In large industrial operations, the conversation about digital transformation almost always comes back to the same point: poor data on materials and suppliers . This leads to redone registration projects, rework in data cleansing, discrepancies between departments, and difficulties in automating purchases. At the heart of it all is a structural problem: each company tries to solve alone something that is, by nature, a shared responsibility .

This is where the concept of a Purchasing Data Community comes in — a collaborative, technical, and standardized environment that connects companies, items, manufacturers, and suppliers in a single reference database. Instead of each organization reinventing its own materials catalog, they all work together to build a common intelligence.

From the merger of CH and Astrein's expertise, CH | Astrein was born as one of the major Master Data hubs for materials, services, suppliers, and customers in Latin America, consolidating a community with millions of sanitized items, description standards, and a robust network of approved suppliers. All this with a very clear focus: to improve the performance of the purchasing area based on reliable data.

In this article, we will detail what the Shopping Data Community is, how it works in practice, what benefits it brings to your company, and how solutions such as Vendor List, Surplus, Catalog Hub, WebForLink, and Blockchain Procurement connect within this ecosystem.

From isolated registrations to the Purchase Data Community.

For decades, each company managed its catalog of materials and services in isolation. The result is well-known: generic descriptions, duplicate codes, repeated items with different texts, discrepancies in NCM codes, difficulties in converting OEM items into commercial ones, among other problems.

The Shopping Data Community breaks with this fragmented logic. Instead of each organization maintaining its own data “truth,” companies begin to share:

• Universal and standardized descriptions

• Unique codes (Golden Code) per item

• Common Description Patterns (PDM)

• History of manufacturers and equivalent brands

• Consolidated list of approved suppliers by item and by category.

  
  

In practice, this means that the same fuse , for example, will no longer be registered differently by each company.

He will now have:

• A unique Golden Code in the Community

• An unequivocal universal description

• Links with multiple manufacturers and commercial alternatives

• Access to a consolidated Vendor List for that item.

  
  

Each company maintains its internal code in the ERP system, but converts that code to the Community standard. This key allows for scaling gains in purchasing, automation, and governance.

CH | Astrein's journey to the Shopping Data Community

The creation of this Community didn't happen overnight. It's the result of decades of specialization in Master Data .

On one side, the former Astrein, founded in 1978, began by providing maintenance and asset management services , naturally evolving into materials data management , data cleansing and governance, with a strong presence in industrial maintenance and engineering.

On the other hand, CH, whose first specific data project dates back to 1991, emerged with a focus on:

• Master Data of materials and services

• Data community management

• Creating a culture and processes around registration.

  
  

With the merger, CH | Astrein emerges , consolidating:

• Over 40 million items cleaned.

• Approximately 6 million common items in the Community

• More than 70,000 description patterns (PDM)

• Over 250 active clients , many among the 500 largest in Brazil.

• Over 200,000 approved suppliers

• A database with tens of thousands of users accessing registrations and the community daily.

  
  

The customer retention rate, exceeding 95%, reinforces one point: well-designed registration projects are intended to last decades , not months.

Sanitation and governance: past and future of the Shopping Data Community

To understand the role of the Shopping Data Community, it is essential to differentiate between two moments:

Sanitation: dealing with the past

Remediation is the moment when the company looks at what already exists:

• Old databases, with duplicate codes and generic descriptions.

• Items without a standard, with inconsistent NCM codes.

• Records that do not reflect the actual physical inventory.

  
  

The goal of sanitation is:

• Eliminate duplicates

• Reclassify items

• Standardize descriptions

• Correct NCM

• Establish a link with the Community's Golden Code.

  
  

It's a project with a beginning, middle, and end. It lasts a few months, but it changes the structural quality of the data.

Governance: Caring for the future

Materials data governance is what ensures that sanitation data is not lost over time. It:

• Define clear processes for new registrations.

