We are “skilled”, we know what we are talking about and we are passionate about our profession.
Are you looking for information about the world of product data, BIM, tenders and specifications? Then take a look at our knowledge base. Can’t find something? Please contact us.
Are you curious about what you should do as a manufacturer of building materials with specifications, BIM, tenders and product information? Then request our free whitepaper.
Where do you start as a manufacturer if you want to come in more often? How are you prescribed? ZeeBoer can help with this, because for more than 35 years we have been helping suppliers in the construction industry to distribute their product information, specification texts and BIM information.
Contact ZeeBoer and we will go through these questions with you. Without obligation of course.
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Do you already have specification texts or FPS? A short checklist follows.
Should you have questions? Please contact us.
An FPS or manufacturer product specification is of interest to building suppliers. An FPS is brief product information that can be included in a specification description. As a manufacturer, you have different options. As a supplier, you want to be named in a tender and the specification experts seek assistance from the manufacturer.
Manufacturers can still buy a place in the STABU2-catalog at Ketenstandaard. You don't have to, but with an FPS you do have a kind of "advertisement" in the catalog. When the specifier turns on the FPS button, he sees the list. However, many manufacturers do not maintain their information, so many FPSs are years old. In addition, prescribers no longer see the wood for the trees. According to ZeeBoer, this means that FPSs are no longer in line with current times.
Specifications by ZeeBoer
ZeeBoer supports you in the creation of individual product specifications. You can then add it (or have it added) as FPS. However, we recommend creating a consultation tool that will help the author of the tender text to make a good selection. Also interesting is a combination of FPS and consulting tool. Advantage: better support. Disadvantage: One time investment and cost of updating the tool.
Would you like to know more? Contact us without obligation.
Manufacturers can easily manage their DoP or CE declaration thanks to the Utopis® Platform from ZeeBoer. A Declaration of Performance, also called a DoP or CE declaration, is a European declaration by the manufacturer about the performance of a product. The producer must say something about the essential product characteristics.
For some products, few or no characteristics at all have been set by Europe. For some industries, however, keeping a DoP is a lot of work. Here the characteristics often change or there are just many things that you have to record for a product. At that time it is interesting to start managing from a central database. Certainly if you already maintain a database with product characteristics for specification services, website or documentation. In this way, managing DoPs becomes easier, faster, cheaper and error-free.
Classify your products according to ETIM or DICO? Utopis PIM supports manufacturers in the construction industry. In our product information system Utopis® Platform, we have access to a ETIM tool with which you can manage your assortment. So if you want to distribute product information to your trade partners, ZeeBoer offers a good solution for this.
Utopis PIM can connect to your own product data in ERP or PIM. Of course you can also use the other options that UP offers. Think of a specification service, up to date and on the fly product information, an advice tool or knowledge base.
Want to know more? Please contact us.
Marketing automation is a collective name for digital tools that make selling your solutions easier. Examples of marketing automation are a smart program to email customers. The internal marketing process is hereby automated. However, you can also digitize the acquisition or the advisory process. Consider a choice configurator, a smart calculation tool, digital catalog or BIM specification tool.
To answer the question: yes. Marketing automation is especially interesting for construction. Marketing automation starts with a centralized product information system or PIM. Utopis® Platform is a PIM that has been specially developed for construction.
NL/SfB is the Dutch variant of SfB. Yes, SfB is an old classification method. However, the Building Smart Data Dictionarry (BSDD) used in BIM is based on SfB. This makes the classification completely hip again. ZeeBoer likes to translate your solutions for a good connection to BIM.
If you would call us a marketing agency, then we are a very special agency. The Utopis team combines three different qualities:
When creating our tools, in addition to the software (back-end), we often also take care of the layout (front-end). Of course we will coordinate this with you. So let your own advertising agency do what they are good at and we will provide the right database and software.
According to European legislation, governments are not allowed to just commit to a particular supplier. Neutral prescribing is usually mandatory in public works. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
As a manufacturer you can therefore be mentioned in the specifications on the basis of the above exceptions. Specifiers generally appreciate good support in putting together a correct tender specification. By the way, the European rules only apply to public works. The project owner does not have to adhere to this in a private project.
