Launched online in 2008, the web-based Approval Guide has grown steadily in popularity and in the depth and breadth of certified products available. Today, the guide provides access to nearly 65,000 FM Approved products from around the world.
Some form of the Approval Guide has been published since at least 1897 when a book titled Approved Electrical Fittings was introduced. The Approval Guide was a paper-based publication until 2004 when it was transitioned to CD-only and, in 2008, to an online-only publication. Since then, Approval Guide registrants have increased to more than 170,000, with more than half coming from outside North America.
In recent years, the original text-based Approval Guide search engine began to show its age, resulting in increasing user frustration with search results and timing. After a multi-year development effort, a new version of the Approval Guide was introduced on March 30th.
"We've surveyed our users and listened carefully to their feedback to determine where to focus our efforts," notes Adam Houser, FM Approvals business operations manager.
As part of the process to improve the Approval Guide for all users, the original information on thousands of FM Approved products has been converted into data that can be easily searched using a state-of-art search engine (fig 1). The system has also been transferred from an on-premise system to a cloud-based platform that will provide more responsive service for all users, particularly those beyond North America (fig 2 & 3).
The improved Approval Guide features:
- Category searching using 25 categories
- Text based keyword or product name searching
- Searching for a specific company or listing country
- Searching by certificate number
- Advanced filtering on your search results or category navigation
Search results can be filtered using product-specific categories, company name, country of origin, and certification type (e.g., FM Approved, FM Approved—ATEX, FM Approved—Canada, Specification Tested). Context-specific filters may appear when appropriate, such as a filter for "New" products when a new product is available (fig 4).
"We believe this refresh makes the Approval Guide more user friendly and more powerful at the same time, increasing the overall value for all users looking for FM Approved products," Houser notes.