Glossary

UNSPSC

United Nations Standard Products and Services Code — a procurement classification used in SAP, Oracle, and government purchasing.

What is UNSPSC?

UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code) is a hierarchical classification system for products and services used primarily in procurement. It has four levels: Segment > Family > Class > Commodity. Each commodity gets an 8-digit code. It's maintained by GS1 US under a UN license.

Who uses it?

UNSPSC is commonly used in e-procurement systems (SAP Ariba, Oracle, Coupa), government purchasing, and large enterprise procurement. It's less granular than ETIM or eCl@ss for technical products — it classifies broadly ("Pumps") rather than specifically ("Submersible drainage pump with float switch").

UNSPSC vs ETIM / eCl@ss

UNSPSC is a spend classification — it helps procurement teams analyze what they're buying. ETIM and eCl@ss are product classifications — they describe what the product *is* in technical detail. Many companies need both: UNSPSC for their procurement system and ETIM/eCl@ss for their technical catalog. They're complementary, not competing.

How FacetFlux helps

FacetFlux can assign UNSPSC codes alongside ETIM and eCl@ss classifications during enrichment, so your product data works for both technical catalogs and procurement systems.

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