• It streamlines the workflow between the applicant, registration, purchasing, tax, and IT.

• It prevents the user from creating poor, incomplete, or redundant descriptions.

• Ensures that new items are certified and enter the Community.

• It connects the registration data to the purchasing, inventory, planning, and financial routines.

  
  

While sanitation is a project that takes a few months, governance is an ongoing process that can last 50 years . It is governance that transforms registration from a "one-off task" into an organizational pillar .

Information certification: the heart of data quality.

One of the distinguishing features of the Purchase Data Community is the information certification process .

When an item enters the Community, it is not simply "copied and pasted".

It goes through a technical validation process with the manufacturer or specialized sources:

• Consulting technical catalogs and product data sheets

• Validation on official manufacturer websites.

• Direct contact with manufacturers, when necessary.

• Verification of standards, models, codes and technical specifications.

  
  

The result of this certification is:

• A universal and unequivocal description

• The correct association of brands and commercial alternatives.

• Standardization of attributes and classifications

• Defining a unique Golden Code for that item.

  
  

From then on, all companies in the Community can use the same description and the same Golden Code, each with its own linked internal code.

Golden Code and common item: the CPF (Brazilian Individual Taxpayer Registry) number of the item in the Community.

In the Shopping Data Community model, each item receives a unique identifier: the Golden Code . It functions like a "CPF (Brazilian individual taxpayer registration number) for the item . "

Imagine the following scenario:

• Company A (for example, a beverage company) registers a fuse.

• The CH | Astrein certification team validates the information, creates a universal description , and assigns a Golden Code.

• Company B (for example, a consumer goods company) attempts to register a fuse which, after technical analysis, is found to be the same item.

• Instead of creating another "new item," the Community links Company B's code to the same Golden Code .

• Later, Company C (from another segment) arrives with the same type of fuse. It is again linked to the same Golden Code.

  
  

Result:

• All companies will start using the same universal description .

• Each one maintains its own internal code, but connected to the Golden Code .

• The community knows, for that specific item, which manufacturers exist, which brands are alternatives, and which suppliers meet that code .

  
  

This is how the Community's 6 million common items come about : they are not 6 million loose records, but 6 million technical convergences between databases from different companies.

Benefits of participating in a Shopping Data Community

Participating in the Purchasing Data Community brings benefits in different dimensions: operational, managerial, financial, and strategic.

1. Expanded database for consultation and registration

The first benefit is simple and powerful: your user gains access to a database with millions of already described items .

• Instead of starting "from scratch" every time he needs to register something, he can search the Community .

• Common items — hand tools, PPE, electrical components, MRO in general — are likely already described , certified, and standardized.

• This reduces registration time, avoids rework, and minimizes the risk of duplication .

  
  

2. Improving data quality and reliability.

Because the information is certified and shared among hundreds of companies, the level of trust increases:

• NCM with consistent technical criteria

• Attributes aligned with market standards

• Descriptions designed for purchasing, inventory, and tax purposes.

• Significant reduction in generic items and "miscellaneous materials"

  
  

With reliable data, it becomes much easier:

• Run MRP with less noise.

• Perform inventory and turnover analyses with greater accuracy.

• Explore opportunities to streamline items.

  
  

3. Conversion of OEM to commercial material

One of the most sensitive points in MRO is the dependence on OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts. In the Community, data intelligence enables:

• Identifying when an OEM item is actually a commercial item from a large global manufacturer.

• Present alternative suppliers for that same Golden Code.

• Supporting the purchasing strategy in reducing dependence on a single channel.

  
  

This conversion, when done with technical criteria, has a direct impact on:

• Acquisition cost

• Supply deadline

• Risk of shortages

  
  

4. Preparing for automation and RPA in procurement

With standardized data and an integrated Vendor List (which we will detail below), the Community enables:

• Using RPA to automatically generate quotes based on the Vendor List

• Integration with e-procurement platforms

• Automation of the workflow from requisition to initial quote.

