Building a common language for product data

For decades, distributors and manufacturers across the plumbing, heating, cooling, and PVF industries have wrestled with the same problem: inconsistent product data. Each company built its own spreadsheets, naming conventions, and attribute lists — forcing teams to spend hours reformatting information that should have been plug-and-play.

Now, the American Supply Association (ASA) has launched a solution designed to bring order to that digital chaos. Its new Product Data Standard (PDS), officially released July 1, 2025, creates a unified language for how product information moves through the PHCP-PVF supply chain — from manufacturer to distributor to end user.

“This standard helps create clarity across the board,” says PJ O’Neill, director of product information at Coburn Supply. “It’s the type of infrastructure our industry has needed for years.”

Why a standard — and why now

The plumbing and PVF markets have gone all-in on digital transformation. Distributors are investing heavily in ERP and eCommerce platforms, while manufacturers are building out digital content teams and product information management systems (PIMs). Yet without a common format, every company still speaks a slightly different data dialect.

“Listening to our members, ASA realized the need for a data standard to make it faster and easier for distributors and manufacturers to get product info from the source to the site in a useful form,” notes Jeremy Fuller, purchasing manager at Texas Plumbing Supply.

Manufacturers agree the timing is right. “Digital commerce is growing rapidly in our industry and becoming a strategic sales channel,” says Sarah Kirwen, senior marketing leader at Oatey Co. “To achieve mutual success, distributors and manufacturers must be able to easily share product data and content. Quality data drives accurate product pages, maintains brand standards, and delivers a better shopping experience.”

From concept to collaboration

When Nils Swenson joined ASA as Manager of Innovation and Technology in early 2025, the PDS concept was in motion. “We had about forty manufacturers and distributors involved — the Product Data Specialist Task Group — and they’re the ones who really built the standard as we know it today.” Swenson took what was in the works and guided it to the next level.

One early debate: should ASA create a complex hierarchical taxonomy or a simpler flat-file format? “We chose the flat model,” Swenson says. “It’s easier to use and more inclusive for companies at every level of digital maturity.”

ASA then established a Data Governance Committee to oversee revisions, built a dedicated PDS resource hub on ASA.net, and coordinated regular meetings to refine templates and data dictionaries. “A data standard is a living thing,” Swenson says. “It has to evolve as products and technologies evolve.”

Built by the industry, for the industry

ASA’s task group includes more than 35 manufacturers and distributors, plus buying groups and service providers such as Unilog and IDEA. The group meets monthly to review feedback, discuss refinements, and manage ongoing adoption.

“The best part about this project is that it’s truly built by our members,” Swenson emphasizes. “The terminology, the structure, the templates — they’re all customized for the plumbing and pipe-valve-fitting world.”

The PDS launched with five initial categories — full-line plumbing, water heaters, pipe and tubing, tools, and rough-plumbing accessories — and will expand over time. Kohler Co. became the first manufacturer to officially adopt the format, mapping ASA’s template directly into its PIM system to enable one-click exports. “Kohler’s adoption shows this isn’t theoretical,” Swenson says. “It’s already working in real-world workflows.”

Decades in the making

For O’Neill, standardization is long overdue — and deeply personal. “When the first eCommerce sites in plumbing were created in the early 2000s, I was involved with all of them,” he says. “Every customer wanted data in a different format. One good file from Vendor A had to be rebuilt twelve different ways. Having one standard set of data definitions reduces headcount and redundant work for everyone.”

O’Neill adds that shared language also drives cultural change. “In my twenty-plus years working with manufacturers, I never got a ‘no.’ They just wanted to understand the ‘why’ — and the answer was always to drive sales. I’ve seen people who started as data coordinators rise to become VPs. Data is a career, not a job.”

From a manufacturer’s perspective, the Product Data Standard is as much about the customer experience as it is about backend efficiency. “Creating a consistent industry standard makes it easier to format and share product information,” Kirwen says. “Speed to market improves, and the end user ultimately has a more informed and overall better shopping experience.”

She points out that the standard benefits companies of every size. “It provides a framework that helps both those just beginning their eCommerce journey and those expanding their digital footprint,” Kirwen explains. “It’s a roadmap for growth and for building stronger relationships with industry partners.”

Kirwen’s advice to manufacturers still on the fence is straightforward: “Accurate and consistent data will always be the foundation. By implementing the ASA Product Data Standard, companies position themselves to grow, launch new initiatives, and adapt quickly to changing customer needs. eCommerce isn’t going away — and data isn’t getting less important.”

Early feedback and continuous improvement

Since the launch, feedback has been encouraging and constructive. “Some manufacturers sell only a few categories and found the template includes more headers than they currently use,” O’Neill says. “But those fields aren’t mandatory — they’re a roadmap for future use.”

He notes that the standard is also helping highlight internal data gaps. “Many manufacturers have engineering spec sheets that never make it into their digital data files. The PDS shines a light on that and helps break down silos between departments.”

Swenson says ASA’s governance process ensures refinements happen quickly but thoughtfully. “We review every suggestion, validate it with the Data Governance Committee, document the change, and update the templates,” he explains. “It’s collaborative and transparent.”

A shared digital future

With early adopters already putting the PDS into practice, ASA’s next phase focuses on awareness and onboarding. “We’re encouraging distributors to ask manufacturers for data in the PDS format and encouraging manufacturers to deliver it,” Swenson says. “That’s how adoption grows.”

To support that effort, ASA continues to publish articles, host webinars, and release implementation resources. The standard itself is open and public, accessible even to non-ASA members. “It’s not behind any wall,” Swenson says. “We want as many companies as possible to use it.”

Across the PHCP-PVF channel, there’s broad agreement: consistent, accurate data is no longer optional. It’s the foundation for digital sales, inventory visibility and customer trust.

“The evolution of technology will continue to shape how customers consume information and make purchasing decisions,” says Kirwen. “But no matter how the tools change, accurate data remains at the core. The ASA Product Data Standard gives our industry a foundation to grow on.”

Or, as O’Neill sums it up: “By adopting a unified approach, we can all spend less time formatting spreadsheets — and more time serving customers.”

Find more information in the Product Data Standard brochure here.