The wood-based materials manufacturer Egger is expanding its digital offering in the field of planning and visualisation. Architects, interior designers and tradespeople now have access to new or updated tools. With this step, Egger is following a trend that many building materials manufacturers are embracing: they are attempting to engage earlier in the planning process – well before the first order is placed.
Why are building materials manufacturers investing in digital planning tools? The investment pursues several strategic objectives: those who offer digital planning tools bind architects and planners to their own products early on. In this early design phase, decisions remain flexible – later they become entrenched. Additionally, structured product data and technical information reduce the effort required for follow-up queries and accelerate tendering processes. In a market where wood-based materials increasingly appear interchangeable, digital service creates added value that goes beyond price and delivery time.
How does this change the competitive landscape? The digitalisation of planning tools is not an Egger initiative alone. Other wood-based materials manufacturers are also expanding their digital ecosystems. Competition is thus shifting from pure product quality towards integration into the digital process chain of planners and processors. For smaller manufacturers without IT budgets, this becomes a challenge: those who do not offer structured product data risk falling out of sight of planners – even if product quality is comparable.
What does this mean in practice? When manufacturers like Egger provide technical data in structured form, material lists can be created more quickly and processing instructions retrieved directly. This saves time in the planning process and on site – particularly for complex projects.
The trend towards digitalisation in the building materials sector will intensify. Those who today learn how to use digital tools and product data efficiently will gain time and certainty in planning and execution.
