#TheCodeExplained: Blog 3 - Support & Competence

The new proposed Code for Construction Products Information (CCPI) is made up of 11 Clauses, and split across four sections:

1. Information creation (Clauses 1-3)
2. Core information (Clauses 4-7)
3. Associated information (Clauses 8-9)
4. Support and competence (Clauses 10-11)

In a new series of weekly blogs, Adam Turk (CEO of Siderise) and Catherine Fyfe (Marketing Director of Polypipe) explain each section of the Code and its importance to achieving better data for safer building. Adam and Catherine are also Chair and Vice Chair of the Construction Products Association’s Marketing Integrity Group.

In the first blog, Adam covers Clauses 1-3 from Information Creation, which looks at version control & language used.

The second blog from Catherine explains Clauses 4-7, covering Sections 2 & 3 of the Code on Core Information & Associated Information .

In this third and final blog of this series, Adam talks to us about the last section of the Code, Support and Competence (Clauses 10-11), and why this is so close to his heart.

I’m sure we have all experienced that first week in a new job where they aren’t entirely sure what to do with us. As a sales person this often included being given a price list and some product brochures to read and being sent out with an experienced colleague to see what the job was about. Often I would find myself asking the customers to explain how things worked…. this simply isn’t good enough.

If we, as responsible businesses, employ someone who will be working with our product information, then we have a responsibility to ensure they are comprehensively trained for the role they will be doing. This impacts everyone who touches product information, not just external and internal sales people, but those in marketing, technical, after sales and especially those who create quotations and handle orders.

Indeed, the final clause of the Code sets out that it is the business’ responsibility to have in place a robust training programme to ensure that employees are competent to the level of knowledge required for their role.

To do this, the starting point is to develop a knowledge and competence matrix for all appropriate roles. So, how much should a customer services person know about our products before they can speak to a customer? And while we will have a minimum level of knowledge for each role, we should also at the same time establish areas of learning to develop that person over time. Learning should be accompanied by testing, so we are certain that the individual has taken the knowledge on board. This is all just simply good practice, making sure our teams are highly knowledgeable about what they are doing, but in my experience the recruiting managers just don’t give this area enough thought and the Code seeks to address this.

Most importantly is that it must be made clear that the individual knows when the task is within or beyond their current competence level, and so we ensure that information given out both internally and externally, is always done so by a competent person.

For me, this is one of the most important aspects of the Code, and I’m pleased it occupies the last clause.

Our industry is built on people, and the interactions between them. Let’s do ourselves proud and ensure our people are the best people; the people that customers want to talk to, because we have invested in them, and they speak knowledgeably and confidently about the products involved.

Only 2 weeks left before the Consultation closes. Have you had your say…?

The consultation is open until 31st March. Download the Consultation Report & the Code here.

Don’t miss out. Take the survey here and make sure your business is ready…