Transforming building safety case management

Transforming Building Safety Compliance and Reporting

Meeting Regulatory Compliance for the Building Safety Act.

Introduction

Discover how Neo Technology developed a solutions architecture and implemented integrations, data transformation, a data lake and Power BI to meet the needs of Notting Hill Genesis in meeting their regulatory requirements for the “Building Safety Act” and their compliance to reduce risk.

From a time-consuming complex, manual process to a streamlined automated solution, changing how regulatory reporting is done. Our team at Neo Technology leveraged our expertise in data analytics and reporting as well as platforms like Power Apps, Power BI, Dynamics 365, and methodologies like DevOps to take a pivotal role in driving this transformation. Through collaboration and using an Agile approach we engaged NHG’s stakeholders to totally transform compliance reporting with a single view real time reporting tool.

The innovative solution not only speeds up reporting significantly, it also totally automates the process and ensures accuracy by centralising data and automating workflows.

The Problem

Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) faced a considerable challenge in reporting on the stringent regulations of the Building Safety Act for their extensive building portfolio.

The intricate process of gathering vital information from disparate sources which related to the design, construction, and maintenance of over 67,000 buildings, required a complex manual approach, executed by a dedicated team of 10 individuals. This team grappled with navigating through disparate systems such as True Compliance, ShineVision, Risk Hub, Northgate, and Integrator to compile the detailed Building Safety Case.

NHG's manual process was inefficient and fell short of what its building safety compliance needed, prompting the need for a transformative solution. At Neo Technology we addressed this problem by assembling a skilled project team, and employing an Agile approach. The Neo Technology team collaborated closely with NHG’s stakeholders to ensure alignment with the evolving project needs to provide clarity on the required architecture and transparency in the development process.

This collaborative effort aimed to overcome the limitations of the old manual processes. The objective was to seamlessly integrate a solution that fitted NHG’s operations, integrating disparate data, introducing automation, streamlining workflows, and enhancing the overall reporting process for regulators.

Building Safety Excellence Strategy

Complex Regulatory Compliance Challenge

Align with strict Building Safety Act regulations for Notting Hill Genesis (NHG). With over 67,000 buildings, we removed the manual processes and integrated disparate systems to compile detailed Building Safety Cases to create the real-time reporting tool.

Strategic Collaboration for Seamless Integration

We collaborated with NHG’s key stakeholders to devise new solutions. The aim was to seamlessly integrate the technology with NHG’s operations to overcome challenges from the previous manual processes and increase compliance, efficiency as well as reduce the cost of reporting by saving time and effort.

Innovative Solution Leadership by Neo Technology

Recognising the challenges in NHG’s manual processes, we provided a specialist data team with expertise in Power Apps, Power BI, Dynamics 365, C#, DevOps, and QA. The plan involved using an Agile approach and working closely with stakeholders to transform NHG’s building safety compliance in the future.

Automation and Workflow Enhancement

Neo Technology introduced automation, simplified workflows, and improved the reporting process to regulators. This tool significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of NHG’s Building Safety Team, ushering in a new era in building safety compliance management in the future.

Objective Comprehensive Building Safety Case Management Reporting

Create a secure, permission based, centralised repository to integrate, transform and store building safety data. Restrict access to authorised personnel to ensure confidentiality and maintain the integrity of the information.

Establishing a Centralised Data Repository to create a single version of truth, improve Security and Confidentiality

Introduce an automated process to streamline the tracking of building safety cases. Enhance efficiency and accuracy by eliminating manual intervention, reducing the risk of errors in the management of building safety data.

Implementing Automated Tracking for Efficiency and Accuracy of Case Management

Prioritise real-time visibility into building safety cases by providing a dynamic interface. Enable users to promptly view and track the status of ongoing inspections and relevant activities, empowering decision-makers with the latest information for timely responses.

Prioritising Real-time Visibility for Timely Decision-Making

Design a system with robust reporting and analytics capabilities to comprehensively monitor the overall safety of buildings. Leverage reporting tools to identify trends, potential issues, and areas for improvement, ensuring a proactive approach to addressing emerging concerns and maintaining compliance with evolving regulations and guidelines.

Providing Robust Reporting and Analytics for Proactive Monitoring and Compliance

Ensure the safety of buildings and residents by providing accurate, up-to-date information. Simultaneously, facilitate seamless compliance with regulations and guidelines by offering advanced reporting and analytic capabilities to inform the management team of compliance and non-compliance.

Achieving Holistic Safety Assurance through Information Integration and Compliance

OUR APPROACH TO BUILDING THE SOLUTION Begin by understanding what the challenges are. Without a clear understanding of the current situation, it will be impossible to develop or implement effective business transformation. Before you can plan for an improved future state, you need to fully understand the current ‘as is’ state of the business. This means evaluating all current processes, policies, workflows and practices across all business units, functions or departments you plan to transform. Even a relatively small-scale business transformation project will often have interdependencies elsewhere in the organisation so it’s important to do a proper evaluation, regardless of the scope of the project. Once you understand the current situation, you can then start to plan how to address any problems, weaknesses or bottlenecks, by introducing appropriate new technologies, tools, processes and approaches.

The Solution

The solution includes three main components:

An integration layer, a Data Lake and a workflow. We built this solution using Azure, the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 CRM. These are the fundamental technologies that power the system and make it all work seamlessly.

Within this solution, we’ve incorporated several key tools to enhance functionality. Power Apps and Power Automate play a crucial role in making processes more dynamic and efficient. Dynamics 365, another integral component, serves as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, helping manage interactions and data related to customers.

Power BI is another essential part of the solution. It provides robust reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing users to visualise data and gain insights. Additionally, we integrated custom applications tailored to meet specific needs, ensuring the solution aligns perfectly with the requirements of the project.

Data validation is a critical aspect of any system, and our solution includes mechanisms to validate data, ensuring accuracy and reliability. In a nutshell, we’ve carefully combined these components to create a powerful and comprehensive solution that addresses the unique challenges of the project.

Objective Comprehensive Building Safety Case Management Reporting

Data Lake and Workflow Integration

The solution is designed with three main components: an integration layer, a Data Lake and a workflow. These components work seamlessly together to ensure effective data management and process execution.

Technological Foundation

Built on Azure, the Power Platform and Dynamics 365 CRM. It leverages the capabilities of these technologies to create a robust and efficient system.

Data Validation Mechanisms

The solution incorporates robust data validation processes to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Custom Applications Integration

Tailored applications are seamlessly integrated to meet specific project requirements.

Core Components

Power Apps and Power Automate Enhance the system’s dynamism and streamline processes. Dynamics 365 Serves as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, managing customer interactions and related data. Power BI Provides powerful reporting and analytics capabilities for data visualisation and insights.

The Result Improved Efficiency for NHG's Building Safety Team

As a result of the implemented solution, Neo Technology has greatly reduced the time NHG's Building Safety Team spends generating reports, allowing the team to focus on managing cases and reduce non-compliance.

The streamlined process allows them to analyse reports in real time compared to the previous manual method. This efficiency is attributed to the swift access to centrally managed live data and the implementation of the reporting module with a fully automated workflow.

The transition has eliminated errors associated with manual data entry, ensuring accuracy and reliability in the generated reports. The automation of the workflow has expedited the updating and authorisation of reports, contributing to a more efficient and error-free reporting system for building safety case management and compliance. The implemented solution enables team leads to access real-time status reporting promptly. This functionality enables them to track progress seamlessly and address any issues as they arise.