REPORT HIGHLIGHTS (cherry picked here)

• The incidence of including brands in specifications is higher than anecdotal evidence suggests.
• Around four in ten Specifiers have a policy of including brands.
• In over 7 in 10 specifications examined, a brand or brands were stated – typically with ‘or similar approved’.
• When stating a brand, half of Specifiers are benchmarking the quality which they expect the Contractor to achieve; only four in ten expect to see their choice used.
• Brands are more likely to be stated where product performance is critical and where appearance is important.
• Clients and Sub-contractors are consulted during specification preparation.
• 85% of Clients have standard specifications and half of these contain product brands.
• Sub-contractors have design input to 40% of specifications.
• 8 in 10 Contractors believe they have more influence on brand specification now than they did three years ago.
• This influence lies largely in suggesting product alternatives.
• Two-thirds of specifications received by Contractors have brands in them.
• Contractors try to change over 60% and succeed with two-thirds of their attempts.
• The change process is a consultative one, involving discussions with the original Specifier and the Client.
• Alternatives are predominantly proposed for cost reasons, but not necessarily for the lowest price.
• Alternative products must match performance criteria to be accepted.
• To secure specifications, manufacturers must ensure that product characteristics are not easily replicated in cheaper form without identifiable loss of performance or quality.
• There are differences in opinion between Specifiers and Contractors on responsibility for product recommendation and decision-making.

• Factors influencing Clients’ product decisions
• In order of importance, the key criteria affecting product selection are:
  • health and safety,
  • lifecycle costs,
  • initial price,
  • sustainability
  • relationship with the supplier.
• Around one-third expect the following to become even more important:
  • sustainability,
  • health and safety
  • lifecycle costs.
• 40% would like to see the sustainability of products improved.