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Frequently Asked Questions for Equipment Manufacturers
Frequently Asked Questions for Equipment Manufacturers

FAQs for Equipment Manufacturers interested in our Product Directory

Charlotte Cannon avatar
Written by Charlotte Cannon
Updated over 3 years ago

Who provides the product data?

The Product Directory data is provided by manufacturers and suppliers. Papertrail prefers that the data is provided by the manufacturer, as it is more accurate. The majority of data inside the Product Directory has been provided by the manufacturer.

What format do we give you the product data in?

You can submit product data to Papertrail in a number of ways. Via our import template, or via a direct transfer via our API.

How often does the data need to be updated?

Once submitted, the data will need to be updated if there are any changes or new products added to your catalogue. Most manufacturers update or refresh the catalogue on an annual basis as new products are introduced to the market.

If the Papertrail team is collecting the data, what information do we need?

If Papertrail are collecting product data on your behalf, we require a list of all the product categories you wish to make available, along with any URLs, images, uploads or catalogues that support the information or data required for each individual product. You may also need to supply written checklists for us to import to the main applications.

What do I need to do to make our product data live?

Once your data is uploaded to our staging server, you will receive a link to view the products listed. Please take time to check the product data and make us aware of any inconsistencies. If any changes are made during the sign-off process, you will receive a new link in order to manage version control.

Once you are happy that the content is correct, you can confirm via email that the data can be published to our live directory.

Who do we inform that the product data is live?

Papertrail announces to all our users when new manufacturer product codes are added to the directory using our in-app notifications. You can view all our announcements and updates here.

New manufacturers are also published on our LinkedIn and Facebook channels. Please follow us on our socials.

What are the standard fields and heading for product data?

Fall protection, fall arrest and fall restraint equipment manufacturers can use our import template with our standard fields. If you have additional fields that you wish to make available, please contact us so that we can evaluate if the additional data can be included as part of the standard fields.

Why do you standardise the data/fields?

Every manufacturer has different requirements, depending on the country and type of product being made/sold. We have standardised the fields, making it easier for anyone to search the directory across different manufacturers and simplify their records.

Who can see/access our product data?

Product data is available to all Papertrail users through our inspection applications. The directory is also made available to the general public in a webpage. Inspection checklists are only available to Papertrail application users.

Is our data safe?

All product data is safely stored on the Papertrail servers which is backed up 4 times a day, and hosted across three servers ensuring the highest possible uptime and availability for everyone.

What can we do with our data?

Each product code has a unique URL, which you can use to view and share with any of your customers who may require more product information. They can then choose to add to a Papertrail account, or download as a CSV or PDF.

You can request that Papertrail communicates with owners of certain product codes, for safety notifications or recall purposes.

What other features will be available for manufacturers?

Features within the directory are continually being reviewed. You can contact us to find out the latest features. The directory will eventually be made available for more manufacturer brands, categories and certification types of equipment.

We are implementing reporting functionality for manufacturers. If you require any specific reports that may be available for the directory please contact us.

What do we do if we need to update our data or notice that something is incorrect?

If you are made aware of any product data which may be incorrect please contact us, with the specific details and product codes affected.

If Papertrail users notice incorrect product data, we will contact the manufacturer to review the information and correct any issues whilst keeping everyone informed when updates (and any reasons why) have been made.

Are we liable for any out of date data?

There is no legal responsibility for the manufacturers for data kept in the Product Directory. Once imported into a Papertrail account, the responsibility to keep the data accurate lies with the customer as per the Papertrail Terms of Service (section 7.2). However, Papertrail does our best to keep product information up to date by regularly checking in with manufacturers.

How do we add checklists to our products?

We create the manufacturer checklists in the main Papertrail application. These are then assigned to the relevant products before they are imported into the product directory. We create these checklists from documentation supplied by the manufacturer.

How do we add images and uploads to the product codes?

We require JPEGs and PDFs of images and uploads to be able to add these to products. These can be provided by the manufacturer or downloaded from publicly available information. More than one image and upload can be added to any one product.

Which manufacturers are already in the directory?

You can view the available manufacturers here.

What manufacturers can add to the directory?

Currently we are taking on product data from PPE, fall protection, fall arrest and fall restraint manufacturers.

In future we will be enabling the directory to cater for tools, components, machines and other types of safety equipment being inspected within Papertrail.

Can I make my directory private?

Yes, if you wish to make all or part of your directory private for a specific customer base then please contact us.

How do I issue a request for a product recall?

This is a chargeable service. If you wish to communicate a product recall to our user base please contact us.

What’s the difference between standards and certifications?

An item of equipment is certified to an industry or country standard. The certification field houses the certification type.

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Still can't find the answer you need? We'd love to help!
Contact our Customer Support Team via the chat button in the lower right corner of the screen, on +44 (0)1248 719270 or at support@papertrail.io.

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