In the selection tools and specification services that ZeeBoer makes for its clients, the name of the manufacturer is stated by default. Naturally the specifier decides whether to include the name in his specification. Note: even if your name isn't in the specifications, you can distinguish yourself in the market. ZeeBoer can also be of service to manufacturers for these neutral specifications.
Click here for more information about preparing specification texts or make an appointment for a no-obligation consultation.
ZeeBoer is a co-initiator of Open Specifications Format (OSF). OSF is a file format for specifications. Think of product specifications, specifications and project specifications. Independent of the classification used.
Previously, a STABU specification was saved in SUF format. Today STABU uses OSF for its catalog and updates. In addition, KOMO has created a library based on OSF and ZeeBoer itself naturally also uses OSF for its specification texts.
Many manufacturers set up a BIM library. It seems interesting to offer a 3D model of all your products. Are modellers really waiting for that? ZeeBoer thinks not. After all, your product will only be included in the BIM model if a design has been in place for some time. Will the existing elements in the model be replaced by your BIM element? No.
The solution? Offer good meta-data that enriches the BIM model. This will make designers, modellers and contractors happy.
Contact ZeeBoer for more information. Without obligation of course.
NBS is the abbreviation for National Building Specification and is the standard for building specifications in the United Kingdom. ZeeBoer supports its customers in creating neutral, generic, product data. We therefore support every standard with this. In addition to the Dutch specification standards NL/SfB, RAW and STABU2, we could therefore also draw up specifications in C3A (Belgium), GAEB (Germany), ÖNORM (Austria).
Nederlandse Besteksystematiek
Whether or not coincidentally, the abbreviation NBS is also used by a "competitor" of STABU. The Dutch Cutlery System was founded by two former employees of STABU and wants to provide an alternative to STABU2. NBS has now included various manufacturers in a catalog. ZeeBoer can also specify in the NBS standard if you wish. For your market area, do you have the impression that specifications are written in NBS format? Then an NBS specification service is interesting.
Are you overwhelmed by abbreviations and standards in the construction landscape? You really are not the only supplier in the construction industry who is. In this knowledge base ZeeBoer tries to inform you about various topics. Of course you are also welcome for additional information, tailored to your own organization if desired.
DigoGO for the Built Environment: making the renovation of the Netherlands affordable. Because we are facing major construction challenges in the Netherlands, the construction sector signed a letter of intent last year together with the Ministry of the Interior. Objective: achieve a digital coherence of construction projects. Consider the total life cycle of a building or infrastructure project.
ZeeBoer helps manufacturers make choices
We notice that many manufacturers are thinking about their role in Digideal GO. However, we also hear that people no longer see the forest for the trees. ZeeBoer wants to highlight topics that manufacturers can work with.
As a manufacturer, do you want to respond step by step to Digideal GO? Then contact us to exchange knowledge.
Our servers are hosted by CSN Group, part of Interstellar, and are located in Schiphol-Rijk and Enschede. Both of these places have traditionally formed the backbone of the Internet. The way in which your website or online tool is linked to the internet is highly dependent on the data center. CSN understands this art and works for many major parties in the Netherlands and the rest of the world.
ZeeBoer developed Utopis at the beginning of this century especially for construction manufacturers as a uniform application-supporting product information system. This made it way ahead of its time. Since then many new features and versions have followed. As a PIM, Utopis is still unique because of its construction-specific approach: the application of products comes first. Sounds simple and it is with Utopis.
The Quality Assurance for Building Act, in Dutch "Wet kwaliteitsborging" or Wkb, guarantees the relationship between project developer, building consumer and contractor. This strengthens the position of the private and business building consumer. Due to the increasing complexity in construction, a revision of the current system of quality assurance is necessary.
In the law, the contractor is responsible for the final result that he produces. Suppliers of building materials are closely involved in the proper delivery of a building project as an important knowledge partner of the construction process.
By properly documenting and distributing your solution, the required materials and the processing thereof, you are responding to the law.