  
  

Without quality data and a structured community, any attempt at automation is limited – or worse, it automates the error.

Vendor List: consolidating suppliers in the Purchasing Data Community

One of the products most directly connected to the Shopping Data Community is Vendor List .

What is a Vendor List?

The Vendor List is a repository of approved vendors , structured based on the Community:

• For each Golden Code , the Community consolidates which suppliers meet that requirement.

• This information comes from our 250+ active clients , who already develop and certify suppliers within their ERP systems.

• Instead of each company seeing only its 2 or 3 suppliers per item, the Vendor List shows the entire Community supplier network for that code.

  
  

Example:

• A company has 3 registered suppliers for a fuse.

• Another one has 4.

• A third one has 2.

• By consolidating, the Community can reach 12 supplier options for the same Golden Code.

  
  

Ranking and continuous updates

The Vendor List is not a static list. It:

• It presents a ranking of suppliers based on their presence in companies within the Community.

• It indicates which suppliers are most widespread and in which segments.

• It undergoes periodic updates (for example, every six months), incorporating:

  • New companies entering

  • New suppliers developed

  • Natural base adjustments

    
    

This avoids the risk of having a "biased" Vendor List, always containing the same names. The Community ensures continuous renewal and expansion.

Access to the Vendor List

There are three typical situations:

1. Customer already reinstated with Golden Code.

   • Access the Vendor List directly from the system module , at no additional cost.

   • View suppliers at the item level (Golden Code).

     
     

2. Client inherited from the former Astrein, still without a Golden Code.

   • You can initially access the Vendor List at the material family level .

   • As progress is made in sanitation and in linking with Golden Codes, a more granular vision is gained.

     
     

3. New company in the community

   • You can start with a free basic diagnosis .

   • Start with priority families (A items or bottlenecks) and gradually evolve to the entire Community.

     
     

In all cases, there is one important premise: access to the Vendor List is free for Community clients , provided there is collaboration with supplier data . It is a genuinely collaborative model.

Surplus: transforming slow moving into cash and efficiency.

The shopping data community also opens up space for solutions focused on stagnant inventory , such as Surplus .

The problem of slow moving

Every large industrial operation coexists with:

• Items that haven't been moved for months or years.

• Materials purchased for specific, non-recurring projects.

• Spare parts that have been replaced by newer models.

• Inventories that accumulate millions in book value.

  
  

Without visibility and without a structured sales channel, the alternative is often:

• Sell as scrap, receiving 5% to 15% of the original value.

• Holding inventory for years has a direct impact on tied-up capital.

  
  

How Surplus works

Surplus uses the Community itself to :

• To make a company's slow-moving assets visible to other organizations in the community.

• Allow the sale, exchange, or barter of these items between major players.

• Support the pricing process by prioritizing historical value (instead of scrap value).

  
  

A concrete example illustrates the potential:

• Tereos and Bunge conducted a negotiation between themselves via Surplus in 2022.

• The transaction, carried out without the involvement of direct money , was a settlement of accounts based on the historical value , around R$ 260,000.00 .

• In a scrap or auction scenario, this value would likely be drastically reduced.

  
  

Benefits of Surplus in the Community

• Releasing capital tied up in idle inventory.

• Cost reduction related to storage and obsolescence

• Optimization of physical space

• Creating a culture of proactive inventory management.

• Opportunity to expand access to critical items that another company has idled.

  
  

Catalog Hub, WebForLink, and Blockchain Procurement: Expanding the Ecosystem

The procurement data community is not limited to registering materials. It connects to other critical areas of the supply ecosystem.

Catalog Hub: intelligent pre-registration of parts

The Catalog Hub is designed for scenarios such as:

• A company buys a large piece of equipment , which comes with thousands of spare parts.

• Only a few hundred are registered immediately, to meet short-term needs.

• The rest remain "invisible" to the ERP system.

