5 Data problems blocking sales in the construction industry – and how to solve them

You’ve got great products – but something’s stopping them from selling. In many cases, it’s not the strategy or budget to blame. It’s messy product data. Inconsistent descriptions, missing photos, and unclear certifications ruin the customer experience and drive potential buyers away. In this article, we’ll explore the most common challenges construction product manufacturers and suppliers face – and how to overcome them.

Many construction companies come to us with the same core issue: inconsistent product data and information chaos that spreads across departments. The result? Sales reps struggle to prepare offers, marketing delays campaigns, and customers lose trust in the brand. This often leads to questions, complaints, and even returns.

The root cause? It’s rarely a lack of competence within the team. It’s the lack of tools that structure product data and make it accessible across the entire organization.

In this article, we highlight five real-world problems that construction companies deal with – and present a proven solution that has helped our clients organize their data and boost sales.

Product data that doesn’t match

Picture this: a client gets a product catalog from a sales rep. Moments later, they check the website – and the specs are completely different. Then they download the technical sheet – and it shows yet another set of values. These may seem like small inconsistencies: a slightly different code, a different measurement, or an outdated certification. But from the buyer’s perspective? It’s pure confusion.

These kinds of inconsistencies don’t just create noise – they discourage purchase decisions. Studies show that up to 35% of product returns are caused by incorrect or unclear product information.

Ask yourself: how often do your customers receive conflicting information about the same product? Can you be sure that your marketing materials align with your technical documentation and sales info? In construction, where precision matters, even small mismatches can lead to costly errors.

This is especially risky for companies with a wide product range and multiple sales channels – from wholesalers and distributors to their own e-commerce platforms. In such cases, maintaining data consistency without a system becomes nearly impossible.

Product data stored in three departments and five versions

In many companies, product information is scattered across departments. The sales team keeps descriptions in Excel, marketing stores images in its own folders, and the technical department manages certifications on a shared drive somewhere. There’s no central access point where everything is updated, approved, and ready to use.

When it’s time to update something, the hunt begins: Who has the latest version? Where’s the approved spec sheet? Are these photos current or from two years ago? Instead of productive work, you get uncertainty.

This kind of disorganization hurts team efficiency and increases the risk of costly mistakes. Sending incorrect data to clients, publishing outdated information online, or using old graphics in campaigns – these are real scenarios that damage brand credibility.

Eventually, it’s not just sales that suffer – internal collaboration breaks down too. Teams start blaming each other for mistakes that aren’t due to a lack of skills, but a lack of shared, reliable data. Without solving this at a system level, every project will take longer, cost more, and cause unnecessary tension.

Quoting takes too long

From a sales rep’s perspective, preparing a quote often feels like a race against time. The client wants a solid proposal, so we start gathering what’s needed: product images, technical specs, compliance info, certificates. Sounds simple? In practice, it means digging through folders, calling marketing, messaging the tech team, and searching through old emails.

Sometimes, it takes an hour to do something that should take 10 minutes. And that’s if everything goes smoothly. Otherwise, you end up sending an incomplete offer that needs to be fixed later – which leaves a bad impression on the client.

Sales reps often lack a simple tool that allows them to build quotes quickly and confidently without triple-checking every data point. And let’s not forget: they’re the ones on the front lines. Whether a client stays or switches to a competitor often depends on them.

When trust in the data breaks down, frustration builds up. Instead of focusing on the client conversation, the rep gets stuck in internal logistics. And every delay increases the risk of losing the deal to someone faster.

"It’s on my computer"

Efficient product data management requires quick access to up-to-date information. Issues arise when key files are stored only on one person’s computer. Maybe it’s an Excel file with technical specs, a PDF with a product description, or some images that "haven’t been uploaded yet".

If that person’s on vacation, out sick, or simply unreachable, the entire project can stall. The product manager can’t finalize the specs, the sales rep can’t build an offer, and the marketing team puts the campaign on hold - all because one file is stuck on one employee’s laptop.

From a business perspective, this is a real threat to operational continuity and growth. It’s nearly impossible to scale a business that relies on knowledge scattered across personal folders and employee devices.

Marketing always starts from scratch

From the marketing team’s perspective, every new campaign is a massive effort: tight deadlines, high expectations, and constant pressure to deliver results. You need graphics, descriptions, social media content, newsletters, website copy – all consistent, up-to-date, and brand-compliant.

Without an organized source of product data, marketing faces a daily struggle. Instead of focusing on strategy and creativity, the team spends hours searching: Is this the right image? Has this description been approved? Do we have rights to this graphic, or do we need to recreate it?

The result? Campaigns launch late, lack consistency, and underperform – not because of the team’s ability, but because of a lack of structured content management. When assets need to be prepared in multiple languages and formats simultaneously, the problem grows exponentially.

One source of truth for your products: The PIM system

Scattered information, inconsistent descriptions, and version control chaos aren’t signs of poor organization – they’re symptoms of not having the right tools. That’s why more and more companies in the construction sector are turning to PIM systems (Product Information Management).

A PIM system is a centralized platform for managing all your product data – from names, descriptions, images, and videos to technical parameters, certificates, translations, and product relationships. Instead of dozens of files across devices and servers, you have one single source of truth, always updated and available to every department.

PIM doesn’t just organize information – it automates tasks like publishing product data on your website, generating catalogs, and creating product sheets. Sales, marketing, and technical teams can finally work from the same set of data, without manual version checks.

 What Do You Gain?

• Consistent and up-to-date product data

• Faster quote preparation

• Better customer service

• Fewer errors and product returns

• More time for growth, less time putting out fires

Is this the right solution for you?

For years, we’ve been supporting manufacturers and distributors in the construction industry with complex product data challenges. Our team has helped dozens of companies streamline their processes, improve data quality, and accelerate sales. If you’re wondering whether a PIM system is the right move for your organization – we’re here to help.

Book a free consultation with our experts. We’ll assess your current situation and recommend the best PIM solution based on your business needs and growth goals.