Understanding the specification process: A specifier’s perspective
29 August 2024
Get an inside perspective into how NBS software supports specifiers during projects and how manuf...
28 August 2024 | By NBS
NBS recently hosted a roundtable discussion in London to talk to manufacturers about industry trends, and how these may impact the world of specification. Manufacturers that provide systems and products to the world of architecture and engineering were in attendance.
One of the biggest goals of any building product manufacturer is to get specified on as many projects as possible. Discussions at the event centred on raising awareness, and then making it as easy as possible for construction professionals to specify their systems and products.
With respect to making things easy for specifiers, two points were clear:
In terms of raising awareness, promoting new product ranges and getting in front of decision makers, there were useful discussions about the best route to market. The biggest shift in recent years is the reluctance to spend unless a tangible return on investment can be evidenced. Digital technologies have changed behaviours hugely in recent years, with a focus being given to strong leads qualified by marketing and sales teams that are analysed in customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Whether organizations are taking a stand at a trade show or using LinkedIn advertising or being positioned in NBS Source – the question of the quantity and quality of leads is now front and centre. Being able to promote and connect directly to the project architect, lead specifier or other key decision maker is also of high importance.
The discussions also looked in more depth into how project support is delivered by manufacturer technical teams. This split into two streams of conversation; the first was about giving support on projects on which manufacturers have already been selected, and the second was about discovering new projects early on so that proactive support can be offered.
Detailed technical discussions on building safety took place. Fundamentally, it is essential to ensure that all technical information and any certification are correct and current. Going further than this, understanding the intended application and use of the system or product within the proposed design is also vital.
Examples of this included:
Finally, we looked further at the business side of a manufacturer’s operation – how they maximize the number of specifications, then maximize the number of orders that come from these specifications.
The ideal workflow proposed was to flag projects on which a manufacturer has been specified in a solution such as Glenigan. The most digital-savvy manufacturers apply predefined flags to Glenigan projects here where they have been specified for different sales colleagues’ attention, either by sector or region. Then, on a regular basis, they synchronize this information with the record of this project in their CRM system. This then allows them to receive notifications when a project hits key milestones – such as when a project goes to tender or when the building contract is agreed. In this situation, the specification can be tracked and supported all the way through to the system or product being installed on site.
Find out more about how NBS can support manufacturers at: