28th August 2020

NBS, the leading specification platform for the construction industry, has announced a partnership with trade association (FIS) to drive up standards and compliance through information sharing and best practice amongst construction professionals.

Fit-out is an essential aspect of the construction process, impacting the way a building looks and how it performs. NBS and FIS’s strategic partnership will ensure industry-wide compliance and best practice are pooled, and shared with specifiers, to drive further innovation in the sector.

In line with evolving design standards, this collaboration is part of a mutual commitment to improving the accuracy and quality of specifications, helping to support architects, designers and specifiers’ interpretation of information, and their ability to make informed choices.

For a specifier, interior fit-outs can be complex since there is so much to consider. The partnership seeks to overcome this challenge and provide specifiers with access to latest guidance documentation, informing best practice and validated by industry standards. High quality content and multiple content sets, linking to official design and specification standards are available to download here.

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Together, NBS and FIS seek to drive efficiencies, value and better design through specification content and improve the competencies of all that use an NBS Specification, reducing misunderstandings. Utilising NBS Source and NBS Chorus to deliver the most comprehensive, consistent and up-to-date catalogue of building product information and specifications.

Iain Mcilwee, CEO at FIS, said, “This partnership strengthens our relationship with NBS, taking it to the next level. It draws on the expertise of both organisations to deliver a more consistent and targeted approach in understanding and supporting specifiers’ needs for bold design, better risk management, and compliance.

Too often detailed design happens long after the building process has started and practical problems undermine intent. Simultaneously, information is not always presented in a way that enables specifiers to make informed choices and compare products and solutions.”

Richard Waterhouse, CSO, NBS, added, “We are at the epicentre of an evolving construction product landscape, from procedure to policy and with high demand for improved collaboration. With the emphasis of the Golden Thread of Information on the entire design process, manufacturers are being compelled to create a unified and consistent approach to product information, placing accountability at the forefront of decision-making. Specifiers, for their part, are also expected to streamline processes and record details to ensure a safe environment.”

He added, “Our partnership will enable us to work closely with the FIS and its members to deliver the best quality guidance and consistent standard of information on a single platform that is quickly understood”.

Commenting on the partnership, Sascia Elliott, Head of Partnerships, NBS, said, “Providing high quality information efficiently and accurately, in a cohesive way, promotes best practice and ensures industry structures align. This digital approach to help professionals do their jobs accurately is crucial to promote best practice within the wider construction industry.”

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