Timber merchants and distributors are no longer in the business of supplying just wood. A bit of 2×4 or a sheet of exterior plywood might have served a multitude of needs in the past, but those days are numbered.

The pressure is on to supply timber products that can prove their suitability for specific applications – and it’s coming from two different directions. The Construction Products Directive, harmonised European Standards and CE marking are elbowing their way slowly but surely into the trading arena. The whole thrust of the CE marking process is to show exactly what each product can be used for – and it will affect anyone selling into the construction industry.

The construction industry itself is becoming much more demanding in this regard, as it strives to meet the challenges of the Egan Report in improving quality and customer satisfaction. As part of that, it wants better technical support and more product information from its suppliers.

The timber industry, merchants included, have long been aware of the need for good technical information. Manufacturers of panel products and engineered products have been quick to supply technical support literature to help launch their wares and win market share, but also to educate distributors and end users. Sadly, too much knowledge remains with the sales team and too little product literature has found its way to point of sale. That will have to change.

New learning curve

Merchants in future will have to demonstrate their product knowledge more visibly, by presenting timber and wood products in a way that leaves no doubt about what they should be used for. It will not be a completely new learning curve – many companies already explicitly show on delivery and sales dockets the fitness/unfitness for purpose of plywood under BS 5268, for example. Clear packaging or labelling of all wood products in this way will be one element in moving further down this route, storing products in distinct sections in the yard or warehouse.

Technical information at point of sale in a user-friendly format will be a further safeguard, to ensure that products sold are not only fit for purpose but are used correctly when they reach the building site. The merchant and builder will be seen to have joint responsibility in this and ignorance will be no defence if it goes wrong.

&#8220Merchants in future will have to demonstrate their product knowledge more visibly, by presenting timber and wood products in a way that leaves no doubt about what they should be used for”

Inevitably, there’s a big stick to make sure suppliers comply with the CPD, which is mandatory, and with CE marking which is likely to become mandatory for an increasing number of construction products. Every EU country has appointed its own enforcement authority to police this – in Britain, Trading Standards officers will be responsible for enforcement, aided by Building Control. In Northern Ireland the task falls to the Environmental Health Authority, in the Republic of Ireland to the Health and Safety Authority. Breaches of the law can lead to penalties involving imprisonment and fines.

Adding value

But there are carrots, too. Selling products for a specific end use must surely add value to timber sales. And look at the DIY chains, which for years have provided good “how to” literature with the products they sell. They may have been slated in the past for buying and storing timber and sheet materials badly, but they have a head start on many merchants when it comes to point of sale support across a huge range of products – not just to help customers but as a fruitful marketing tool to increase turnover.

In addition, merchants themselves can further benefit from buying and selling more wisely. The TRADA Technology report, The UK Timber Supply Chain: Improving Management and Reducing Environmental Impact, identified a problem which is costing companies money, ie material delivered to site that is “fit for grade” (it satisfies the production specification), but is not “fit for purpose” (supplying an inappropriate product for a particular end use application).

By finding out exactly what the buyer wants to do with the product and providing the right material for the job can avoid waste of time, loss of goodwill and unnecessary transport.

It has never been more important for the whole supply chain to understand the products they are selling. Time is short, but it’s not too late to review your selling policy and to take the lead.