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BUSINESS HELPDESK


BLAZING A TRAIL TO DIGITAL


HELP DESK


TRANSFORMATION


The BMF’s ambition to implement ETIM as the accepted standard for transferring digitised data between manufacturers and merchants in the UK building, HVAC and plumbing sectors is moving on apace. The next stage will give members their opportunity to help develop the data model for the UK.


ETIM IS A SYSTEM of classifying technical product data that ensures all users employ the same attributes and values. It is already widely used in many European countries and has been adopted by the electrical products sector in the UK. The BMF is now pressing forward to fast track its implementation for building, plumbing and heating materials with the support of a diverse group of members that have signed up at ETIM Trailblazers. The Trailblazer group which includes merchants, manufacturers and buying organisations will support the numerous BMF working groups that begin meeting during this quarter to review and agree the data terms to be used for each component in each product area. Bradfords’ product data manager, Ruth Rose, said: “As a merchant dealing with thousands of products from thousands of suppliers, obtaining product information is no easy feat. If enough suppliers can get on board with ETIM to enable them to create one central source of data this would be the dream. Suppliers/manufacturers would only need to provide their data once and it would be easily accessible to all, saving time for everyone involved in the long run and increasing accuracy.” Another member of the Trailblazer group, Rob Barbour, Travis Perkins’ data and insights director, points to ETIM as a means to improve both the safety of buildings and supply chain efficiency as well as aiding the customer decision making process.


Barbour said: “We are really 10


well as ensuring supporting documents are always up to date, wherever they appear – which can only be a positive for everyone involved.” The BMF’s initial ETIM


working groups will cover bricks, insulation, sanitary ware and paints/adhesives, but others will quickly follow. In part the task is to anglicise existing European product terminology but the working groups will also identify and incorporate UK specific elements, which is why the BMF is keen to involve as many product experts as possible within each working group.


excited at the prospect of working with our peers to improve our standards across the industry through a common product communication language to the benefit of customers and suppliers. Accurate and consistent product data information is fundamental to empower customers to make better buying decisions, drive better safety and technical performance, and lower emissions of construction output. Having clear, accurate and trustworthy data shared between suppliers, merchants and customers, will in turn minimise errors and drive down costs, and so significantly improve our supply chain efficiency.” Some members of the Trailblazer group have already experienced the advantages of ETIM within their European operations and are keen to replicate the benefits in the UK. Siân Davenport, master data co-ordinator at Wavin said: “As Wavin manufactures products across Europe, it has adopted the use of ETIM across all its


European sites. This ensures company websites show the same product data to customers regardless of country. Some European customers also take the data as a direct feed into their own systems to facilitate sales and support. While in the UK the system is not widely adopted yet, it has been invaluable to our business in other countries to provide consistent product details about items manufactured here, for example the Hep2O range.” Others can see ETIM’s potential to ensure information is always up to date and also by providing a route to richer web content. Knauf’s digital marketing manager, Ciaran Nixon said: “The opportunity ETIM presents can revolutionise the way we transfer product data within the building industry. We feel that if the whole industry is on board with ETIM, it will lead to better product information being available from manufacturers right through to end consumers, whilst providing richer content such as videos and links, as


BMF ETIM project manager, Dave Bate said: “Not only has Covid increased the pace of growth in e-commerce transactions within the merchant industry but the growing use of BIM and the importance of the Golden Thread of information highlighted by the Hackitt Report are catalysts for the creation of trusted and consistent data that is easily transferable and recordable throughout the supply chain. I encourage manufacturers in every area to join the relevant working group and have their say.” The BMF’s ETIM working group meetings will all take place virtually to begin with. Each session will last no longer than two hours. BMJ


If you would like to find out more, or to join BMF’s ETIM Trailblazers and help to define the technical terms for your product sectors, please email Dave.Bate@bmf.org.uk


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net February 2021


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