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Est. 1914


AN UPDATE FROM THE ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTORS' ASSOCIATION Issue 34 July 2023


Expert panel links building safety to product data


Discussion chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt drew crowds at ETIM UK's digitalisation and building safety debate during Digital Construction Week


Standardised product data is essen­ tial to building safety, according to a panel of industry experts at Digital Construction Week 2023. The dis­ cussion was chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt, chair of the review of building regulations and fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. ETIM is an international data


model for the standardisation of product data, and ETIM UK Ltd, a joint venture between the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and the EDA. returned to Digital Con­ struction Week this year. The panellists represented key


players in the construction supply chain. Manufacturers were repres­ ented by Nico Van Der Merwe, CEO, Signify UK and Ireland (formerly Philips Lighting); merchants by Frank Elkins, Chief Operating Officer at Travis Perkins Pie, and house builders by Angus Macdonald, Founder and CEO of Galion. Stephen Jeffery, Chief Technical Officer at Mace, spoke for major contractors. Dame Judith emphasised that the


UK is moving into the implement­ ation phase of building safety with digital technologies being used to support that process, and warned that businesses that are slow to ad­ apt could be left behind.


A.Dame Judith Hackitt, inset, chaired the panel of industry experts (l-r) Nico van der Merwe, Frank Elkins, Angus Macdonald and Stephen Jeffery


Key themes emerging from the discussion included:


• larger businesses must help SMEs digitalise;


• the construction industry must focus on collaboration;


• access to high-quality product data is a challenge for businesses; • trade bodies are a major force in driving the digitalisation agenda; • businesses that avoid digitalisation may be left behind; and


• standards and procedures must be crystal clear.


Since publishing her report in 2018, Dame Judith has continued to


press for regulatory and industry culture change. Her recommend­ ations for radical reform of regu­ lations received Royal Assent in the Building Safety Act 2022.


FROM THE


BOARDROOM One of the EDA Board of Man­ agement's most important duties is reviewing applications from poten­ tial new Members and Affiliates. Our board meeting agendas are dominated by this important task The number of applications has increased recently. Most new Wholesaler Members come to us through a buying group that provides background information


ETIM was adopted by the BMF in 2019 for building materials, HVAC and plumbing products; and by the EDA in 2017 for electrotechnical products.


John Newcomb, CEO at the BMF, said: 'One of the prime takeaways of the event is the need for collab- oration across the whole supply chain to drive change.' Margaret Fitz- simons, CEO at the EDA. added: 'Today we brought together senior representatives from the supply chain to tell their data stories.'


Turn to page 2 for more about the► ETIM UK Networking Reception


For more information, visit www.etim-uk.co.uk or search for 'ETIM UK' on Linkedln.


to help the Board make its decision. For Affiliates, all companies are


visited by the CEO and another board member. It's a pleasure to get to know new companies. Even the gale force winds of Storm Noa could not keep us away from a re­ cent due diligence visit to two of our newest Manufacturer Affiliates in Wales - Super Rod and Consort Equipment Products Ltd. Meanwhile, the EDA Product Knowledge Modules are digitised and ready for the industry to use.


11 ElectricalDA W @eda_uk ��LIABLE w


The EDA Board chose a third party to digitise the modules and, thanks to a massive logistical effort by the EDA's training team led by Tracy Hewett, the static workbooks come to life with hundreds of videos and graphics. These modules are industry-best


and well worth your time and in­ vestment.Tum to page 5 for more.


Edgar Aponte CEO Rexel UK


EDA Board of Management


T: 020 3 141 7350 E: info@eda.org.uk training@eda.org.uk W: www.eda.org.uk lffl Electrical Distributors' Association


New Member round-up


A warm welcome to the whole­ saler Members who joined the association from I April 2023: • ABM Electrical Distribut­ ors Ltd (Fegime UK),


• Fox Electrical Supplies Ltd (Fegime UK),


• Blackwater Electrical Supplies (IBA),


• Greendays Lighting Ltd (IBA),


• Reliable Electrical Supplies Limited (IBA), and


• Worsley Electrical Supplies (UK) Ltd (IBA).


RBm


ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTORS LTC


ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES Ltd


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