July 17, 2026 Industry news
Product information has long been a challenge for construction. Data is often difficult to find, out of date, stored in disconnected formats and maintained without clear ownership.
When issues arise, audit trails can be limited. When products are substituted, evidence of equivalence is not always easy to access. When projects are completed, records of what was actually built can be incomplete.
As regulatory expectations increase, these issues are becoming harder to ignore.
New independent research commissioned by GS1 UK and conducted by Barbour ABI explores how construction product information is currently managed, where the biggest risks sit and what practical steps could help the sector move forward. The report draws on insight from more than 300 construction professionals and 15 senior industry figures.
The findings show a sector that recognises the need for change, but is still struggling with inconsistent data, fragmented systems and uneven readiness for regulatory reform.
Most people in the industry, in their hearts must know that we’ve been taking risks. But a lack of effective systems and policies has too often left those on the ground feeling powerless to push back against the constant pressure to hit time and cost targets and call out issues.”
Brian Green
Industry analyst
Awareness is high, but readiness remains low
Awareness of regulatory change is widespread. According to the research, 98 per cent of respondents are aware of the Building Safety Act, yet only 21 per cent say they fully understand it. Nine in 10 have heard of the golden thread, but just 14 per cent fully understand what it means.
This gap between awareness and understanding matters. The "golden thread" depends on accurate, structured and accessible information being available throughout the lifecycle of a building. If product data is fragmented, inconsistent or difficult to verify, it becomes much harder to demonstrate what was specified, what was installed and whether changes were properly assessed.
The report also points to low confidence in the sector’s ability to meet wider delivery ambitions. Only seven per cent of respondents believe the government will meet its target of 1.5 million new homes, while just nine per cent believe the sector is on track for Net Zero.
Weak product information is not the only factor behind these challenges, but it is part of the infrastructure needed to address them. Without better information, projects become harder to manage, risks become harder to evidence and compliance becomes harder to prove.
Poor data is already affecting productivity
The commercial impact is significant. More than half of respondents, 52 per cent, say a lack of digitalisation is causing inefficiencies and revenue loss. Three in five say inefficiencies in managing construction product information are hampering progress, while nearly half describe current approaches as disorganised.
The report estimates that inefficient data management could be costing UK construction up to £3.8 billion a year, based on comparable efficiency gains seen in other sectors.
A major issue is the continued reliance on static documents. More than three quarters of respondents still use formats such as PDFs and brochures to manage or share product information. These documents can be useful, but they are not designed to support live, structured data exchange. They can quickly become outdated as products, standards and regulations change.
That creates a particular risk when products are substituted. Substitution is not inherently wrong, and in many cases it is a normal part of project delivery. But it needs to be supported by reliable information.
Product substitution is itself not unhealthy. You might design a building that you don’t build for two years, and during that time, things change, products develop and evolve. What you need to do is be able to determine for what performance basis was that product chosen and can you be sure that the product you’re going to replace it with performs at least as well in all of the key areas... you should only be able to do that if… you know you can trust the product information.”
Adam Turk
CEO of Siderise and chair of the Construction Products Association
Without a clear view of the original specification, performance criteria and product data, it becomes harder to assess whether an alternative product is genuinely suitable.
Why consistent identification matters
The issue is not simply whether construction has enough digital tools. In many cases, the tools already exist. The bigger challenge is consistency.
For product information to support safety, compliance and efficiency, the sector needs a common way to identify products and link them to trusted data. This is where GS1 standards can help.
GS1 standards provide a common language for identifying, capturing and sharing information about products, assets and locations. In construction, they can support the digital sharing of interoperable data across manufacturers, distributors, contractors, designers, specifiers and asset owners.
Global Trade Item Numbers, or GTINs, give products a unique identity that can be recognised across different systems and organisations. In construction, they can be used to connect products to technical information, certification, installation guidance, maintenance records and compliance data.
This supports the aims of the golden thread by making product information easier to access, verify and maintain over time. It can also support Digital Product Passports, BIM enabled workflows, supply chain traceability and more efficient asset management.
The sector sees the value
The research shows strong recognition of the role that common identifiers can play. 93 per cent of respondents see value in using product identifiers such as GTINs. 70 per cent believe they could help identify and trace products used in construction, while others see benefits for lifecycle management, supply chain efficiency and data exchange.
This is not about asking every organisation to transform overnight. For many businesses, particularly SMEs, the barriers are real. 99 per cent of respondents identified at least one barrier to digitalisation, including lack of clear direction, competing priorities, cost constraints and a lack of digital skills.
SMEs make up 99 per cent of the construction sector, so any realistic path forward needs to be practical, affordable and scalable. The report highlights the need for clearer expectations, targeted support and common standards that can work across different systems rather than adding more complexity.
Building better foundations
Other sectors have already shown the value of standardised identification and interoperable data. In healthcare, the adoption of GS1 standards through the NHS Scan4Safety programme helped improve visibility, reduce waste and deliver measurable efficiency gains.
Construction has different challenges, but the principle is the same.
When products can be identified consistently, information can move more reliably between systems and organisations.
That makes it easier to reduce duplication, improve traceability, support better decision-making and provide evidence when it is needed.
As the sector responds to the Building Safety Act, prepares for further reform and looks ahead to Digital Product Passports, product information can no longer sit in the background. It needs to become part of how buildings are designed, delivered, managed and maintained.
The research makes clear that the sector understands the need for change. 72 per cent say digitalisation is essential to the future of the built environment, and 70 per cent say urgent reform is needed to improve the management of construction product information.
The next step is turning that recognition into consistent practice.
By improving how products are identified, how information is structured and how data is shared, construction can strengthen compliance, reduce inefficiency and build a more transparent, accountable and safer built environment.
