Rapid Access: One Catalogue, Thirteen Channels

🔍 The Problem

Rapid Access Ltd has been manufacturing access panels, riser doors, and loft hatches from their two Midlands facilities since 2008. Their patented FlipFix system and RapidFit® hinge technology have made them a go-to supplier for contractors, distributors, and architects across the UK construction industry. They hold ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditations and maintain a strong presence on NBS BIM Library.

Their product range isn't huge — around 190 products. But their distribution model is.

Rapid Access sells through a network of distribution partners, each requiring their own branded version of the same product data. Same access panel. Different part number. Different datasheet colours. Different branding. Thirteen times over.

📊 Channel multiplication. Every product exists across up to 13 sales channels. Each channel needs its own product identifiers and branded presentation.

🔢 Part number mapping. A single product carries a different code for each channel. Every mapping needs to be accurate, every time.

🎨 Branded datasheets. Each channel expects datasheets styled to their own brand — different colours, different logos — but with identical technical specifications underneath. One data change needs to ripple through every version.

⏱️ Keeping it all in sync. When a fire rating gets updated or a new acoustic specification is added, that change can't live in one spreadsheet while thirteen others fall out of date.

🛠️ What We Did

✓ Multi-channel architecture. We set up Rapid Access with a channel for each distribution partner, all fed from a single master product catalogue. The core product data lives in one place. Each channel layers on its own part numbers, branding, and presentation.

✓ Channel-specific identifiers. Each sales channel carries its own product codes mapped back to the master. Rapid Access can see at a glance how a product is identified across their entire distribution network.

✓ Branded datasheet generation. Using OneTimePIM's custom datasheet tools, Rapid Access generates channel-specific datasheets from the same underlying data. Change a specification once, regenerate datasheets across all 13 channels. Same data, different dress.

✓ Hands-on implementation, then handover. We worked closely with Rapid Access to build the system, configure the channels, and get everything structured correctly. Once the system was running and the team was confident, they took the reins. They now manage it independently day-to-day.

✓ Completion tracking. With technical specifications like fire ratings (up to 4-hour), acoustic ratings, airtight certification, and smoke testing across every product, completion tracking ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Most products are sitting at 100% completion.

📈 The Results

🎯 Single source of truth. 190 products managed once, distributed thirteen ways. No more maintaining separate spreadsheets or catalogues for each partner.

⚡ Instant updates everywhere. A specification change in the master data flows through to every channel. What used to mean updating thirteen documents now means updating one.

📋 Consistent technical accuracy. Fire ratings, acoustic specifications, dimensions — the critical data that architects and specifiers rely on is guaranteed to be identical across every channel's materials.

🔄 Self-sufficient operation. Rapid Access runs the system independently. The initial investment in getting the structure right means the ongoing management is straightforward, even with 13 channels to maintain.

📊 Partner confidence. Each distribution partner gets professional, branded materials with accurate data — reinforcing Rapid Access's reputation as a reliable manufacturing partner.

🔁 The Pattern

Rapid Access's situation is more common than people think. Many manufacturers have a manageable product count but a complex distribution network:

• The same product sold under different brands and part numbers
• Distribution partners who need their own branded materials but can't maintain product data themselves
• Technical specifications that must be identical across every channel — especially in construction, where fire ratings and safety certifications aren't optional
• A small team that can't afford to maintain thirteen versions of everything manually

The lesson: PIM complexity isn't just about product count. A 190-product catalogue across 13 channels is more demanding than a 5,000-product catalogue going to one website. The manufacturers who recognise this early save themselves from the spreadsheet spiral.