Attribute: Description
The description attribute is used to accurately, consistently, and concisely identify and differentiate a specific product. Descriptions can be up to 500 characters long. Shorter descriptions are truncated versions of the longer ones.
This attribute is managed through Description Management, which is used to customize how item descriptions are structured. GHX provides an optimized order for these attributes by default, but you can rearrange them to better suit your business needs. This helps to standardize and enrich item data for use in enterprise resource planning systems.
Data Sources
The source for descriptions is from multiple sources, such as:
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Supplier and/or distributor catalogs
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FDA's AccessGUDID
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Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN)
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Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs)
Standardization
Descriptions are standardized based on the proprietary GHX category-based order of descriptive attributes.
Descriptive Attributes
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Noun
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Type
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Trademark/brand name
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Age group
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Gender
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Primary length/width/height
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Secondary length/width/height
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Size/shape
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Diameter
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Volume
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Weight
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Color
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Composition
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Ergonomic location
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Flavor
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Fragrance
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Miscellaneous
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Properties
Considerations
GHX uses an optimized attribute order, which sequences the Descriptive Attributes in order of priority, based on the noun, type, and United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) of a specific item.
Because GHX uses an optimized attribute order, a best practice is to use the GHX description instead of overly customizing your own descriptions.
The GHX-optimized sequence undergoes a clinical review to make sure it's refined and suitable for all customers. Feedback from real-world use helps keep it updated.
When you create descriptions, make sure to consider the limitations of systems that will use this information later. For example, if you write a description with 250 characters, another system that uses this description might only handle 10 characters. This means important information could be lost if the description is too long for those systems.
Standardizing your descriptions provides the following benefits:
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Improved ability to search, locate, and requisition products.
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Prevention of incomplete product information.
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Capability to perform value analysis across multiple product categories.
When searching, it's best to use another attribute such as the manufacturer or vendor part number first. Use the description only to double-check that you have the right item.
If you need to use abbreviations, consider them within the context of the full description. If they are too short, they might be mistaken for other items. For instance, "BLD" could mean either "blade" or "blood."
Descriptions are manufacturer centric. The same description is shared across different suppliers/distributors.
We provide a manufacturer description, but it's not available for every item. This information is directly passed through without any changes by GHX.
We try our best to make sure descriptions are unique, but sometimes manufacturers don't provide distinctions that we can use. It's not recommended to include the manufacturer part number or name in the description. If you need unique descriptions in your item master, our consulting team can help set them up in Data Connect for you.
Shorter descriptions are more likely to be duplicated because important distinguishing details might not be included, depending on the order of attributes used.
If you use an alias, such as calling a connector a "Christmas tree," it's best to manage it manually in your ERP system. We don't support aliases for items.