May 2024

Product Choice
BUILDING TRUST: A FOCUS ON CCPI
Gavin White, Head of Product Management - Roofing at Sika, explains why when it comes
to product choice and the systems being installed on projects, in terms of product
information, transparency and traceability are absolutely crucial...
Whether you are specifying, using,
choosing or maintaining a construction
product, you are basing your actions,
and indeed your trust, on the product information
available to you. This information can be
published on a website, it could have been sent
to you in the form of a written specification
document, or it could have even been provided
by email. However, questions have been raised
about the accuracy of the data available and the
processes in place to maintain its validity. As a
result, a large proportion of the construction
industry has been calling for a culture shift
towards enhanced traceability and transparency
in the way product information is managed and
presented.
That is why the Code for Construction Product
Information (CCPI) could not have come sooner
for the built environment. Initiated by the
Construction Product Association (CPA) as a
direct result of Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of
Building Regulations and Fire Safety, the new
code has been created to promote an urgent
move towards increased transparency and
traceability in the way manufacturers create,
manage and present product information.
Decoding the CCPI
The code features 11 robust ways of working to
ensure compliance around many aspects of
product information management. The 11
clauses can be divided into four sections:
Information Creation; Core Information;
Associated Information; and Support and
Competence. It means that those specifying and
purchasing the products can have confidence
that all the information available is correct, up to
date, accessible and unambiguous. It aims to
provide additional peace of mind in terms of
Gavin White, Head of
Product Management –
Roofing at Sika
“The hope is that CCPI
becomes increasingly
adopted and
prioritised, and the
move towards more
transparency and
traceability is
continued”
warranties and guarantees, providing extra
clarity and assurance on terms and
requirements.
Information Creation: Clauses 1-3 of the code
requires product information to be thoroughly
considered from the very start of the process.
Therefore, there needs to be clear ownership,
process, and structures in place for how product
information is created and managed throughout
its lifecycle. There should be effective means to
ensure version control and language should not
be misleading or ambiguous.
Core Information: Clauses 4-7 ensure that
product information is clear, accessible and
always up to date. It highlights how important it
is for the product information to be relied upon,
and the necessity for regular reviews by
competent people. It includes the requirements
to provide valid and demonstrable
documentation when claiming compliance to or
achievement of any certification, classification or
industry standard, and provide verifiable
information when making any product
performance claims which are outside of
certification, classification or industry standard
tests. It also requires companies to make
available on their webpage the descriptive and
physical characteristics of the construction
product and to ensure all changes affecting
product information are identified and changed
through the correct procedures.
Associated Information: Clauses 8-9 of the
code deal with the product information pertinent
to handling, installation, operation, maintenance
and disposal, along with transparency on
warranties and guarantees. Specifically, it means
publishing the associated information clearly on
the company website, and to cover any
guarantee or warranty information in precise
detail including terms, exclusions and
requirements.
Support and Competence: Clauses 10 and 11
require manufacturers to take responsibility for
ensuring their staff are competent for the role
they undertake, and that access to advice and
help is straightforward. It also emphasises that
there should be an awareness of individual
competence levels and any limitations
associated to the handling of product
information. The clauses lay out the need for
visible technical helpline contact details on
company websites, and to have in place a robust
20 TC MAY 2024