standard fully owned and governed by ETIM International, built in JSON and designed for global use.
- Version 1.1 — a patch release that fixed a bug in the JSON schema related to imperial and local-standard feature codes, and adjusted the field length for the customs commodity code. Fully backwards-compatible with 1.0.
- Version 2.0 — released 27 November 2025. A significant update introducing extended environmental data fields (LCA/EPD) for sustainability reporting, new packaging material data elements to meet EU packaging regulation (PPWR) requirements, and reintroduced MD codes (now as a closed list of MDX codes) for more precise media type specification.
If you're starting fresh today, target version 2.0. If you're already working with 1.0 or 1.1, upgrading is the clear direction of travel.
Who is ETIM xChange For?
Manufacturers use it to send structured product information to their distribution partners. Instead of sending custom spreadsheets or PDFs to every customer, they create one xChange file that everyone can use.
Wholesalers and distributors use it to receive that data and feed it into their ERP systems, e-commerce platforms, or PIM tools, without a huge amount of manual cleaning and reformatting.
Software and ERP vendors build ETIM xChange import/export functionality into their platforms so their customers don't have to do things manually.
How ETIM xChange Works
The basic idea is straightforward: a manufacturer packages up their product data in the xChange format and hands it over to a distributor, who imports it into their system. No custom mapping. No back-and-forth about field names. Just a clean, structured file that both sides understand.
Here's a simple example. Say a manufacturer makes circuit breakers. In the xChange file, each product is assigned to an ETIM class. Let's say EC000049 (Circuit breaker). That class comes with a defined set of features: rated current, number of poles, breaking capacity, and so on. The manufacturer fills in those values, packages everything up, and sends the file. The distributor's system receives it, recognises the structure, and imports the data directly into the right fields without guesswork or manual intervention.
Because xChange is JSON-based, it's also well-suited to direct API exchange rather than just file transfers, which opens the door to more real-time, automated product data workflows.
Key Concepts You'll Need to Know
ETIM Classes and Features Every product in xChange is assigned to an ETIM class with a fixed set of features and defined value types. You can't add your own fields — the structure is agreed upon and consistent across the whole supply chain.
ETIM Release Versions ETIM updates its classification model periodically (ETIM 9, ETIM 10, and so on). When exchanging data, always confirm which ETIM release your trading partner expects — mismatches between sender and receiver are one of the most common sources of problems, and the same applies to the xChange format version itself (v1.x vs v2.0).
xChange File Structure An xChange file contains a header (supplier info, date, ETIM version) followed by the product records. A useful distinction in xChange is the clean separation between Products (base item and its technical properties), Trade Items (buyable configurations), and Packaging Units, which reduces redundancy compared to what BMEcat typically produced.
Validation, Certification, and Membership Files can be validated against the ETIM JSON schema before being sent, catching errors early — wrong data types, missing required fields, out-of-range values — rather than causing problems at the other end.
It's worth being clear on something: official validation and certification is tied to ETIM membership. Companies that want to formally certify their product data as ETIM-compliant are expected to be members of the ETIM organisation, either directly or through their national body. Membership gives access to the official validation tools, the full classification database, and the certification process itself. If you're just exploring, you can get started without it, but for any serious commercial deployment, membership is the expected baseline that trading partners will increasingly ask about.
Getting Started with ETIM xChange
1. Get your product data classified
Before you can create an xChange file, your products need to be classified in ETIM. The ETIM webshop is where you can browse classes, features, and allowed values for each release version.
2. Join ETIM
For commercial use with official validation and certification, joining ETIM (directly or via your national body) is the right move. It gives you access to the tools and the formal recognition that trading partners expect.
3. Choose your tooling
You don't build xChange files by hand. Most manufacturers use a PIM system or dedicated data pool that supports xChange export. Ask your software vendor if you're unsure — it's an increasingly standard feature.
4. Confirm the target ETIM release with your trading partner
Don't assume — check which ETIM release and xChange format version your partner expects, then make sure your export settings match.
5. Validate before you send
Run your file through a validator before sending it anywhere. Catching errors at this stage saves a lot of back-and-forth.
6. Start small
Pick a product family, get it right, validate it, share it, and get feedback. Build from there rather than trying to export your entire catalogue in one go.
Common Challenges (and How to Avoid Them)
Incorrect or missing classification If a product is assigned to the wrong ETIM class, the feature set won't match and the data will be wrong or incomplete. Taking time upfront to map your products correctly pays off significantly down the line.
Incomplete feature values ETIM classes have mandatory and optional features. Leaving mandatory ones blank causes validation failures. Even for optional features, filling them in where you have the data makes your catalogue more useful to the people receiving it.
Poor source data ETIM xChange can only be as good as the data behind it. If your internal data is inconsistent, incomplete, or messy, no format will fix that. Clean, structured source data is a prerequisite — not an afterthought.
Treating it as a one-time job Product data changes constantly. New products, updated specs, new ETIM releases — xChange is an ongoing process, not a project with an end date. Build it into your regular workflow from the start.
Tools and Resources
ETIM International — www.etim-international.com — the central hub for everything ETIM: classification database, xChange documentation, release downloads, and membership information.
ETIM xChange Validation Tool — an official online tool from ETIM International that validates your xChange file against the JSON schema and the referenced ETIM classification. The first checkpoint before sending any file to a trading partner.
PIM Systems with xChange Support — a good PIM handles the heavy lifting of generating valid ETIM xChange catalogues, so you're not dealing with raw JSON yourself. Several platforms support this out of the box:
- AtroPIM is an open-source, highly flexible PIM with support for ETIM classification and xChange export. A solid option for manufacturers wanting a customisable solution without a large licence cost.
- Akeneo is one of the most widely adopted PIM platforms globally, with a broad partner ecosystem and available connectors for ETIM data management and xChange-compatible exports.
- Contentserv is a PIM and product experience platform with strong support for technical product data and industry standards, commonly used by manufacturers in the electrical and installation sectors.
- Plytix is a PIM aimed at mid-sized businesses, with growing support for structured product data exports and ETIM-aligned workflows.
When evaluating a PIM, always confirm which ETIM release versions and xChange format versions it supports, and whether validation is built into the workflow.
ETIM National Organisations — most countries with active ETIM adoption have a national body (ETIM UK, ETIM Germany, ETIM Netherlands, etc.) offering support, training, and guidance. They're also your first point of contact for membership.
Data pools and managed service providers — companies like DDS and ChannelEngine offer managed services around ETIM data exchange if you'd rather not handle the technical side in-house.