Bouwspex.nl is an online platform on which tender and construction specifications of building manufacturers and suppliers can be found quickly. ZeeBoer maintains the platform. A basic entry is added free of charge. Before 2019 the website was called Bestekservices.nl. ZeeBoer maintains Bouwspex on the basis of data from STABU and KOMO, specifications and BIM tools supplied by ZeeBoer and also third-party tools are added. Visit Bouwspex.nl.
STABU and RAW are contract forms for construction. STABU and RAW are both a specification system. STABU is a standard that is used specifically for residential construction and B&U. RAW is a standard for ground, road and hydraulic engineering (GWW). Recording agreements is important. Also in a BIM process. STABU and RAW are increasingly being combined with BIM.
The manufacturer is a knowledge partner for construction. It is interesting for suppliers to work out solutions for inclusion in STABU or RAW. ZeeBoer can support you with this. Would like to know more? Request our free white paper.
STABU is the independent organization that standardizes and manages building specifications for the Dutch building process. Bouwbreed (Dutch for construction wide) has been developed to participate in the BIM process. However, this new system was insufficiently taken over by users and suppliers.
STABU has been working with ZeeBoer since 2018 to establish a good link with the BIM model. SfB plays an important role here.
Curious as to what ZeeBoer can do for you as a manufacturer or supplier in the construction sector? ZeeBoer helps more than 100 manufacturers with the distribution of product information, specifications, specification texts and BIM data.
During an introductory meeting we discuss, without obligation of course, the solutions that you offer for construction. In what way do you now distribute product information? Does a prescriber, architect, specifications writer or BIM modeller know where to find you?
PIM stands for product information management system. ZeeBoer helps manufacturers to create tools that configure a good solution for construction. UP (Utopis PIM) forms the basis for this.
Products play an important role within a system solution. The product data in UP is not only interesting for a good building specification. Documentation, product sheets and DoPs also use product information from UP.
ZeeBoer pays its suppliers quickly. Because we pay our invoices at a fixed time in the month, usually at the end of the third week of the month, the average payment period is 15 to 16 days.
Certainly! ZeeBoer is co-founder and enthusiastic member of BNB and FBS, the industry organizations for the digital exchange of product data in the construction industry.
The BNB (Branche Association for Dutch Building Specification Experts) was founded in 2001 on the initiative of, among others, ZeeBoer. It is a trade association for specifiers, contract experts and BIM modelers involved in specifying building materials. More information can be found on the BNB website.
Vereniging FBS is an interest group for specifying building products. ZeeBoer is one of the founders of the association and is an extraordinary member himself. Sharing knowledge about specifications, BIM specifications and transaction data can be very interesting for you as a construction supplier. Unfortunately, in recent years, FBS has had less and less focus on suppliers in the civil engineering sector. Although ZeeBoer is a reliable advisor for many of our manufacturers, we welcome the fact that our customers also become members of FBS. This is because of its independent character. More information can be found on the FBS website.
Many people think that STABU and ZeeBoer are competitors. That in itself is understandable, because Stichting Ketenstandaard (Dutch for Chain Standardization), the organization that manages the STABU standard, has two focus areas.
Ketenstandaard's core business is the promotion, improvement and maintenance of standards such as STABU2, ETIM and DICO. Just like other construction partners, ZeeBoer uses these standards. The right to exist of Ketenstandaard and STABU is therefore evident to us.
However, Ketenstandaard also advises manufacturers on specifications. Something she has in common with ZeeBoer and other commercial parties. Manufacturers have to deal with many standards, each of which requires a financial contribution and effort. After all, non-profit parties also have a revenue model. Although Ketenstandaard therefore acts as both the keeper of the STABU standard and its operator, ZeeBoer believes that manufacturers can make sufficient choices when distributing their product data.
If you want to know more about the different interests, standards and parties in the construction industry, we will gladly explain our vision to you without obligation! Make an appointment with us quickly.
Our team consists of enthusiastic specialists. The combination of construction knowledge, involvement, marketing and ICT makes us goal-oriented, flexible and decisive.
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