C OMMENT & OPINION
BMF: MOVING FORWARD AT FORTY Peter Hindle MBE, BMF Chairman
2018 IS A LANDMARK year for the BMF on several counts. As you may know, it marks our 40th anniversary as the Builders Merchants Federation as well as our 110th year as a trade body for the industry. While we mark our heritage, our main focus is on the future. Our new partnership with Allied Merchants Buying Associa- tion (AMBA), which gives - cal presence in Ireland, is a real landmark to celebrate. Formed only seven years ago, AMBA is the fastest growing merchant buying group in Ireland, encompass- ing 17 members with 85 outlets and an annual spend materials, plumbing and heating goods and timber products. All 17 joined the BMF on 1st December 2017. This is the start of a new chapter for the BMF. With AMBA members in the vanguard, we now have
a foothold in Ireland that we will foster and develop, encouraging companies on both the merchant and supply side to join the Federation.
With Brexit on the horizon, this takes on particular importance. Much of the Brexit news agenda at the end of last year focused on the nature of a hard or soft customs border between Ireland and the UK, yet many building materials producers administer the UK and Ireland as one commercial region and it is likely that this will continue beyond Brexit. By drawing closer, both AMBA and the BMF can develop a greater awareness and understanding of the issues of all members. This is an exciting opportunity for the BMF, However, it will undoubtedly bring its own challenges, not all of them related to Brexit.
There are, for example, a number of differences in the way the supply chain operates in Ireland. With a higher proportion of rural or geographically remote areas than the UK, there are many small independent outlets who act as the local provider of building materials as part of a far wider stock range. They may well need different services and a different type of political representation to take account of this. We need to is required and develop a response together. That said, when John Newcomb and I travelled to Dublin to meet with AMBA’s members it was clear that some BMF services will immediately add value to their businesses.
Merchants in Ireland have the same desire to recruit, train and retain a dynamic workforce as those in the UK. We can bring immediate
solutions to the party in this regard through our training offer. The new Trade Supplier Apprenticeship that will be offered through BMF Apprenticeship Plus this year will also be equally relevant in the UK and Ireland.
Our new Irish members are keen to create a dialogue with like-minded merchants and suppliers, opening another market for our supplier members. When it comes to merchanting, there is far more that unites the UK and Ireland than divides us. Expanding into the Irish merchant community will strengthen the BMF and
REINFORCE YOUR CYBER SECURITY
Cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated and their attacks are becoming more frequent and persistent, as they take advantage of weaknesses within company security systems, says Quiss Technology’s Matt Rhodes.
ONE OF THE largest builder’s merchant groups in the UK, Jewson, discovered one of the downsides to modern technology at the end of last year, when its Jewson Direct online store was the target of a security breach, which reportedly compromised the personal data of around 1,700 customers.
security breaches regularly making headline news, it is no longer enough for businesses to claim they can resist potential cyber threats. They must instead
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be able to prove it: their current security controls, before being sent to a recognised body for review.
This basic level of a snapshot of the organisation at that time – it does not provide assurance that systems to defend against more sophisticated or persistent attacks.
Cyber Essentials Plus, however, requires an organisation to undergo a much more thorough assessment, which is
based on internal security assessments of end-user devices.
Controls
Using a range of specialist tools and techniques, the Cyber Essentials Plus assessment directly tests that individual controls have been implemented correctly, recreating various attack scenarios to determine whether a dealing with potential threats.
The Cyber Essentials Plus
technical controls in place, including; • – devices designed to prevent unauthorised access to or from private networks, which require good setup to achieve maximum effectiveness; – ensuring systems are the requirements of an organisation; – only allowing those with
January 2018 BMJ
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