What is What Specifiers Want?
The NBS Specification Survey serves as a way for construction professionals to inform the industry about their changing needs when it comes to specification writing. The findings also help NBS to improve the tools and resources we provide.
As NBS Chief Executive Richard Waterhouse points out: “BIM is rapidly becoming the industry standard for developing, delivering and maintaining project documentation. As construction professionals continue to adopt these new digital ways of working, we need to understand how people are producing specifications and selecting products, how they do it and what tools or resources they use.”
We published our NBS Specification Report for construction professionals in May 2017 and this month sees the publication of our What Specifiers Want report aimed at construction product manufacturers. Both reports draw on the findings of our specification survey with analysis and informative articles from thought leaders.
What are the key findings in the report?
Among the headline statistics in this year's study are the fact that:
- Product performance criteria is seen as the most influential factor when specifying.
- 78% of respondents consider their relationship with and previous experience of the manufacturer or product when deciding which product to choose.
- Manufacturer websites remain a key destination when selecting product for inclusion, and NBS Plus is more commonly used at the point of product selection.
- 70% of respondents relied on manufacturers for help and support when selecting products, and a similar number would like "better communication between consultants, contractors and manufacturers to ensure effective product selection processes".
- 80% agreed that product substitution is still an issue in the industry and manufacturer advice can be invaluable here.
We also explore what the future might look like for specifications and what manufacturers can do to support the specification process.
What else can I expect from the report?
As well as findings from the survey, the free-to-download report includes expert insight and analysis, including:
An introduction to the report from NBS CEO Richard Waterhouse- 15 reasons why specifications are still important, Tina Pringle, Head of Technical Information, NBS
- The role of specifications in ensuring design intent - a manufacturer's view - David Wigglesworth, SFS intec
- A designer's view on specifications and the support they need, Malcolm Brown, FaulknerBrowns
- A collection of views from around the industry including:
- Nigel Wright, Architect and Director, Wright Class Solutions Ltd
- John Carpenter, Associate, Allies & Morrison
- Laura Mansel-Thomas, Partner, Engineering, Ingleton Wood LLP
- Sally-Anne Balmer, Architect and Technical Author, NBS
(Previously Associate Architect with Bradshaw Gass & Hope LLP (Construction Design Consultants)
- Digitising manufacturers' product data, Dr Stephen Hamil, Director of Research and Innovation, NBS
- The legalities behind specifications, Sarah Wilson and Bal Manak, Watson Burton LLP
- Understanding need: How NBS can help manufacturers build lasting relationships, David Bain, Research Manager, NBS
Download the full free report
