To boost support for businesses that are keen to adopt the ETIM data standard in the UK and Ireland, Phil Thompson, former Procurement Data Manager at NG Bailey, the UK’s largest independent engineering and infrastructure services provider, has joined the team as Manager – ETIM UK and Ireland Limited. 

This is a new role reflecting the increased demand by businesses for technical and practical ETIM support. Phil will divide his time between the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) and their ETIM work in the electrotechnical sector, and the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF), covering businesses in the building materials, HVAC and plumbing sectors. The EDA and BMF are partners in ETIM UK and Ireland. 

Phil will focus on continued development and improvement of the ETIM standard in response to feedback from EDA and BMF members and, specifically, to meet the needs of the UK and Irish markets. 

Margaret Fitzsimons, CEO at the EDA and Board Member at ETIM International, said of the appointment:

“We are delighted that the EDA and BMF now have additional resources to support the businesses we represent, and Phil is tailor-made for this role. He brings a thorough understanding of the product data landscape in the UK’s construction sector and the part that the ETIM standard plays in improving the accuracy and consistency of product information as it is shared through the supply chain, particularly its contribution to building safety.

“On this last point, Phil will continue in his role as chair of the GS1 UK Construction Sector User Group and as a Verifier for the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), alongside his new ETIM responsibilities.” 

Of his appointment, Phil added,

“After many years of working alongside trade associations, I’m excited to be joining ETIM UK and Ireland and look forward to supporting both the BMF and the EDA to increase adoption and raise awareness of the need for high quality product data across the construction sector.” 

ETIM UK and Ireland has been promoting and managing the standard in the UK since 2017, and is a partnership between the Electrical Distributors’ Association (EDA) and the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF). Both organisations recognise the growing importance of high quality reliable, digitalised data for their supply chains and are championing digitalisation amongst their membership. 

The ETIM product data classification standard has been in use across Europe for over 30 years and, more recently, has expanded to North America and Australia/New Zealand making it a truly global standard.  Companies that have adopted the standard can exchange product data with greater ease along their supply chains in multiple languages, improving efficiency and reducing errors.  The open-source standard is managed by a central, not-for-profit, organisation based in the Netherlands, ETIM International. 

Published: Thursday 2 October 2025