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The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code is a hierarchical
convention that is used to classify all products and services.
Today's customers - internal and external - demand faster fulfillment
at a lower cost; increasingly business is eBusiness. The need to approach
procurement more strategically has never been greater. All of these combine
to make fast, simple, accurate classification of goods
and services an imperative in the marketplace.
By embedding UNSPSC classification standards into your management
systems - purchase orders, invoices, electronic documents, product catalogues,
websites - all parties throughout the extended supply chain benefit.
The UNSPSC is a hierarchical classification with five levels.
These levels allow analysis by drilling down or rolling up to analyze
expenditures. Each level in the hierarchy has its own unique number.
All UNSPSC entities are further identified with an 8-digit structured numeric code which both indicates its location in the taxonomy and uniquely classifies it. An additional 2-digit suffix indicates the business function identifier. A structural view of the code set would look as follows: Hierarchy Category Number and Name
For more information on how the UNSPSC hierarchy is set up and
how UNSPSC works, please read the White Paper.
UNSPSC is funded through member fees.
UNSPSC has over 4000 members representing more than 80 countries;
UNSPSC by design is a global code; there is no differentiation by region.
The code is regularly updated: any individual or entity can request a change to the code (addition, deletion, move, or edit) after becoming a member of UNSPSC. Requests are posted on this web site and voted by Segment Technical Advisers- voting members who have elected to become actively involved in the update of the UNSPSC by contributing their specific expertise. (Please refer to Submit a Change Request on the Member Home Page side bar or click here for more information).
The easiest way to find the codes that you are searching for is to do a search of the codeset. Click on “Search the Code” at the top of the page. We suggest entering a description in the “Search Title” box. It can be a partial description; use “%” as a wild card. For example, entering “%Clamp%” will return all codes containing the word “clamp”. From there you can determine specific clamps that may pertain to your business. Sometimes a commodity may not be found because:
We highly encourage our members to request codes that they feel will enhance UNSPSC's current capabilities, as well as sponsor full segment revision projects as appropriate. UNSPSC is a member-based organization and we work closely with our members to address issues of both breadth and depth in the codeset. If you are unable to locate a commodity that classifies the product or service needed It's a simple process to request an addition to the code. From the Member Home page simply click “Codeset Maintenance” and select the applicable menu item.
UNSPSC is a commodity code that identifies goods and services sold by a company, not generally the company itself. If another company is asking for your UNSPSC, it is probable they are trying to determine your primary area of business.
We are committed to providing the translations to the code that our members need and are taking a methodical and disciplined approach to achieve timely, first quality translations. Monitor the UNSPC website and newsletters for the most current information.
Use the unique identifier (contained in the UNSPSC audit file) to help decide what course of action to take (i.e., do nothing or implement the new version). The unique identifier does not change when a commodity is reclassified. The unique identifier is called the “effective_id” or the "changed-id" (depending on the status of what happened to the code. For example, when a new code is added to the codeset, an "effective_id" is created (this is NOT the same as the UNSPSC code number). When a code is deleted from the codeset the unique identifier is shown in the "changed_id" column and in the "effective_id" column is shown the unique identifier for the UNSPSC code to which the deleted code can be mapped. We recommend that companies periodically compare the Unique Identifiers in your file with the audit file distributed with the latest release of the codeset. This method will identify if a specific commodity has been moved or deleted and enables a fact-based analysis of the impact of the changes on your ERP system
Members have the benefit of being able to submit a request to add or edit the classifications in the UNSPSC code.
Classifying products and services with a common coding scheme facilitates commerce between buyers and sellers and is becoming mandatory in the new era of electronic commerce. Large companies are beginning to code purchases in order to analyze their spending. Nonetheless, most company coding systems today have been very expensive to develop. The effort to implement and maintain these systems usually requires extensive utilization of resources, over an extended period of time. Additionally, maintenance is an on-going, and expensive, process. For each new item coded, it takes on average of an hour and a half to assign a code. Also company’s suppliers usually don’t adhere to the coding schemes of their customers – if they assign codes at all. Much duplicated effort and expense has gone into making codes. If there was a single universal coding convention that all companies could draw from – even if the companies wanted to customize it for specific purposes – there would be a great deal of savings. By classifying their products & services, businesses can assist their customers with:
All companies should consider using the UNSPSC as a routine matter of business.
Yes...there is an unofficial UNSPSC blog which can be reached through the following link.
Membership Questions
There has been a fee to join since 1998 when the UNSPSC was created. The fees are nominal and are intended to fulfill the mission of the UNDP. The latest version of the code, less membership benefits, will always be available free of charge to the general public.
The basic fee for an individual membership is $300 per year. There are several other categories of membership, including corporate, public sector/government, educational, etc. Complete membership fee information may be found at http://www.unspsc.org/membership.asp
The annual fee covers the first year of membership in the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC®) and is renewable annually thereafter. By maintaining your membership you can enjoy the valuable business-building benefits including continued participation in UNSPSC maintenance, development and related activities
That depends on the method you use to join. If you choose to utilize the on-line member application and pay by credit card, your membership is processed and activated immediately. Should you decide to mail in the application with a check, the normal processing time is three to five business days from receipt. Upon processing your application you will receive an acknowledgement email from us, providing you with login and other information you need as a UNSPSC member. Membership Renewal Questions
An annual membership fee enables the UNSPSC to address the growing needs of its members. The UNSPSC establishes and maintains global standards and strives to provide its membership with the tools needed to maintain and communicate the code.
