Core Concepts in Actualog

Actualog is a Social PIM / MDM-style platform for complex technical products. It combines structured master data, catalogs, governance, and collaboration so product information can be created once and reused many times—internally, across partners, and publicly (including search and AI discovery).

To work confidently in Actualog, it helps to understand how the core building blocks fit together:

Taxonomy & Dictionaries: Communities, Categories, Category Templates, Attributes, Measures & Units, Domains (controlled lists), Facets
Product Master Data: Products, Variants, Identifiers/Codes, Lifecycle stage, Relationships
Logistics & Packaging: Category Logistics Profiles, Logistics Shape Profiles, Package Types, Packages, Product Packs, fit checks, and shipping values
Catalogs & Marketplace Publishing: Catalog types, visibility & embedding, distribution, storefront experiences
Organization & Governance: Users, Company workspace, roles & permissions, invitations, audit history
Data Assets (DAM): Documents, images, media, versioning, reuse across entities
Integration & Automation: Imports (standards & bulk files), reference systems, connectors, APIs, AI-assisted enrichment and QC
Plans & Limits: Feature access and quotas by subscription tier

Community

A Community is a shared domain space where organizations and experts align on how products are classified and described.

A community typically provides:

a category tree (taxonomy)
a facet tree (filter/navigation structure)
shared conventions for attributes, terminology, and quality expectations
a collaboration surface for experts and participating organizations

Why it matters: communities make product data interoperable. When multiple parties use the same definitions, product information becomes comparable and reusable.

Company workspace

A Company workspace is your organization’s operational area in Actualog. It’s where your team manages product data, catalogs, assets, and integrations under your governance.

A workspace usually includes:

users, roles, permissions
company profile (public and internal fields)
your products and product relationships
your catalogs (showcase/sales/offer/procurement)
data assets (documents/media)
integrations and data exchange configurations
audit history of changes and approvals (where enabled)

A single user can belong to multiple company workspaces (e.g., manufacturer + distributor + research institute) and can contribute in each workspace under different permissions.

User, roles, invitations, and approvals

Actualog separates who the user is from what the user can do in a company:

User account: personal profile, language preferences, notifications, identity and security settings
Company membership: which company workspaces you belong to
Company roles: permission bundles assigned inside a workspace (e.g., product content, catalog management, procurement, integration, admin/observer)
Invitations and join requests: controlled onboarding for teams and partners (manual approval or automated rules where configured)

Why it matters: governance is essential for trustworthy master data. Roles and approvals keep responsibilities clear and changes auditable.

Category template

A Category template is the consolidated list of attributes that define the data structure of products in that category.

Template rules typically define:

which attributes are available and in what order
which attributes are mandatory
which attributes act as variant axes
attribute grouping for data-entry forms (e.g., Dimensions / Materials / Performance)

Actualog can also support product name templating, where the product’s display name is generated from selected attribute values and company/brand context.

Why it matters: templates prevent “spreadsheet chaos” and enforce consistent structure across UI, imports, and integrations.

Attribute

An Attribute is a standardized characteristic used to describe products (e.g., Nominal diameter, Material grade, Operating pressure, IP rating, Voltage).

Attributes are managed as a shared dictionary, not free-form text. An attribute typically has:

a data type (numeric, text, list, etc.)
optional value rules (single value vs range, formatting, constraints)
optional controlled list values
optional links to measures and units
optional template behavior:
- Mandatory
- Variant axis
- Read-only / computed / governed (where applicable)

Why it matters: structured attributes make product data validatable, comparable, translatable, and exchangeable.

Measures, units, and measurement systems

Actualog treats measurements as first-class data governance elements:

Measure: the physical quantity being measured (e.g., Length, Pressure, Power)
Unit: how the value is expressed (e.g., mm, bar, kW)
Measurement system: the unit system context (e.g., Metric, British Imperial, US customary)

This enables:

consistent technical meaning across catalogs and integrations
safer comparisons (you can’t reliably compare numbers without units)
conversion-friendly workflows (when multiple systems are used)

In industrial data practice, unit governance is often aligned with standards such as UCUM-style identifiers and curated unit dictionaries.

Why it matters: without unit governance, numeric attributes become ambiguous and unreliable for engineering, procurement, and analytics.

Logistics Shape Profile

A Logistics Shape Profile is a Category-level rule that explains how Product facts become logistics values for Product Packs, Packages, marketplace export, and other external systems.

