In This Guide:

OSCM 4025 - Purchasing and Supply Management: Classification codes

About classification codes

There are many classification codes, and sadly, they overlap in part only, never completely. They also have different principles, and different purposes! Here are some of them:

To describe an economy (production)
To describe trade
To determine tariffs

Some are national or regional, others are more global.

For more detail than is on this page, see these webpages:

Important codes to know about now

2017 NAICS Outline
From the Census Bureau.
Harmonized System (HS-2012 edition; from the World Customs Organization)
This link goes to an outline of the 2012 edition of the HS. There is a 2017 edition, but it is fee-based.
The HS was first created in 1988.
What is the Harmonized System? (WCO)
Introduction to the HS from the World Customs Organization.
HTS (from the USITC)
For imports
By the way, the full name is "Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule".
UNSPCS (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code)
From the UN, explicitly for procurement.

General business directories

Which directory should you use?

–  For quick look-ups: use Business Insights Essentials (BIE) or Hoover's Company Records
–  For international scope: use Business Insights Essentials, Hoover's or Nexis Uni
–  For comprehensive US coverage of both public and private companies: Mergent Intellect (also covers Canadian companies)
–  For creating downloadable lists of companies: Mergent Intellect or Nexis Uni.

Gale Business Insights from Gale
Formerly: Business Insights: Essentials
Searches business journals and magazines, industry reports and encyclopedia articles focusing on company and business information. Indexing 1980-present. Full-text mostly 1990-present.

Formerly: Business Company Resource Center.

Hoover's Company Records (Mergent and D&B, via ProQuest)
October 2020 - present. Profiles include brief overviews of management, financials, industry, and competition.

Mergent Intellect from Mergent
Directory database for private and public U.S and international businesses. Provides facts and figures, executive contact information, and industry profiles. Allows creation and downloading of lists.

Nexis Uni - company directory search
This link goes to the landing page for Nexis Uni business content and search forms.
Scroll down to Company Dossier, and use:
– "Find a Company": for quick lookups
– "Create a Company List": for creating downloadable lists

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This database is a portal: it has strong coverage in news, business, and the law.

Directory websites

ThomasNet
Formerly the print directory Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, or the "big green books". Searching is free.
ThomasNet Need-to-Know Guides
If you're unsure about a process, or a type of supply, these guides can be really helpful in providing an overview.
MacRAE's Bluebook
An industrial directory for the US
Zycon
"The search engine for manufacturers."