The State of Specification Management: Past, Present, and Future

It was just four years ago that the first research around Specification Management software was published.

It’s amazing how much has changed in four years. Our world looks quite different. What we’ve once described as “disruptions” now seem like the norm. Whether it’s economic unrest, regulatory complexities, consumer demand, or supply chain resilience, we’ve all had to adjust.

How is your company faring? What adjustments have you had to make to business strategies and goals? How are you making your goals a reality?

The First State of Specification Management Research

In 2021, we conducted our first State of Specification Management research. We surveyed hundreds of packaging and supply chain professionals to better understand how packaging and product specification data was being managed, what challenges were holding companies back, and what lessons could be learned.

The output was a comprehensive report and webinar showing that managing specification data was manual, difficult, and oftentimes incomplete. Highlights included:

• 64% of respondents were using spreadsheets to store specification data, 
• 85% of respondents were communicating spec changes via email,
• Only 5% of respondents said they were “extremely confident” in the accuracy of their specification data,
• And, a resounding, 79% of respondents said there was a need to improve their specification management processes.

Market Growth for Specification Management Solutions

With demand and growth in the market – Gartner even has a Market Guide on this specific topic – we feel it’s time to conduct this research again, with the goal of releasing updated benchmarks and best practices to industries reliant on a strong data foundation.. 

You can share your current state, future aspirations, and overarching challenges in this quick survey (10 min max.). The survey will be open through April 2023 and then our team will begin compiling and analyzing the data. Our goal is to release the State of Specification Management 2023 report in the Summer, followed by a virtual panel discussion on the findings. 

Keeping a pulse on the market is so important to me and my team. We continue to innovate our Specification Data Management platform, by listening to our customers’ needs and identifying industry trends. This survey will help us broaden that feedback. 

I always say, if you get the spec right, the rest follows. I’m confident we can continue to push industry forward with a digitized approach to Specification Management, so your teams can spend more time innovating and less time chasing data.