We’ve been going through the usual trauma when installing a new computer system and presumably that old adage ‘no pain, no gain’ will come true in the longer term, as efficiencies and reporting start to pay back. At the moment, though, we’re still trying to find which drop down will actually create what used to be a simple key stroke.
Part of the preparations for this change involved a total review of customer and product files, pricing and item descriptions. Amongst many points of discussion a ‘timber trade classic’ emerged and I thought it might be of interest: marine plywood.
This is an absolute cracker! Here we are, tackling BS 5268 Part 2 and the impending era of EN13986, while customers still ask for marine plywood. Quite what the point of this product is in a building beats me, but presumably architects and specifiers have clung on to the name as a mark of quality.
And the timber trade gives them just what they ask for; sheets of plywood marked ‘1088 Marine’ or something similar – some even go further and state BS 1088 or worse still TO BS 1088.
What the trade’s saying is that this material either actually is or purports to be made to a British Standard. But, unless anyone tells me differently, there are only two manufacturers of marine grade plywood to BS 1088 in the world and neither of them is in Brazil or the Far East where nearly all of the plywood a merchant can purchase called ‘marine’ comes from!
Come on, this is stone age thinking. Surely we can do better? This is a perfect example of when we should promote products which actually conform to a standard. Why do credible importers still sell in such a way? Can’t we see a major problem looming, or is it just too hard to tackle?
As a starting point let’s at least tell customers up front that it’s not a tested or approved product and then move on from there, before it does become an issue.
In the meantime, can anyone tell me how to get my new program to just print a ticket?
