Key personnel will work with BMDS data specialists to support the operational and marketing aspects of the IDP while also having a presence on the board.
National Buying Group is backing the industry’s move to a shared product-data platform — a step that will make it easier for merchants to access consistent, accurate product information and to manage sales and purchases more efficiently.
Building Materials Digital Services, a joint venture between the Builders Merchants Federation and NMBS, in which NBG is an external shareholder, is launching the Industry Data Pool that will accept product records in the Standardisation Format.
NBG’s five years of experience developing the Product Information Management system (PIM+) means NBG are in a strong position to play an active role in the IDP.
Suppliers and manufacturers are currently being asked to supply data in the Standardisation Template format. NBG has developed it’s PIM+ to receive marketing, logistics and Media data through the standardised format directly or through submission into the IDP.
The two systems are complementary, and the shared format ensures product information regarding marketing, logistics and media channels is widely reusable. By providing the data for one system, Suppliers will be ready to provide data for the other, as the Standardisation Template format applies equally to both.
That reusability delivers practical benefits for independent builders’ merchants, helping them present clear specifications, support smarter inventory decisions and create conditions that can boost sales.
Les Boyle, Head of Technology & Systems at NBG, said: “Standardised data is the foundation for smarter product presentation, stronger sales, and reduced duplication across the industry. By adopting the Standardisation Template, Suppliers can make their product information work harder and reach further. We would therefore encourage all Suppliers and manufacturers to sign up to the BMDS in order to provide their data to not only NBG but the wider merchant sector.”
Mark Hughes, Managing Director of NBG, said: “We’ve been using the PIM+ for five years now and can say from experience that you only get out of it what you put in. NBG’s PIM+ is currently the most comprehensive product management system available to NBG Partners, with more than, over 360 Suppliers and more than one million products. For Suppliers and merchants across the industry, to benefit from this new initiative, we all need to make sure we’re giving the most accurate data available and are taking advantage of the opportunity to boost sales it will make possible.”
