Niko joins forces with Techlink Data Portal: “Reliable product data is the basis for every digital workflow”

Centralising product data at source and making it even faster for customers and partners to access: Niko combines these two goals seamlessly thanks to its partnership with Techlink Data Portal, a pioneering platform for data exchange in the installation sector. Following the launch of the brand new Niko Suite, fitters, engineering firms, distributors and software partners can now directly integrate even more product information into calculations, BIM models, purchasing processes and other digital workflows.

How does this initiative tally with Niko’s wider vision for digitalisation? And what challenges does it tackle? Sales Operations Manager Els Lyssens and Product Data Manager Sylvana Hillegeer shed light on this innovative step forward.

Why has Niko decided to join Techlink Data Portal?

Els: “At Niko, we want to be a reliable and innovative partner for everyone who works with our solutions – and that goes beyond simply developing high-quality products. Product information today is often distributed through several channels, which means you waste time searching for it or end up working with outdated information without realising. Where a technical spec sheet used to be all you needed, today’s users expect complete, structured data sets that they can use directly in their own processes.”

Sylvana adds: “For us, then, the partnership with Techlink Data Portal is a logical step that fits perfectly into our ambition to offer structured product information to the whole chain. We have noticed that the same information is often reprocessed by different parties, although everyone starts with the same source. The best way to tackle that challenge is at sector level: by managing product data centrally, so that everyone can build on the same reliable information.

What added value does the Niko Suite offer compared to the traditional website or MyNiko?

Els: "Our website and MyNiko will remain important channels for product information, support and service. The Niko Suite has a different purpose: to make product data available in a form you can use directly in professional processes and tools. So it’s no longer just about consulting information, but mainly about being able to integrate it into calculations, BIM models, purchasing processes and other digital workflows.”

“Working faster, more efficiently and with greater confidence: that’s what the Niko Suite achieves,
thanks to direct access to reliable, up-to-date product data.”
- Els Lyssens, Sales Operations Manager at Niko

What data can you currently find in the Niko Suite, and who will find it most valuable?

Sylvana: “To begin with, we’re focusing on reliable product information such as technical specifications, product identification, documentation and certifications. As market needs evolve, we also see possibilities to continue integrating additional data on sustainability and future European requirements, such as Digital Product Passports.

Els: “And that added value extends to the entire chain: fitters select the right products faster, wholesalers have consistent information, engineering firms and BIM modellers design more efficiently, and software partners use it to design smarter applications.”

What does that mean in practice: working faster, more accurately and more efficiently with the Niko Suite?

Sylvana: “Imagine you’re a fitter working on a big project, and you need product information for calculations and to choose your materials. The Niko Suite gives you access to a structured data set, prepared specifically for professional use. That means you don’t need to gather information from different sources or structure it manually.”

“This saves time, reduces the likelihood of mistakes, and ensures that everyone in a project is working with the same product information,” Els emphasises. “A common set of conventions also helps to process that info and display it within the chain in a uniform manner.”

How do you ensure that the data in the Niko Suite stays up to date and reliable?

Sylvana: “Data quality is our absolute priority. The Niko Suite is fed by our database, which also directly controls our online and offline documentation. That way, we prevent different versions of the same information. What’s more, updates flow through to the users more quickly. All the same, improvement is an ongoing process. In the longer term, we want to make product data even more up to date, for example with greater automatic synchronisation between systems."

What does this working method mean internally, for Niko itself?

Els: “As sustainability, circularity and traceability are becoming more important, demand for reliable product data is also growing. That data is less and less the responsibility of one team: it’s becoming more of a strategic aspect of the business. This demands investments in process and governance, but it also yields information that is managed and used more consistently. That fits perfectly within Niko’s ambition to be a sustainable, future-focused partner.”

What future applications make the partnership with Techlink Data Portal possible?

Els: “We mainly expect a strong evolution towards integrated digital workflows. That means BIM applications, automatic documentation, sustainability reporting, Digital Product Passports and smarter software tools that make direct use of manufacturer data.”

“AI applications will be increasingly important in the future,” Sylvana adds. “And AI is only as good as the data it is built on. Structured, reliable product information is the absolute foundation of future innovations.”

What is your message to manufacturers who are still wondering whether to sign up?

Sylvana: “Demand for quality product data is only going to increase in the years to come. It’s no longer just a question of making product information available: it’s about actively participating in a digital ecosystem where data is playing an increasingly important role.”

Els: “At the same time, we need to keep our feet on the ground. The success of initiatives like this depends on the willingness of enough market players to join in. The more manufacturers that take part, the more value it will contribute to the entire sector. If they join now, manufacturers can help shape the way product data will be shared and used in the future.”

By joining forces with Techlink Data Portal, Niko is taking a decisive step: from product information you have to gather for yourself to accurate data that helps the whole chain progress.

Discover the Niko Suite here >>