Spec Finish

Feature www.thefis.org 23 products should adhere to, specifying named products, and proposing and approving alternative products for substitution. To ensure that manufacturers produce and present information on their products that is clear, accurate, up-to-date, accessible and unambiguous, the CPA recommended the introduction of a Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) to be a new industry code of conduct. The ‘golden thread’ British Gypsum as an organisation is a dedicated supporter of the new CCPI. We are committed to providing our customers and construction partners with a ‘golden thread’ of information to ensure that we support them with complete transparency of drylining product and system information, and do our part in building better. Whilst already confident of our approach, we have undertaken an additional in-depth review of how we approach marketing and data integrity when it comes to product and system performance data, to ensure that we continue to lead the way in building better by sharing our collective know-how and innovative drylining systems and products with our customers and construction partners. A specialist consultancy service In order to provide the support and service that our customers and construction partners need, the first approach we have taken to respond to their requirements is to enhance our technical support team with additional highly skilled experts and designers, to provide a specialist consultancy service that supports them on major construction projects. To operate as a consultant, our team of experts will each have several years of relevant relevant industry experience and undergone continual training and development to ensure that they understand and know how to use and apply the training they have undertaken. As both the testing and training records are independently audited, we are confident that our team of experts are able to apply their drylining system experience and collective know- how to provide high-performance drylining solutions that deliver sustainability and performance for both people and our planet. A single source of truth Having our team of drylining experts in place is just one part of our approach to managing competency when providing support and solutions to our customers. In order to further drive the significant shift in culture that Dame Hackitt is calling for, we will soon launch our new website to effectively mark the ‘step change’ in our offering. To ensure that we provide a ‘single source of truth’, the new website will be fed by a new product information management (PIM) system. This system is our new central data repository that allows us to continue to keep all product, system and drylining specification data up-to-date and consistent across all collateral automatically, which will be in line with the CCPI. In addition to this, to make sure that we continue to provide drylining solutions that are fit-for-purpose and safe, going forward we will only test and publish specification performance data on our website to the latest BS-EN standards. We will continue to support partner construction customers specifying and building to the BS standard with the required specification data, however, to aid transparency and avoid confusion, this will not be served automatically from the new website’s specification selector tool. The approach we are taking significantly simplifies the fire claims we make for our drylining systems and specifications, demonstrating our technical leadership in drylining, giving our customers confidence that we remain committed to helping them build better and improve the lives of the communities they serve. A rigorous testing programme It is our core role as manufacturers and drylining system designers, to produce products and systems which perform as specified, now and in the future. Part of this is controlling product changes and being sure that any change does not downgrade the performance of our drylining specifications. British Gypsum has management systems in place to make it easier for building designers and contractors to specify British Gypsum systems, assured of the structural, acoustic and fire protection performance for both occupier safety and comfort. Our extensive bank of test evidence is rigorously maintained through a thorough, routine testing programme, with most British Gypsum Drylining system tests being carried out at our independent UKAS accredited Building Test Centre. Training for the future As the performance of a building depends on the correct initial design, products guaranteed to perform as tested and the subsequent high-quality installation, it is now more important than ever to lead the way in upskilling and future- proofing the professional drylining and plastering labour force. For a long time, we have supported college learners through our college partnership training programmes, and we support our trade customers with training schemes such as our Certified Plasterer Scheme – again, answering the calls for support that our customers are calling for. Our training academies are located across the country and are run by drylining system installation and plastering experts. By having these experts at the forefront and sharing our technical know-how, we intend to ensure the highest of standards with both those entering the industry and those continuing to develop their expertise and their drylining and plastering careers. Looking ahead The construction industry has been faced with a high level of scrutiny in previous years and it is our responsibility as a UK manufacturer to tackle this head on and improve our own standards, whilst encouraging our partner construction customers to do the same. Having reviewed the way in which we manage our own marketing and data integrity it is clear that the only way to achieve lasting and tangible results for the business and our customers, is to provide clear and accurate product, system and specification information that can be relied upon. However, in order to ensure that the projects we specify maintain an accurate and up-to-date ‘golden thread’ of information, we are urging our partner construction customers within the industry to join us in taking responsibility and helping us build safer and build better. British Gypsum and FIS As part of our commitment to building better, we are pleased to work closely with the FIS on a range of topics knowing they too have the same aspirations. Some examples of our collaboration include KickStart and our commitment to increasing the skills of new entrants through our site ready skimming course, the Net-Zero Round Table (which is designed to deliver net zero carbon targets in the built environment by 2050), our review of the outdated British Standards used by our sector (BS 8000 Past 8 and BS 8212), and the FIS Drylining Specification Best Practice Guide which is due to be completed by the end of 2021. By working closely with the FIS and using our collective knowledge to translate client aspirations into buildings that work for the communities they serve, we are confident our expertise and insight developed over more than 100 years will create better buildings for everybody. www.british-gypsum.com