Are you certain of how to deliver the information management requirements – the golden thread – of the Building Safety Act? If not, you’re not alone.
In a recent NBS survey of 476 construction professionals – the vast majority of whom identified themselves as consultants, designers or specifiers – nearly half (45%) agreed they were clear about how they will manage information. Almost a third (30%) neither agreed nor disagreed, but fully a quarter either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement.
NBS said: “Over the last year, clarity about managing information to realise the golden thread has not improved. In our 2022 survey, 46% of all respondents said they were clear – almost exactly the same number as in our [latest] survey.”
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In the white paper detailing the survey result, NBS noted: “While suppliers do not have a dutyholder role under the Act, there will be increasing emphasis on, and scrutiny of, their product information. Dutyholders that are liable for their decisions, such as consultants and contractors, will need to be confident that they have reliable information about the products that they specify and install.”
Suppliers’ information
NBS then posed the question: can consultants and contractors rely on the information that suppliers provide?
More than 50 manufacturers or suppliers took part in the survey, and the survey results indicate that many do have robust processes in place to ensure that their product information is reliable. For instance, the vast majority (89%) stated that they provide clear, unambiguous and accurate information, and make it easily accessible in a digital format.
A similar percentage (87%) stated that they make that information easily accessible in digital format.
A similarly large majority (84%) agreed that they provide third-party certification to validate published product information. A slightly lower majority (81%) have an internal sign-off and version control process.
It should be noted that the NBS white paper does not reveal the rest of the supply chain’s views of manufacturers’ and suppliers’ readiness to provide the right information in the right way.
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