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The NRC Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) has completed a business review carried out to determine whether its evaluation service was meeting the needs of clients (see CI articles in June and September 2009 and in March 2010). The Montreal-based consulting firm Brio Conseils surveyed industry stakeholders to ascertain their needs and identify issues that concerned them with regard to the CCMC evaluation process.
The review report shows that a majority of users are satisfied with CCMC services. Respondents, however, identified four key issues that need to be addressed. They involve misconceptions regarding CCMC’s role and services; a poorly understood evaluation process that is perceived as taking too long; dissatisfaction with response times and follow-ups; and building officials’ use of evaluation reports.
The report recommends reviewing the evaluation process to confirm that it is meeting the changing demands of today’s construction sector and to eliminate confusion over listings and reports as well as the role and process of re-evaluations. It also suggests that the CCMC consider recognizing other organizations that provide evaluation services.
Improvements to the evaluation and decision-making process were also recommended. These included clearly defining expectations in terms of timeframe, cost and quality. Risk management and conflict resolution could be improved, and a simpler evaluation for low-risk products considered (such as fast-tracking). Other suggestions included expanding the use of external resources and placing more emphasis on internal peer review and staff cross-training.
The overriding concern, however, was the need to improve communication with stakeholders. Two different approaches were recommended to provide more personalized services: one for manufacturers, who view the CCMC as a service provider, the other for decision makers, who view the centre as a partner. A client care program, as well as one-stop-shop service, could be established for manufacturers, while decision-makers would benefit from a support program that provided clearer documentation and assistance in using the information provided. All stakeholders would profit from a customer-relations approach to enquiries and complaints.
The report concludes by recommending that the CCMC consider expanding its services to encompass energy efficiency, water conservation, green, and sustainability/conservation issues, as these are under development, or consideration, in the National Building Code of Canada. Brio Conseils’ report and comments from the Canadian Commission on Construction Materials Evaluation are being considered by NRC management.
View the final report (PDF - 3.7 MB)