It prevents every product class from being forced into the same four attributes. Software can mark physical logistics as not applicable. Pipe can use length and diameter. Paint can use volume and a container. Cement can be sold by mass and shipped as a bag or pallet. Live goods can require transport packaging and handling rules.

In Category Edit, the profile editor follows the selected shape recipe. It shows only meaningful roles, keeps advanced/package details collapsed, and leaves Product Pack overrides on Product Packs instead of turning them into Category rules.

Why it matters: logistics data must be honest. Actualog separates product facts, packed shipping values, packaging capacity, and marketplace requirements so integrations can block missing data without inventing fake dimensions.

See Logistics for the logistics model and Category Logistics Profile for Category-level settings.

Domains and controlled values

Many technical attributes require controlled values (approved lists) rather than free text. In Actualog:

list attributes can be connected to domains (external or internal reference lists)
domains can be filtered by context rules (e.g., country, market, product type)
mapping and conversion rules can reuse the same context logic for interoperability

Why it matters: controlled values reduce duplicates, improve translation quality, and make partner exchange dramatically easier.

A Facet is a filter dimension used for navigation and technical selection (e.g., Material, Pressure rating, Connection type, Standard, Brand).

A Facet tree is a curated hierarchy of facets that defines:

which filters are shown in a community/domain
how filters are grouped (Dimensions / Materials / Compliance / Performance)
ordering and navigation logic for large datasets

In Actualog, facets are best thought of as part of the taxonomy experience: they are how users consume the taxonomy and attribute structure during search and filtering.

Why it matters: engineers and procurement teams don’t browse long lists—they filter. Facets make large catalogs usable.

Product

A Product is the canonical master record of an item (SKU, model, part, spec) in Actualog.

A product:

belongs to one category (which defines its template)
stores attribute values according to template rules
can include identifiers, codes, lifecycle metadata, and relationships
can be linked to one or more companies depending on ownership and usage

Why it matters: products are the “single version of truth” that catalogs and integrations reuse.

Variants and variant axes

A Variant is a product option where certain attributes define distinct versions (e.g., size, voltage, thread type).

In Actualog, the variant model is governed by the category template:

attributes marked as variant axes drive variant uniqueness
non-variant attributes remain shared metadata
this prevents uncontrolled duplication and keeps catalogs clean

Why it matters: variant governance is essential for industrial catalogs where product families can generate hundreds or thousands of configurations.

Identifiers, codes, and interoperability keys

Industrial product data almost always needs multiple identifiers:

internal SKUs
manufacturer part numbers (MPN)
customer-specific item codes
supplier codes
GTIN/UPC/EAN (where relevant)
integration-client identifiers and reference-system codes

Actualog supports multiple codes per product to enable reliable exchange and mapping across ERP, MDM, procurement, and marketplace channels.

Why it matters: successful master data programs fail when identifiers are treated as “just text”.

Brand

A Brand is a normalized entity used to keep brand data consistent across products, catalogs, and imports.

Brand normalization helps avoid:

spelling inconsistencies
duplicate brand records
lost identity across languages and datasets

Brands may also be connected to companies (e.g., brand owner vs manufacturer) to support trust and discovery.

Company relationships to categories and products

Actualog distinguishes company workspace roles (permissions) from company relationship roles (business meaning).

Company relationship roles describe how an organization relates to a category or product, such as:

Manufacturer
Brand owner
Designer
Distributor
Service provider
Consumer / buyer context (where relevant)

These relationships improve:

trust signals and governance
discovery (“show manufacturers in this category”)
collaboration (“who can validate this domain?”)

Catalog

A Catalog is a curated collection of products prepared for a specific business outcome. Catalogs are central to Actualog because they are the bridge between master data and publishing / distribution.

Common catalog types include:

Showcase / Exhibition catalog — public product storefront (digital витрина)
Sales catalog — customer-facing selection used by sales teams and distributors
Offer catalog — a quote/proposal package for a specific customer or tender
Procurement catalog — what your organization buys, standardizes, or allows for sourcing

Key catalog capabilities typically include:

catalog status (draft/active/closed) and governance rules
catalog visibility and embedding controls (who can embed, publish, or share)
reuse of the same products across multiple catalogs without duplicating product records
distribution to specific partner organizations when required

Why it matters: catalogs turn product master data into a business asset—internally, for partners, and publicly on the web.

