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CSI CROSSWALK API Background & Instructions

Announcing “CSI CROSSWALKSM API” for Assigning CSI Classifications in the HPD Builder.

Background and Instructions: CSI MasterFormat® Classification Search.

There are a few things to be aware of when using this new Builder feature:

  1. Because it uses the official, up-to-date CSI product classification database, CROSSWALK eliminates the problem of working with out-of-date CSI classification compilations.
  2. CROSSWALK API has been developed to assist manufacturers in determining the most appropriate classification(s) for their products, using a keyword search algorithm. When you enter your product descriptors, as is illustrated in the examples below, CROSSWALK searches the CSI classification database to provide a selection of classification that is most appropriate to the descriptor that you have entered. Your search can be successively refined with additional terms to pinpoint the exact classification(s) most suitable to your product.
  3. In order for our systems to gain the full benefit of this new capability, manual entry of CSI classification(s) is no longer supported. This ensures the consistency of classification for all products, which enables your customers to have confidence in searching for your product using CSI classification.  Use of the CROSSWALK API provides a specific format for the CSI classification that will be used for this data.  This is important because it will allow for greater efficiency in use of the CSI classifications for search and other functions.
  4. When you publish or republish your HPD, any existing CSI Classification information will need to be replaced with CROSSWALK-generated classification(s). The reason for this change is to ensure that all newly-published v2.2 HPDs use the new internal format for the CSI classification.  This means that to republish an existing HPD, you must use the new feature to add the correct classification, even if the existing classification was already correct.  This will require a one-time use of the MasterFormat Classification search feature using the instructions below.
  5. If you’re not sure which classification is correct for your product, the search feature will help you find the classification that best fits your product.

The more accurate and consistent display of this information has been anxiously awaited by your customers who use the classification search in the HPD Public Repository.  This will make it much easier for them to find the HPDs for your products.  In order to bring previously-published HPDs in the Repository into conformance with this new classification approach, we will be conducting a project to update the Repository search feature to take advantage of the improved classification system that CROSSWALK makes possible.  We will be sending out more information about this project in the coming weeks.

Instructions for using the CSI MasterFormat Classification Search.

  1. From the General Information screen in the Builder, select the “?” icon next to the MasterFormat Classification field:

 

  1. On the CSI MasterFormat Classification Search form, enter a term that describes your product into the search field:

And click the Search button.  A broad term such as “wood” will return many options, listing all of the classifications that include “wood” in their title. This may be useful if you have no idea how to define your product but it’s usually better to be more specific in your search, Wood Doors, for example, returns fewer options:

To further refine your search, you can enter another term in the “Filter” field.  The search results are then limited to those that also include that term:

You can also sort by either Division or Classification, by clicking on the icons to the right of each column:

Sorting on Classification:

If you already know the correct classification you want to use, you can also enter the number as your original search term, 08 14 73 in the example above. Be sure to follow the proper format NN_NN_NN.  If you leave out the spaces or introduce other variations, the search will not work properly.

When you’ve found the correct classification click the “Insert” button to add it to your Record.

 

  1. Back on the General Information screen, you’ll see the classification added to your record.

Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and save the record information to the database.

  1. How to edit and delete your classification.

To edit your record, simply repeat the search and insert your new selection.

Deletion of your classification is not possible. You must replace the classification by editing as described above.

 

  1. For multiple classifications of your product.

At this time, the search is limited to a primary classification. If you have additional classifications for your products, add them to your Product Notes.