Electrium are leading the way as part of an initiative with the IET to encourage other manufacturers in the construction industry to take ownership of their product information. A series of articles are being produced and manufacturers are encouraged to join a discussion group to share their views.

The result of these discussions will be the publication of a ‘Plain Language Guide’ which will help manufacturers to manage their product data digitally to benefit both their customers and business.

The guide will set out why digital product data is important and how manufacturers can benefit by taking simple low-cost steps, and to encourage manufacturers to take steps to make sure their products are traceable for customer’s future projects.

The project, which is urging manufacturers to digitise their product data to help future proof the industry is being led by the IET, with support from BEAMA and Construction Products Europe, and Electrium is playing a key part of the process alongside other leading businesses such as IBM.

The Editorial Board is led by social strategist Su Butcher, who has devised an article/call process to enable a wide range of manufacturers to engage with the project team and help the Plain Language Guide succeed.

The Initiative is supported by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Construction Products Europe and the UK BIM Alliance.

Trisha Massey, Standard and Regulations Manager at Electrium, is spearheading the project on behalf of Electrium and sees the importance of handling this data to help the industry and customers alike. “Knowing where your products have been installed is essential to assist with public safety..”

“The new Building Safety Bill requires building owners to certify their buildings are safe, and that requires knowing what is in them. We are also seeing increasing instances of construction companies being prosecuted for product related failure. Manufacturers will need to conform to the market need for standardised, traceable product information soon.

Blane Judd, Chair of IET Built Environment Panel, said at about the project, “One of the goals of the IET’s Built Environment Panel is to support the digitalisation of the built environment sector. This still has a long way to go and a better understanding and management of product data will make a significant contribution to this journey. Delivering built as designed buildings which will perform better and are safer can be a reality.

New International Standards published this year make it possible for information to be provided in a standardised, interoperable way.  The aim for this new initiative is to create a simple process that will allow manufacturers to make their products traceable and protect against fraud and incompatible product substitution.

John Parsons, Digital Director at BEAMA, also welcomes the new initiative, “I am pleased to see the culmination of a lot of effort in the launch of the “plain language guide”. We are excited at the prospect of new, fresh, open conversations on the topic of product data.”

The first article was published on 4^th September. Manufacturers who want to participate can read the article and sign up to join the call here: https://communities.theiet.org/blogs/948

As a leading manufacturer and domestic, commercial circuit protection as well as wiring accessories and cable management, Electrium is continuing to help and support our industry, creating a safer environment for both our customers and colleagues.