Built from the front line, not the sidelines
This guide is built from working directly with UK manufacturers navigating these changes right now. At Switch, we hang our hat on helping SMEs grow through smarter specification and communication strategies.
We’ve watched the landscape shift. We’ve seen which approaches work and which don’t. And we’ve distilled that into something practical you can act on.
This guide is our way of sharing what we’ve learned.
Written by Richard Muscat Azzopardi, CEO at Switch, with contributions from the Switch team.
A taste of what’s inside
“A specifier might ask their AI assistant: ‘Find me a street bench that is PAS 68 rated, has an EPD with less than 50kg CO2e, uses FSC timber, and is available with a 4-week lead time.’
The AI searches available product data, retrieves options that match these criteria, and presents them. Products that meet the requirements appear. Products that don’t—or whose data can’t be parsed by the system—simply don’t show up.
Your product isn’t being rejected. It’s never being surfaced as an option. The specifier doesn’t know you exist because their tools didn’t find you.”
This is just one of the shifts covered in the guide.
There are many more—and practical steps to address each one.
“Everyone at Switch is excited to help us share our values and story with the world. The whole team understood us quickly; we share the same language – they picked up our market quickly and how we can best communicate.”
Catherine Barratt
Managing Director, Furnitubes
29% increase in product enquiries in the span of a year thanks to improved brand clarity and focused communication, all aiming for better quality specifications.
“Switch made the process seamless and the results are stunning. The team delivered excellent results that truly emanates my vision for the brand.”
Nitasha Sewwandi
Chief Marketing Officer, Bluestream