Delivering Product Information

Utilizable product information is needed throughout a project’s life. There are many reasons why. Designers need to understand the availability and quality of manufactured products. Specifiers need to translate designers’ quality constraints into specific products or types of products. Contractors need to quickly find and purchase specified products. Owner’s representatives need to assure the quality of delivered products. Commissioning agents need direct access to maintenance schedules and special tool requirements. Facility managers need access to product literature as well as warranty contractors and parts suppliers.

The U.S. Army, under the leadership of the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and the Specifications Consultants in Independent Practice, began the Specifiers’ Properties information exchange (SPie) project to transform this paper-based data into utilizable building information. One concern from the start of the project was to ensure that lessons were learned from the failure of past electronic product catalog efforts.