The Power of PIM: Why Product Information Management Matters to Architects
How the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) helps manufacturers build trust and win specifications.
What Exactly is a PIM?
It’s a question many architects and specifiers have asked at some point. Why would they need to know what a Product Information Management platform is? To understand more about PIM, here's a simple definition:
"A PIM system handles the process of managing data required for marketing and selling products. It’s the central hub where a variety of product information and digital assets come together."
You can find out more about what a PIM is and its role in modern manufacturing by checking out the article here.
Today, more than ever, the importance of accurate, verified, and easily accessible product data has never been more important and for many architects, Product Information Management has become essential.
At Sinc, we’ve seen this shift up close. Our platform was built specifically to help manufacturers manage and maintain their product data. But to understand why this matters so much, it’s important to step back and see the bigger picture.
The Specifier’s Dilemma
For decades, architects trusted that technical data provided by manufacturers was accurate and dependable. That trust was shaken by the Grenfell disaster and the subsequent inquiry, which exposed alarming gaps in the accuracy and transparency of construction product information.
The regulatory landscape has changed dramatically. Design responsibility now sits squarely and legally on named individuals, often the architect acting as the Principal Designer Building Regulations. As a result, today’s specifiers need to demonstrate that the systems and products they use are fully compliant, verified, and up to date.
At Space Architects, part of the same group that developed Sinc this has led to a strict policy: they only specify systems with certified, tested data. Generic products no longer meet the bar. Whether it’s an SFS system, glazing, or even a simple wall build-up, the team requires clarity, accuracy, and a clear audit trail. This is where robust Product Information Management becomes essential.
Manufacturers are Drowning in Data
Fifteen years ago, when Bimstore launched, hosting manufacturer-approved data set a new industry standard. But today, the challenge for manufacturers has grown exponentially.
Where once a single BBA certificate might have sufficed, manufacturers now manage an overwhelming range of data streams; BIM objects, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), technical data sheets, brochures, test certificates, website content, and more.
Many still try to keep this information up to date manually, reminiscent of the pre-digital days when revising a single plan meant painstakingly updating every drawing individually.
That’s why Sinc was created: to centralise, control, and streamline product information management and to provide an audit trail that reassures both manufacturers and specifiers.
Why the CCPI is Important
Even with a PIM system in place, manufacturers need to prove that their information is not only accurate but that there are rigorous processes behind it. That’s where the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) comes in.
Launched by the Construction Products Association in 2021, the CCPI sets a high bar for the clarity, accuracy, transparency, and accessibility of product information. It comprises 11 clauses covering everything from leadership responsibility to change management, digital readiness, and cultural commitment.
Achieving CCPI assessment isn’t easy and that’s the point. Manufacturers must undertake a comprehensive process:
- Register and assess readiness
- Train key staff in prioritising product information management and ensuring competence
- Self-assess conformance against the 11 clauses in readiness for assessment
- Submit supporting evidence for product information management and applicable products, as part of the assessment process
- Undergo independent CCPI assessment
- Complete an internal audit of product information (if required)
- Receive the CCPI mark for product sets assessed as conforming with the Code
- Maintain ongoing conformance and continuous improvement especially in product information and marketing conformance with the Code
By achieving CCPI assessment, manufacturers demonstrate not just accuracy in product information for assessed products, but a corporate culture committed to integrity and transparency.
From the specifier’s perspective, CCPI-assessed product information supports the greater confidence that architects need to help to meet their legal and professional obligations. In fact, Space Architects now actively prioritises product information that has been CCPI-assessed and is registered with the CCPI.
For manufacturers, managing product information isn’t just an administrative task it’s a critical factor in whether their products get specified.
By combining a robust PIM system like Sinc with the rigorous standards of the CCPI, manufacturers can provide specifiers with the confidence they need while reducing internal risks and inefficiencies.
As more specifiers, contractors, and clients demand CCPI-assessed, transparent product data, this isn’t just best practice it’s fast becoming a necessity.