There are many terms, such as classification and taxonomy, that get thrown around interchangeably. Unfortunately, not many people clearly understand what these terms mean. Covering the key differences is critical in data management because it ultimately matters for data governance and enabling effective product information management (PIM).
In data management, classification and taxonomy are methods for organizing and categorizing large amounts of data in a comprehensible form to humans. They are tools that help maintain databases of separate but related items so that those items can be easily compared and contrasted. The terms describe the items that make it easy for us to return to them later without analyzing each piece of data every time we need to use it.
Taxonomies are more concerned with providing exhaustive lists and giving a hierarchical relationship between many items. Classifications are not exhaustive and group items according to one or two attributes. The fundamental difference is that taxonomies describe connections between items while classification groups items. How does this relate to data management or product information management?
In PIM categories are classifications. Trees and Categories represent how products are classified within a PIM platform. Products can belong to any number of Categories and Trees, and the categorization can be based on any arbitrary consideration. This capability helps organize products differently and distinctly from a "data-oriented" perspective.
Families represent the taxonomy, as they're a collection of attributes that are usually intrinsic to a particular type of product in PIM. Within a PIM platform, a product can only be assigned to one family at a time. The product's family represents the data structure for a specific type of product. In the context of data governance, it is essential because it provides constraints on the product attributes. Specifically, the product should only have the attributes defined in the assigned family. This control on what data is needed or allowed within a product is critical for ensuring high-quality product data.
Fully comprehending the differences between taxonomy and classification is challenging. While the terms will be continued to be used in conversations interchangeably, each of these define distinct and powerful concepts. Each serves an essential role in establishing data governance and enabling effective product information management.
Click here to read the original article published by Bounteous.
Please give your feedback on this article or share a similar story for publishing by clicking here.
