UNSPSC Classification, Catalog Standardization, and Data Enrichment — Delivered at Scale With 100% Accuracy

Client Profile

A Fortune 20 Energy Corporation with a Global Supplier Network

One of the largest integrated oil and gas corporations in the world, this US-headquartered company ranks among the top 20 on the Fortune 500. Its operations span exploration, production, refining, and distribution across more than 180 countries, making it one of the most geographically diversified energy companies in existence. The company is recognized for its scale in conventional and unconventional energy production — including natural gas and geothermal resources — and maintains a longstanding commitment to operational safety and environmental responsibility.

Project Scope

Process Supplier Catalogs, Standardize Data, and Assign Required Codes

The client needed a reliable partner to process and manage supplier catalogs at scale. On a daily basis, their procurement team received between 80 and 100 catalogs from approximately 180 suppliers — encompassing general equipment catalogs as well as specialized oilfield services (OFS) catalogs.
Each catalog required conversion into the client's proprietary format, description cleansing to meet strict character limits and formatting standards, UNSPSC code assignment from a consolidated internal database, MGC (Material Group Coding) assignment per the client's mapping file, and UOM (unit of measure) population for all line items.
In addition to standard catalog processing, the team was responsible for enriching missing data fields — attributes that were absent from source catalogs but required by the client's catalog management system.

Key Challenges

Complex Industry Terminology, Strict Formatting Rules, and High Accuracy Standards

The project presented a steep learning curve from the start. The client's catalog data spanned highly specialized MRO categories unique to oil and gas operations — terminology that required subject matter familiarity rather than general data processing skills. The team needed to correctly interpret and classify items such as downhole tools, wellhead components, and oilfield services equipment using UNSPSC codes, a task that demanded both structured training and ongoing precision under daily volume pressures.

Four core challenges defined the engagement:

Building domain knowledge in energy sector and MRO-specific nomenclature required the onboarding of subject matter experts and a structured, client-led training program conducted on-site before operations began.
The client's proprietary catalog management system — built on a Java-based platform — had its own interface, workflow, and processing rules that the team had to fully internalize before handling live catalog data.
Strict character limits applied to every data field in the client's system, requiring that descriptions be rewritten and reformatted — not simply copied.
Maintaining 100% accuracy across all catalog outputs, including UNSPSC code assignments and data standardization, required the design and enforcement of a multi-tiered QC framework from day one.

Solution Delivered

End-to-End MRO Catalog Processing, UNSPSC Assignment, and Three-Level Quality Assurance

Data4eCom deployed a team of 20 dedicated specialists to manage the full catalog processing pipeline, beginning with an on-site knowledge transfer program organized by the client. The training covered the client's proprietary system, processing instructions, catalog types, and quality expectations.

Catalog Processing and Standardization

Client provided the team with 80-100 catalogs (General Catalogs and OFS Catalogs) every day from 180 suppliers.General catalogs were processed at a rate of 50 to 200 per day, while OFS catalogs — due to their complexity — were handled over a two-to-five-day review window.

For each catalog, the team converted raw supplier data into the client's required format and performed MRO description cleansing, including correcting spelling, removing special characters and abbreviations, enforcing proper case, and ensuring all text remained within specified character limits. Data was standardized across fields to ensure uniformity and direct import readiness.

UNSPSC Code Assignment

Using the client's consolidated code database, the team assigned UNSPSC classifications down to the Commodity level for every product and service entry. This four-level hierarchy — Segment, Family, Class, and Commodity — was applied consistently across both catalog types.

Material Group Codes (MGCs) were also assigned as per the client's mapping file. UOM (Unit of Measure) values were populated for all line items, and missing attribute fields were identified and enriched using available product data.

Client communication initially took place daily through Slack and later shifted to biweekly as the team became familiar with the workflow.

Quality Control

Six QA professionals oversaw a three-level review process applied to every submitted catalog. Level 1 involved self-review by the processing team member immediately after completing each task. Level 2 was a peer review conducted by a separate team member.

Level 3 consisted of a final check by the team lead before catalog submission. This structure ensured that errors were caught and resolved at multiple points before any output reached the client.

66%

Reduction in catalog processing time required for system integration

100%

Accuracy maintained in UNSPSC code assignment

50,000+

Catalogs processed and returned in import-ready format

80-100 Daily

Catalogs processed across 180 supplier catalogs/vendors

Zero Errors

No post-submission defects after three-level quality control