  
  

The Catalog Hub allows you to:

• Upload the complete parts catalog to a structured environment.

• Treat this set as a pre-registration , linked to Golden Codes.

• To facilitate quick registration, at the moment the part is actually needed.

• Involve the manufacturer itself in enriching logistics data, packaging, photos, and attributes .

  
  

Since everything is linked to the Golden Code, the entire Community benefits from this enrichment.

WebForLink: registration and approval of suppliers and clients.

Although it is the subject of a specific webinar, WebForLink directly complements the Shopping Data Community by:

• Structuring pre-registration, registration, and approval of suppliers and clients.

• Integrate with information from the Federal Revenue Service, certificates, and compliance documents.

• Allow continuous monitoring of the supplier's registration status.

• Connect the Vendor List to a platform that ensures the vendor is active and compliant.

  
  

In practice, the company reduces the risks of:

• Hiring suppliers with tax or legal restrictions.

• Being jointly liable (joint responsibility) in transactions with irregular partners

  
  

Blockchain Procurement: Joint Purchasing at Scale

Blockchain Procurement is a specific type of company created to be a purchasing club .

• It groups together demand from various companies in the Community into specific categories.

• It negotiates as a group with manufacturers and suppliers, seeking economies of scale .

• It has recorded average savings of over 25% in some categories, compared to individual negotiations.

  
  

It is also an entry point for companies that have not yet undergone complete sanitation:

• The company participates in certain categories via Blockchain Procurement.

• As items in these categories are worked on, they are integrated into the Community .

• This reduces the need for a high initial CAPEX for remediation, spreading the effort over time.

  
  

Marketplace MRO: The Next Step for the Shopping Data Community

With the Community consolidated, the Vendor List structured, Surplus, the Catalog Hub, and Blockchain Procurement in operation, the natural next step is to evolve into a Marketplace focused on MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) .

A vision for the future involves:

• Connect high-quality data (Golden Code, descriptions, photos)

• Integrate approved suppliers and distributors.

• Incorporate reference values and commercial conditions.

• To make all of this available on a single platform , focused on MRO materials and services.

  
  

In this scenario, companies that have already invested in sanitation, governance, and a shopping data community will be immediately ready to operate in the Marketplace, with:

• Organized bases

• Items linked to the Community

• Purchasing flows prepared for automation.

  
  

Who should lead the purchasing data community within the company?

A recurring question is: who owns the registration? And, consequently, who should be the sponsor of the Purchase Data Community?

In practice, the most common models are:

• Supplies / Purchases

  • In approximately 60% of cases, the registration of materials and services is the responsibility of the supply department.

  • That makes sense: they're the ones who feel the pain of bad news every day.

• CSC (Shared Services Center)

  • In companies with a Shared Service Center (SSC), registration typically goes to that structure, due to its corporate and cross-functional perspective.

• Fiscal / Tax / Financial

  • In some cases, especially when NCM (Brazilian Customs Nomenclature) and tax concerns are central, these areas take on a relevant role in the registration process.

• Maintenance / Engineering / Operation

  • In highly asset-intensive industrial settings, maintenance and engineering participate actively, but with a more technical than corporate perspective.

• YOU

  • It typically acts as a technology sponsor and guardian of ERP integration, but not of the content itself.

    
    

Furthermore, the role of the Master Data Manager is beginning to gain traction .

• A professional dedicated to managing data policies, processes, and quality.

• It bridges the gap between business, operations, tax, and IT.

• It plays a central role in connecting the company to the Shopping Data Community.

  
  

Regardless of where the function "lives" in the organizational chart, the key point is: materials and supplier data are strategic assets , not operational tasks.

How to get started in the Shopping Data Community

Companies join the Community at different stages of maturity. Some typical paths:

1. Companies that are already CH | Astrein clients

• If you've already been involved in sanitation and governance:

  • They are already, in practice, part of the Community.