You will be reminded of your membership renewal via email approximately 30 days prior to your membership expiration. The actual billing schedule for companies will be based on the anniversary month of joining the UNSPSC.
You can call the UNSPSC Customer Service team on weekdays during regular business hours, Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST at 937-291-2424 for answers to your renewal questions.
Yes! One of the greatest benefits you enjoy as a member of UNSPSC is the ability to request and vote on changes to the codeset. The codeset is updated periodically in accordance with UNSPSC guidelines. We encourage member participation in codeset changes to ensure that UNSPSC remains robust and relevant to user needs. Management and Ownership
UNDP owns all rights to the UNSPSC. The U.S. Copyright Office has
also granted copyright registration to the UNSPSC and the U.S. Patent
and Trademark office has granted trademark protection. UNDP addresses
all legal issues and will take appropriate legal action to protect its
interests in the UNSPSC. The UNDP appointed GS1 US as code manager in May
2003. The code manager is responsible for ensuring compliance with the
principles of the UNSPSC as well as the integrity of the code schema.
GS1 US is responsible for overseeing code change requests, industry revision
projects, issuing regularly scheduled updates to the Code, communications
with members, as well as special projects and initiatives as determined
both by the UNDP and member requests.
UNDP undertook an exhaustive global search before appointing GS1 US as code
manager in May 20003. The search process itself included over 100 requirements
for code management, developed both through UNDP's own experience as well
as needs of UNSPSC users.
As Code Manager, GS1 US is charged with managing code maintenance, designated projects, appropriate communications with members and the user community and other duties as assigned. The UNDP has taken an active role in developing criteria and guidelines for activities ranging from code changes to formation of a Steering Committee. The UNDP is also actively participating in outreach and communications to members and other organizations who share an interest in the UNSPSC. The Membership and user communities of UNSPSC provide vital information to the management team to guide on strategy, policies, processes and other areas as needed.
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What exactly is Item Synchronization? |
Item synchronization means that the information regarding a product is
consistent throughout the supply chain. This includes identifiers like
UNSPSC.
I mark some of my products with a UPC and some with a GS1 symbol. |
How does UNSPSC mesh with bar coding? UNSPSC is a commodity
classifier; it is not marked on products. Generally commodity identifiers
are assigned by manufacturers/suppliers although this may vary by needs
of the business or the marketplace.
GTINs are used to identify trade items while UNSPSC is used to classify
commodities, which generally are not as granular as trade items.
How does the UNSPSC and the GS1 Global Product |
GPC (unlike UNSPSC) provides detailed classification attributes and values
while UNSPSC (unlike GPC) provides a global classification framework for
all products and services in all industry sectors. The two systems do
not overlap and are complementary to each other. UNSPSC, GS1 and GS1 US will work together to harmonize UNSPSC-commodities with
GPC-bricks in those sectors served by GS1 (e.g., Fast Moving Consumer
Goods sector).
Does GS1 US also have Segment Technical Advisors (STA's)? |
One does not need to join GS1 US in order to stay current with UNPSC
issues. One needs only to be a member of UNSPSC to effect changes
in the codeset.
Miscellaneous
A free "Introduction to UNSPSC" on-demand webinar and slides are
available on the UNSPSC website. This program was developed by a respected UNSPSC
consultant and provides a 20 minute overview of the codeset, its use and benefits.
Due to privacy agreements, we do not divulge specific member names. However,
our members comprise global corporations such as General Electric
and Deutsche Telekom as well as small firms. Several government entities,
as well as universities and other educational institutions also utilize
UNSPSC.
Our policy calls for two releases per year. In special situations
an additional release may be added to the schedule.
The Harmonized Code (commonly referred to as the HS – Harmonized System - classification) is designed primarily for, and required to be used in, customs documents for the purpose of applying trade tariffs.
The main differences between the UNSPSC and the HS classification are twofold. First, the HS does not cover services. Secondly, the process for the maintenance of the HS is lengthier as it is maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and requires international governmental consultation and approval.
The UNSPSC was designed for procurement and purchasing systems.
The UNSPSC is an "open source" standard for content, meaning that it is truly in the public domain. The United Nations owns the copyright to the work contributed by the UNSPSC volunteer experts. For this reason, the codeset can be used without any use restrictions or licensing fees. While the NATO system is a very good system, it is designed to meet the needs of NATO whereas the UNSPSC is designed specifically for commercial procurement purposes.
The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) coding systems that describe the operations of a business, while the UNSPSC provides a very specific product-centric viewpoint.
Yes; the UNSPSC is a code table and XML is syntax. One can encode anything in XML including the UNSPSC.