productreferentie

Productreferentie, or product reference, is a unique identifier assigned to a product within catalogs, ERP systems, and procurement workflows. In Dutch contexts, it helps distinguish items across product lines, variants, and suppliers. A productreferentie is typically alphanumeric and can be created by the manufacturer as a vendor part number or by the retailer as an internal SKU. It is commonly used alongside external identifiers such as GTIN, EAN, or UPC, but remains a business-system key rather than a global standard.

Its main purpose is to support accurate search, ordering, pricing, and inventory control. It provides a stable link to product data, including descriptions, specifications, attributes, and images, and connects these records to transactions in ERP, WMS, and e-commerce platforms. In practice, a product may have multiple cross-references, with mapping tables translating between primary references and supplier or global numbers.

Governance is important: references should be created with documented rationale, and changes or deprecation should be tracked to avoid data quality issues. Versioning and clear ownership help ensure consistency across systems and over time.

In summary, a productreferentie is a system-internal, unique product identifier that enables precise data management across purchasing, inventory, and sales, and it typically complements external identifiers rather than replaces them.