MRO Data Cleansing & Classification for a Shipping Contractor: 197K Items Classified with 100% Commodity-Level Accuracy

MRO Data Enrichment & Cleansing

Before classification, the data was cleansed and enriched for improved accuracy and quality. The process involved:

• Enriching data with the recent attributes.
• Correcting discrepancies (e.g., incorrect descriptions, missing part numbers).
• Standardizing data to make sure all entries are consistent.

Outcome: Final classification was based on clean, accurate, and standardized data.

Item Description Review

The next step was a detailed review of every item description. The following steps were taken:

• Reviewing the given item descriptions to understand the type of product and related classification.
• Ensuring the description aligned with the item’s characteristics, specifications, and usage in MRO.

Outcome: Enabled the assignment of products to the right categories.

UNSPSC Classification

Each item was assigned a distinct United Nations Standard Products and Services Code or UNSPSC, depending upon its type and intended use. The process included:

• Identifying and categorizing key components, such as navigation tools and ship repair equipment, to ensure accurate classification.
• Mapping every MRO part to the correct UNSPSC category, ensuring alignment with industry norms.

Outcome: This classification created a structured system for managing items and enabling easy retrieval.

Unit of Measure or (UOM) Assignment

During the UNSPSC code assignment, we took special care to select the correct UOM for every item. This was crucial to accurate classification, as the UOM determined how items were categorized in the UNSPSC system. For instance:

• Items such as fasteners, mechanical parts, and seals were under “pieces.”
• Larger items, such as propellers, navigation systems, and ship engines, were grouped as “sets” or “units”.

Outcome: Detailed UOM assignment ensured proper categorization, improving inventory management efficiency.

Classification at The Commodity Level

To meet the project's strict requirements, every item was required to be classified with high precision at the commodity level. The workflow consisted of:

• Avoiding general categories like “marine equipment” or “mechanical parts”.
• Categorizing items into specific subcategories, such as "engine components," “mooring equipment”, "hull fittings," and "marine pumps."
• Ensuring that each item was classified according to its precise function and role within the shipping industry.

Outcome: This granular classification improved inventory tracking and management, allowing the client to efficiently identify and handle critical MRO parts and shipping components.

Multi-Tiered Quality Control (QC)

A multi-stage QC procedure was established to ensure the accuracy of each item classification and data integrity:

• Step 1: Self-Audit: Quality control was performed by the resource responsible for the classification.
• Step 2: Supervisor/ATL Review: Supervisors or team leaders conducted a secondary review to catch any inconsistencies early.
• Step 3: Managerial Spot-Checks: Account managers would conduct random audits to ensure the overall classification was accurate and met the required standards.