Why Is Our Industry Still Typing Data?

Our industry is at a crossroads. While other sectors have standardized their product information, the building material industry largely has not. We are still stuck manually typing data, an inefficiency that costs time, creates errors, and holds us back from innovation.

The cost of this inaction will soon, if it hasn’t already, exceed the cost of transformation. It’s time to invest in connectivity and be part of the next era.

Throughout human history, every major step forward began with a better way to understand one another.

• The Hunting Era was the age of survival, where understanding and being understood through signs and sounds was a matter of life and death.

• The Agricultural Era required a common language to name, measure, and plan.

• The Writing Era gave humanity a permanent memory, allowing knowledge to travel through time.

• The Industrial Era was built not just on machines, but on the harmonization and standards that allowed them to work together.

• The Digital Era connected everyone, but it also highlighted the need for a shared language to exchange information efficiently.

Now, we are entering the AI Era, an age where data stops being static and “starts thinking, predicting, and deciding.” To make this leap, our industry must first build a common language for our products and data.

A Product Information Management (PIM) platform provides this shared language. By centralizing product data, suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers can collaborate seamlessly.

• Suppliers upload standardized catalogs once.
• Distributors and manufacturers can access accurate, up-to-date information, importing it directly into their software systems.

This approach reduces errors, accelerates processes, and enables more intelligent, AI-powered tools.

This transformation is not something one company can do alone. It requires a trusted, central partner.

The North American Building Material Distribution Association (NBMDA) is supporting this industry PIM. As an unbiased organization, the NBMDA fosters the trust needed to take this step with confidence and is dedicated to strengthening distribution efficiency and growth for its network of distributors and suppliers.

This movement is already happening globally. Ireland, through the Irish Wood and Interiors Network (IWIN), became the first country to implement a PIM dedicated to our industry. As the manager of IWIN stated, “it simply doesn’t make sense that our industry isn’t more connected.” Now, it’s North America’s turn.

A PIM is just the starting point for a smarter, more connected industry. Once product information is standardized, the industry can unlock AI-powered capabilities.

By linking different software systems, design tools, ERP platforms, and other applications, companies can enable intelligent product configuration, automate order processing, and collaborate in real time across the supply chain. This shift turns fragmented, reactive workflows into a seamless, proactive, and fully connected ecosystem.

To help the industry take this next step, Cieblink PIM is available at no cost for members of participating industry associations. These associations provide their support to make it easy for suppliers and distributors to access a fully functional PIM platform without subscription fees.