How manufacturers can support specifiers – roundtable event

Getting specified

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:

• The technical data that is presented must be comprehensive, clear, accurate and up to date. If the data that a specifier requires is not at their fingertips when they need it then they may move to another product from a different manufacturer. In terms of the scope of this technical data, items such as guidance on application, third-party certification, performance data and supporting manuals for installation/ maintenance were all mentioned as key information that specifiers demand.
• For more complex systems and products, responsive technical support from a human is really valued. This can range from being on hand to answer a quick question (clarifying the application, or providing an indication of price) through to asking the manufacturer’s technical team to help develop a complex specification and recommend specialist subcontractors.

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.

Offering project support

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.

• In terms of projects on which a manufacturer has been selected – for the more complex building systems, where an architect or engineer knows the performance and outcomes that they would like to achieve, then being able to work collaboratively on the specification is seen as a big advantage. Traditionally, this would involve having template Microsoft Word files to adjust and emailing specifiers after technical discussions. On the day, a number of leading manufacturers discussed how they are now using NBS Chorus in a collaborative manner to author the specification with the architect or engineer directly in the platform.
• When it comes to discovering new projects and then proactively targeting the correct person at the correct organization, project information tools such as Glenigan were mentioned. Being able to monitor specific projects that have been submitted through planning in target sectors and regions was highlighted as a key way of winning business. Viewing the contacts from within the planning documentation, or through title blocks on proposed drawings, was mentioned as a great route into a project.

Building safety

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:

• How various systems interact to form connected elements. For example, partitions, doors, hardware and signage interact to form an internal wall. But there are also the interfaces between the systems that form the wall, and those that form the floor and ceiling. Expertise and collaboration between relevant parties is critical to ensure that products work within systems, which then work within their respective elements.
• The level of fire or structural performance required also depends on what is above or below a specified system. A specific example given here was whether a flat roof covering was on a timber deck or a concrete deck.

Connecting data to maximize sales efficiency

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.

Further information

Find out more about how NBS can support manufacturers at:

• https://manufacturers.thenbs.com.