Facts at a glance: Excel to BMEcat
- Goal: direct conversion of flat table data into the official BMEcat standard as a cross-industry exchange format.
- Method: a cloud-based SaaS solution (Primus Catalog) instead of a local converter.
- Data sources: supports any file from spreadsheets, CSV, JSON as well as raw data from databases.
- Advantage: no cost trap through pay-per-article, no IT security risk from macros and no months-long rollout of a large PIM system.
In B2B e-commerce many suppliers face the challenge of turning unstructured table data into complex e-catalogues for procurement systems. The BMEcat standard is the cross-industry exchange format for automated product data exchange between supplier and customer. In practice, exporting directly from a spreadsheet into the error-free target XML format usually fails because the data sources lack hierarchy.
Detailed definitions are in our article:
Generating BMEcat straight from Excel
Check your BMEcat catalogue for free
IT security and cost control: why local macros and credit systems fall short
The market offers various approaches to catalogue creation that quickly become operational and technical risks in professional e-procurement. B2B suppliers primarily stumble over four outdated architectural approaches:
- Outdated local scripts: many conversion tools rely on local installations or error-prone Excel macros (.xlsm). Modern IT policies increasingly block the execution of such macros for security reasons. On top of that, cloud storage such as Microsoft OneDrive frequently causes fatal path errors and invalid procedure calls when local scripts run.
- Text editors in theory: XML code can in theory be edited in a text editor. In practice, doing this manually across thousands of items inevitably leads to missing information, which sharply reduces the quality of the BMEcat catalogue and causes listing failures.
- Hidden costs in credit systems: cloud solutions that bill through pay-per-article credit models penalise suppliers with large, dynamic ranges. If a catalogue has to be corrected and re-uploaded several times because of initial validation errors on marketplaces, the company pays twice with these providers for every run.
- Large PIM rollouts: the assumption that a valid data export requires implementing an oversized PIM system blocks fast go-to-market strategies with months of IT work and high budgets.
The SaaS solution: error-free export with Primus Catalog
Primus Catalog solves this with an uncompromising no-code cloud approach. The software generates electronic catalogues directly from Excel lists – with no need for expensive PIM rollouts or insecure local installations.
The data manager simply drags their file into the software – whether it is a structured Excel sheet, a CSV, a JSON file or raw data from databases.
The system handles the mapping automatically and immediately delivers a standard-compliant e-catalogue for the B2B marketplace.
Check your BMEcat catalogue for free
Converter vs. validator: the three-stage check for error-free customer imports
A conversion that merely translates column A of a spreadsheet into XML tag B is not enough for e-procurement data exchange. Marketplaces and buyers define strict business rules. A validator therefore runs the data set through a three-stage check: syntactic (XML structure), structural (against the XSD/DTD schema) and semantic (logical dependencies through Schematron rules).
Among other things, MIME integrity is validated: the system physically checks whether images and data sheets referenced in the catalogue exist on the target server and whether the file names use correct formats, with no illegal spaces for example. Only this validation surfaces missing mandatory fields and prevents catalogue rejection on marketplaces such as Unite Mercateo or through other target channels.
Details on this process are in our article on BMEcat validation
Error analysis: GTIN formatting, decimal separators and UTF-8 encoding
Exporting from spreadsheets creates formatting errors that crash the target system’s parser. Primus Catalog detects and fixes these export errors automatically:
- The GTIN bug: Excel reformats long number strings such as 13-digit EANs into scientific notation by default (4.01E+12, for example). The validator translates these outputs back into text values automatically.
- The decimal problem: the XML specification requires a full stop as the decimal separator for prices (124.90, for instance). Spreadsheets in German-speaking countries use a comma by default, which the software corrects during upload.
- Character encoding: special characters such as the ampersand are escaped as UTF-8 (
&) to prevent invalidating the XML structure.
Tiered prices and classifications: deriving complex B2B structures from tables
A flat Excel sheet has no systematics. A valid BMEcat document, by contrast, consists of two levels: a header for general information such as catalogue ID, language and currency, and a transaction part for product data, prices and classifications. The software handles this structural split automatically on upload and nests the table data into hierarchical XML nodes:
| B2B requirement | The Excel limitation | The Pro3Con XML mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Tiered prices | One-dimensional price columns without hierarchy | Automatic detection of multi-dimensional volume discounts and translation into the correct tags such as LOWER_BOUND |
| UOM mapping | Colloquial units of measure such as “ST” for piece | Automatic conversion in the background into the required ISO code “PCE” |
| Classifications | No systematics for hundreds of attribute columns | Automated assignment to product classification systems and B2B standards such as ECLASS, ETIM and UNSPSC |
| Versioning | Static formatting with no adaptability | The architecture handles BMEcat 1.2 as well as BMEcat 2005 and resolves structural differences in the classification tags automatically |
Instead of maintaining hundreds of attributes manually in Excel columns, software solutions take over product data management in the cloud.
More on automation through BMEcat software
Dynamic range control: one master catalogue for individual customer BMEcats
In B2B sales, customers need specific core ranges and individually negotiated framework prices. Anyone serving 20 customers has to maintain 20 different spreadsheets when working with conversion tools.
Primus Catalog removes that effort. Suppliers upload one master catalogue as the central data basis. From this single source of truth the software generates 20 customer-specific, validated catalogue variants at the press of a button – including dynamic price control and filtered ranges.
BMEcat as a data foundation: the seamless step to OCI and cXML PunchOut
The validated BMEcat is the static basis of the product data. When customers require live availability in real-time procurement scenarios, the supplier scales that data foundation. Primus PunchOut uses the error-free catalogue to generate direct OCI or cXML connections in under 30 seconds. Buyer ERP systems access the range directly through these standard interfaces, which enables real-time transactions with no additional data maintenance.
Further technical specifications:
Pro3Con: B2B catalogue automation
Pro3Con transforms flat table data into validated BMEcat structures. The software automates the data flow between suppliers and procurement systems. A cloud-based SaaS architecture replaces error-prone macros and resource-hungry IT projects.
Check your BMEcat catalogue for free
Frequently asked questions about creating BMEcat from Excel
What distinguishes a converter from a validator?
A converter turns sources into an XML format purely structurally; a logical content check of the product data is missing. A validator actively checks the resulting file against business rules and identifies errors consistently before export to the partner.
Can I export BMEcat data directly from Excel?
No. Spreadsheets cannot represent hierarchical XML dependencies or business rules. Error-free item exchange requires specialised software. Tables serve only as the basis; the software handles refinement and error-free preparation of the product information.
Does the system detect incorrect ETIM and ECLASS classifications?
Yes. The system checks the assignment of products to industry-specific classification systems and automatically flags missing attributes or wrong values. That prevents BMEcat catalogues being rejected by the business partner’s purchasing department.
Are PIM systems suitable for BMEcat 1.2 export?
PIM systems and traditional desktop solutions do cover the export of BMEcat 1.2 and higher versions. For manufacturers and suppliers, however, such systems often mean a resource-intensive extension of the IT landscape. Cloud platforms are a modern alternative: a lean SaaS solution speeds up processes without a months-long PIM release, processes a wide range of data sources and forwards catalogues seamlessly to marketplaces and providers.
Which BMEcat version do marketplaces such as Mercateo require?
Platforms such as Unite Mercateo require BMEcat 1.2 for an error-free import. Supplying newer standards such as BMEcat 2005 blocks the target system’s parser. Primus Catalog exports items flexibly in both versions, which prevents immediate rejection.
How does the XML format handle referenced images and data sheets?
The software transfers file names from the Excel file automatically into the BMEcat element MIME_INFO. The validator then checks the physical availability of the referenced images and data sheets on the target server, securing the MIME integrity of the product data before exchange.
Why do IT departments advise against local Excel macros (.xlsm)?
Local scripts frequently cause fatal path errors in cloud environments such as OneDrive, and modern IT security policies block these formats pre-emptively. Cloud-based SaaS software processes catalogue data without any local installation, which protects the infrastructure and avoids hidden costs for laborious troubleshooting.