Industry Classifications

[aclepius]

We are currently about to embark upon a major overhaul of our database. We are looking to clean up our data and append industry classification onto each of our accounts. SIC codes, or some form of industry classification is something we will capture for all new accounts as we take their first order from them, but the problem lies in appending classifications retrospectively onto our 100,000 records.

We have decided to ask our agents to complete the data whilst going through and visiting their accounts over a period of time. They will send the information back to head office as they complete it, and we will continually update and enter the data.

I need help/advice/guidance/inspiration is in designing an industry classification structure appropriate for our needs.

What I mean specifically by this, is a simplified version of UKSIC coding that is more basic, yet covers every industry type.

We are in the first aid supplies industry. We would market the same ‘Van & Truck’ kit to businesses classifies under:

o 60241 - Furniture Removal activities
o 6024 - Freight Transport by Road

Similarly, the same type of kit would be sold to:

o 4531 – Installation of electrical wiring & fittings, and
o 4533 – Plumbing

Clearly we do not need this level of specific detail of a customers business activities, so the current UKSIC2003 system is not suitable.

At the same time we do not want to simply label both examples under their parent codes:

o 60 – Land Transport
o 45 – Construction

We still need to retain a certain level of specific detail in order to build a better picture of who our customers are, and to react to changing market conditions to target a specific industry sector. We need a system that can drill past ‘Manufacturing’, but not quite as far as ‘1752 - Manufacture of cordage, rope, twine and netting’.

We would like to ‘distill’ the UKSIC2003 codes to around 20 codes, yet still be comprehensive and effective from a marketing point of view. Given that our agent network will be relying on this classification framework, it must be simple and useable by the ‘lowest common denominator’.

Our IT department is working on building the fields into our database to accommodate this information. We just need advice, or a template of a classification system suitable for our needs.

Please help!!!!!!!!!

muchg appreciated.

kind regards
Asclepius