Chapter 10: Product and Service Data

Product data are crucial to the smooth specification, design, delivery and operation of built assets, yet it is not always structured or managed effectively and is often kept in silos or provided by those without the necessary capability. Effective product data management is more important now than ever, with the Building Safety Act and the Morell and Day Review into product testing, but also to take full advantage of new technologies such as automation. Product data are relevant throughout the supply chain, and not just in the design or delivery phases of an asset, and if well managed can be accessible and useful all the way through the lifecycle of a product, by those often not involved in the specification or final construction stages. This chapter looks at the importance of product data, reasons for and considerations when structuring them, and describes potential use cases of product data through a product lifecycle.