BMF and NMBS to Launch Industry Data Pool for Construction Materials Sector
Wednesday 30 april 2025The British Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and the National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS) have joined forces to create a central data pool for the construction materials sector. This initiative, announced on April 7th, aims to establish a digital platform where product data can be exchanged seamlessly.
The collaborative effort will result in an industry-wide accessible resource of high-quality product information, optimised for e-commerce. The BMF and NMBS anticipate that the Industry Data Pool will lead to improved accuracy, consistency, and accessibility of product data, more efficient supply chains, and increased transparency and regulatory compliance.
The development and management of the data pool will be overseen by Building Materials Digital Services Ltd, a non-profit organisation equally owned by the BMF and NMBS. The intention is for merchants, buying groups, and software providers to also become shareholders, creating a platform ‘by the industry, for the industry’. Manufacturers and suppliers will gain access through a tiered subscription model.
Gareth Thomas, the former driving force behind the successful data pool solution EZ-base in the United Kingdom, has been appointed as Managing Director of the new venture. Both John Newcomb, CEO of the BMF, and Chris Hayward, CEO of the NMBS, have expressed their enthusiasm for the potential of the Industry Data Pool to transform the sector and accelerate the digitisation of product data.