2022 ushers in a new era for construction product marketers, with the option to incorporate changes from the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI). Lee Jones, Head of Manufacturing Solutions at NBS, discusses how manufacturers can benefit
Dame Judith Hackitt’s 2018 report, Builder a Safer Future, set the blueprint for the way the construction industry is changing. As part of the findings, it identified that if the sector was to “do better”, it must improve transparency and building accuracy and that radical change was needed in the testing, information and marketing of building products.
Since then, the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) has been developed, with the principal idea that product information should be clear, accurate, up-to-date, accessible and unambiguous – and importantly, presented in the form of digital data.
Whilst for some, the thought of these changes may cause apprehension, they are in fact set to benefit manufacturers and specifiers alike, improving areas such as safety and regulatory compliance whilst boosting sales potential. In NBS and Glenigan’s recently released Manufacturers’ Marketing Report, the case is made that early adopters will be given the chance to ‘level up’ their current marketing offering, whilst maintaining a greater level of control on where products are used.
Although the CCPI’s suggested changes are championing industry best practice, there still remains some hesitancy from manufacturers when it comes to investing in digital product data. Yet many recognise its importance.
One in three placed managing product information as “a barrier to effective marketing”, however, a surprising 63% of product manufacturers still rely on PDFs to share product data. As is widely recognised, this approach can be problematic – once shared, information can quickly become of out date, running the risk that it may unwittingly, find its way into the design specifications of a final build.
According to our research, six in ten respondents also see the CCPI and changing building regulations favourably. Despite the changes being seen as a force for good, manufacturers are delaying taking direct action.
Yet the rise of product libraries, databases and product information management systems (PIMs) are presenting better routes to managing product data, integrating into manufacturer websites for an auto-update listing function. For both manufacturers and specifiers, this can be an extremely time efficient way of working, while adding a layer of quality control that the right specs are being used in the right way.
Ensuring up-to-the-minute digital data will offer peace of mind that the correct information is being used in specifications. Equally, for manufacturers it offers complete oversight as to where products are planned to be used.
The CCPI changes aren’t just about improving regulatory compliance, manufactures can also benefit commercially. NBS’ Digital Construction Report shows 81% of specifiers now want manufacturers to provide information as BIM or digital objects – with 92% of medium-sized organisations wanting information in this way.
As time and accuracy pressures increase, supplying product information in a digital format can greatly improve their work rate efficiency, particularly as many now use product specification platforms when designing.
At the moment, these changes still remain UK-specific and are still savvy to an opt-in subscription but it isn’t a stretch to imagine this is the beginning stages of mandatory measures, particularly if they are proven to be successful. Manufacturers that act now will be best placed to take on these new measures, whilst improving safety and industry practice in the process.
