New technology start-up CertOn is using a combination of QR codes, an app and online portal to safeguard and give immediate access to any important property-related documents.
At the Electrical Industry Awards in 2019, CertOn won awards for ‘best electrical app’ and ‘commercial product of the year, as well as the ‘top product award’ from Professional Electrician magazine.
Boyd Goulden, creator of CertOn and a professional electrical contractor, said, “I thought there must be a simple way of finding property documents without someone needing to be there or having to wait until someone could find them for me. We found that most properties have the same problem with documents; why are they never there when you need them?
“I took the idea to Larry Rach at Twin Technology and Tom Sewel at Cyber UK. They helped build the concept into an award-winning business in our first year. We now already have CertOn installed in one housing association and a solid stream of interest from other housing providers.”
Using CertOn, any finalised PDF document, such as certificate, manuals, plans and drawings, can be uploaded and viewed instantly. The web-based system works at any time, removing the need to wait for an office to open or maintenance staff to arrive.
Andrew Newman, a fire safety consultant and serving firefighter, said, “The fire industry could definitely benefit from CertOn. We’re finding that important documents are sometimes missing from the ‘PIB’ (premises information box) which should have been filled with information relevant to that property by the responsible person for that building.
“CertOn can hold all of this information, such as plan drawings, locations of dry risers, service intakes, firefighting lifts, hydrants, fire alarm panels and ventilation controls. This would be ideal for properties such as blocks of flats or sheltered housing schemes without staff present to help the fire service or to provide that information.”
