Supporting UK Growth Through Innovative Digital Technology

Group IT director, Sarah Hammond, discusses the changing nature of work for facilities managers, and how SOCOTEC  is developing innovative technological solutions to meet these new demands.

For UK facilities managers (FMs), staying ahead of ever-changing legislation, such as the recently updated CDM regulations, as well as preparing for upcoming revisions, is a key challenge of the job.

Ensuring that estates remain compliant is an issue which is likely to grow in complexity for many as more and more new sites are opened up for development by the Government. This is particularly the case on brownfield land, which may come with added complications, such as asbestos in the soil, contaminated water or unstable ground.

Health and safety remains the number one issue in facilities management, but keeping track of activity and ensuring efficiency and compliance for multiple, ongoing remedial works can often prove difficult. As a result, facilities managers are increasingly turning to new technologies which allow them to easily reduce project turnaround times, inaccuracies, and maintenance costs.

Smartphones and tablets are changing the way many of us work and mobile apps in particular are increasingly being used in a business context. Recent research into enterprise mobile app usage suggests that this is a positive trend, with 67 per cent of those implementing mobile technology citing improved business processes as a result.

To empower FMs with the latest mobile technology and grant them greater flexibility in how they work, we have developed MiPortal as well as a suite of mobile apps as part of a substantial cash investment in our IT infrastructure.

Driving efficiency in facilities management

During development and site maintenance, FMs will often need large amounts of environmental data to be provided in a short timeframe and in an easily digestible format.

MiPortal can be used by customers as a compliance management system as well as a document library, meaning that important site information can be accessed quickly and easily. The new platform gathers data from a range of sources and collates it into one central management system, presenting the information through an easy to navigate dashboard.

Our portfolio of mobile apps has been developed to enable our experts on the ground to gather data onsite and instantly upload measurements, photographs and samples taken from the project to MiPortal. This allows for the creation of in-depth and digestible reports for project and facilities managers.

One such app, AMS (Asbestos Management System), has been designed for our technical teams to carry out asbestos surveys; enabling them to record, view and edit building asbestos inspections and surveys on site. The app can record survey location details, store photographs and return that information back to MiPortal for accessing in real time.

Another of our apps helping to improve efficiency in infrastructure reporting is SILAS. It allows our engineers to input large amounts of complex, sector-specific data into their mobile devices and instantly report that information back through MiPortal. The app has already been well received in the industry and was shortlisted for a Ground Engineering award.

We have also launched our new Hydro suite of apps for our water management services. Hydro is comprised of three separate apps: Hydro Water Treatment, Hydro Legionella Risk Assessment and Hydro Monitoring. The suite allows clients to cut down on admin times and increase efficiency in water testing.

Supporting UK development

As more developments are pushed through the pipeline by the Government, facilities and project managers must ensure that they are able to cope with changing regulations and a reduced capacity in the construction sector.

By supporting developers and FMs with latest digital technology, we’re able to help drive construction and maintenance projects forward, and increase efficiency within the sector.

If you’d like to know more about our mobile technology offering, please contact salesuk@socotec.com for further information.