  • They can activate modules like Vendor List and Surplus directly.

• If you came from the old Astrein and do not yet have a Golden Code:

  • You can start by using Vendor Lists by material family .

  • Evolve, with a clear roadmap, towards full alignment with the Golden Codes.

    
    

2. Companies that have not yet implemented sanitation measures.

• They can perform a free database diagnostic to understand:

  • Volume of duplicates

  • Current level of standardization

  • Quick earning opportunities

• From there, determine whether:

  • They are creating a comprehensive sanitation project , or

  • They start with priority families (A items, bottlenecks, critical items) and evolve through phases.

    
    

3. Companies that want to "test the waters" with joint purchases.

• They can start via Blockchain Procurement , in specific categories.

• As items in these categories are processed, they are integrated into the Community.

• No need for a large initial investment in sanitation of the entire base.

  
  

4. Companies with internal sanitation initiatives

• They can request consulting and benchmarking before investing heavily in internal projects.

• Experience shows cases of companies that spent years trying their own solutions , only to then redo the work with specialists.

• A preliminary benchmark can prevent wasted time, money, and energy .

  
  

Conclusion: Shopping data community as the foundation of digital transformation.

The digital transformation of the supply chain area doesn't begin with RPA, BI, or Marketplace. It begins with quality data .

Structured sanitation and governance are the first step. But it is in the Procurement Data Community that this effort reaches its full potential, when:

• The company ceases to operate in isolation.

• It begins to share and receive intelligence from hundreds of other organizations.

• Gain access to a robust Vendor List, Surplus, Catalog Hub, Blockchain Procurement, and soon, an MRO Marketplace.

• It creates the ideal conditions for automating quotation, purchasing, and supplier relationship workflows.

  
  

In a scenario of pressure regarding cost, risk, compliance, and speed, constantly "recreating the entire database from scratch" is a luxury few companies can afford. The purchasing data community thus becomes a strategic asset for those who want to transform the purchasing area into a true value driver for the business.

Bonus tip

Before discussing isolated tools or projects, ask yourself three questions within your company:

1. Do we know exactly how many items we have in stock and how many of them are duplicates?

2. Do we trust the NCM (Mercosur Common Nomenclature) and the descriptions that feed into our purchasing, tax, and planning processes?

3. If tomorrow we want to automate 30% of quotes using RPA, does our data support that?

If either of these answers is "I don't know" or "probably not," it's a clear sign that it's time to take a closer look at the Shopping Data Community .

FAQ — Frequently asked questions about the Shopping Data Community

1. Do I need to complete all data cleansing before joining the Purchase Data Community?

Not necessarily. Some companies start with governance and critical families, while others begin via Blockchain Procurement in specific categories. The important thing is to have a structured convergence plan to the Community standard.

2. Do small and medium-sized enterprises also benefit, or is this something only for large industrial groups?

SMEs also benefit — a lot. By joining the Community, they gain access to the same data and supplier standards used by large players, without needing to merge operations or create giant registration structures.

3. How long does it take, on average, to see practical results?

The first gains usually appear in the prioritized families (A items, bottlenecks, critical items): reduction of duplicates, improved descriptions, expanded access to suppliers via Vendor List, and identification of Surplus opportunities. The depth and speed depend on the size of the database and the scope of the project .

4. What changes for the day-to-day shopping experience when participating in the Shopping Data Community?

Purchasing now works with standardized descriptions , access to a consolidated Vendor List , greater visibility of commercial and OEM/commercial alternatives, and is prepared to automate quotation steps with RPA or e-procurement platforms.

5. What is the role of IT in this process?

IT is responsible for ensuring secure and stable integration between ERP, registration systems, the Community, and other solutions (WebForLink, Surplus, Blockchain Procurement). Integration can be done via APIs and web services , but the content and data rules are led by business areas (mainly procurement, CSC, tax, and Master Data).