Publishing, embedding, and “marketplace-style” visibility

Actualog supports marketplace-style publishing patterns:

a catalog can function as a public storefront inside Actualog
catalogs and product pages can be prepared for external embedding (controlled by visibility rules)
public product information is structured for indexing and discovery, helping search engines and AI systems find and reuse reliable specifications

Why it matters: industrial products win when they are discoverable, comparable, and technically trustworthy—by humans and systems.

Data assets (Digital Asset Management)

Actualog includes a Data Assets / DAM layer that manages media and documents as reusable, governed objects.

Data assets typically include:

images, diagrams, certificates
datasheets, manuals, compliance documents
videos and richer media (where applicable)

Core DAM concepts:

an Asset is the logical media object
an Asset version is a concrete uploaded file/version with metadata and audit trail
assets can be linked to products, categories, and companies
versioning enables controlled updates without breaking catalog consistency

Why it matters: industrial product data is incomplete without documentation—and documentation needs governance.

Data loading and reference imports

Actualog supports structured data ingestion through a data loading pipeline, commonly used for:

importing classification standards and reference sources (e.g., industry taxonomies)
importing unit dictionaries and measure metadata
bulk product imports from spreadsheets/archives (as supported by your workflow)

Uploads are tracked as datasets with files and processing tasks so teams can manage progress, errors, and retries.

Why it matters: industrial PIM adoption depends on migration paths from legacy files and external standards.

Reference systems, connectors, and integrations

Actualog expresses integration through the concrete object that owns the business meaning:

reference systems for classification standards, source dictionaries, units, and controlled codes
connectors and feed profiles for configured inbound and outbound exchange
API clients for programmatic workspace access
catalog channels for publishing approved product data to partner, procurement, marketplace, or portal workflows

Actualog supports exchange patterns such as:

export/import of products, catalogs, categories, documents
supplier/customer-specific codes and mapping logic
scheduled or event-driven syndication

Why it matters: PIM only creates ROI when it reliably feeds downstream systems.

AI assistant and automation

Actualog uses AI to improve product data quality and usability, typically supporting workflows such as:

attribute enrichment (suggest missing characteristics, normalize values)
classification assistance (recommend categories, detect mismatches)
multilingual acceleration (draft translations with terminology consistency)
data quality checks (detect duplicates, anomalies, inconsistent units)
document understanding (extract structured specs from datasheets where supported)
image generation and media assistance (where enabled), with governance/audit controls

AI features are most valuable when combined with templates, validation rules, and auditability—AI becomes a productivity multiplier, not a source of uncontrolled content.

Plans, limits, and feature availability

Actualog plans typically control:

quotas (e.g., products, catalogs, procurement catalogs)
feature toggles (e.g., embedding, procurement catalogs, ERP integrations, compliance tooling, expert support)
workspace scale (seats, governance features)

Why it matters: plan limits clarify what each organization can operationalize—and help teams scale adoption predictably.

How everything connects

A practical mental model:

Communities define shared structure:
- Categories define what products are
- Templates + attributes + measures/units define how products are described
- Facets + facet tree define how products are found
Company workspaces operate on top of that structure:
- teams, roles, governance, integrations
- owned/managed products
- curated catalogs for publishing and exchange
Catalogs reuse products (no duplication), and products reuse templates
Data assets attach governed documentation/media to products, categories, and company profiles
Integrations and AI accelerate import, enrichment, validation, and syndication without breaking governance

Quick glossary

Community: shared domain space for taxonomy, terminology, facets, and governance
Company workspace: organization area for teams, products, catalogs, assets, and integrations
Category: taxonomy node that classifies products
Category template: inherited attribute set + rules used for product data capture
Attribute: standardized characteristic (typed, controlled, reusable)
Measure / Unit / Measurement system: governed technical measurement model (e.g., Pressure → bar → Metric)
Logistics Shape Profile: Category rule that resolves product logistics roles from attributes, packages, formulas, sold quantity, or not-applicable states
Domain: controlled value source for list attributes, optionally context-aware
Facet / Facet tree: taxonomy-driven filtering model for guided navigation
Product: canonical master record belonging to one category
Variant axis: attribute marked to define product variants
Brand: normalized brand entity for consistency and discovery
Catalog: curated product set for showcase/sales/offer/procurement publishing and exchange
Data asset: governed document/media object with versioning and reuse
Reference system: governed source of classification, dictionary, unit, or identifier meaning used for standards-based product data
Integration client: application, connector, feed, or API consumer that exchanges governed data with Actualog
Plan limits: quotas and feature toggles by subscription tier

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