13th August 2026

Six building product suppliers have been shortlisted for the inaugural Data Yard Data Excellence Award, recognising their commitment to improving the quality, completeness and consistency of their product information.

The new award, sponsored by Epicor, celebrates organisations that are helping to raise standards for product data across the building materials sector.

As digital channels become increasingly important to the way building products are marketed, specified and sold, the quality of the information behind those products will play an increasingly important role. Complete, accurate and structured product data is not only essential for improving digital commerce and customer experiences but is also increasingly important for supporting regulatory requirements, compliance, traceability and industry standards.

The Data Excellence Award recognises that this is about more than technical achievement. It highlights businesses that understand that product data is a strategic business asset and are taking the lead in improving the quality of product information available across the supply chain.

The six nominees are:

ACO – recognised for its ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving its product data, demonstrating that data quality is an ongoing process rather than a one-off exercise.
C-TEC – recognised for becoming the first and only supplier to achieve Data Yard Level 5, setting a benchmark for the industry and demonstrating what best-practice product data can look like.
Fernco – recognised for the speed of its improvement and its high level of engagement during onboarding, demonstrating a proactive and collaborative approach throughout its Data Yard journey.
Long Rake Spar – recognised for outstanding engagement and a clear commitment to going beyond the minimum standard, continually seeking opportunities to improve its product data.
Palio – recognised for exceptional engagement and the considerable effort invested in preparing and enhancing its product data, resulting in a high-quality dataset ready for publication.
Wavin – recognised for achieving one of the strongest SKU-to-completeness ratios across Data Yard, alongside consistent and measurable improvements to its product data over time.

Gareth Thomas, Managing Director, Data Yard said, “Launched as an industry-owned data pool in 2025, Data Yard’s mission is to establish consistent, high-quality product data that benefits the whole supply chain – from manufacturers and suppliers through to merchants and, ultimately, the end customer.

“By recognising the suppliers that are leading the way in this transformation, the Data Excellence Award aims to encourage more businesses to invest in their product information and help establish consistent data standards across the building materials sector.”

Adam Lee, Senior Sales Manager, UKI, Epicor said, “Epicor was one of the first companies to invest in Data Yard as a shareholder in its parent company, BMDS, and we are proud sponsors of the inaugural Data Excellence Award. As the industry continues its digital transformation, trusted, accurate product data is becoming essential for helping merchants, distributors and their customers, and suppliers collaborate more effectively, improve operational efficiency, and deliver a better customer experience.”

The winner of the inaugural Data Yard Data Excellence Award will be announced at the BMF Members’ Day Awards Dinner, which takes place on 17th September 2026, after the BMF Members’ Day Annual Conference.

The BMF Annual Members Conference and Awards will be held at the Belfry Hotel and Resort in Sutton Coldfield from 16th-17th September. Members can find more information and book their place here.