Having completed a comprehensive 12-month audit of its entire property portfolio, Warwick District Council is now using MIS AMS’s ActiveH software to manage its projected stock repairs and voids.
Amanda Bennett, service improvement manager, Warwick District Council, said, “We’ve audited all of our 5,600 properties from the roofs down to the bathrooms and kitchens. This gives us visibility on when we need to do planned work over the next 20 years of each asset.
“For example, we can see when properties need rewiring and when windows are ready for replacement. We can also see where those properties are in relation to each other, which means we can be more efficient in terms of hiring contractors to undertake the work in a specific area.
“The software provides us with the visibility of projected costs in terms of repairs and voids. We can therefore better manage our costs and forecasts against our projected rental income. We may have 40 new bathrooms to fit at any one time, and that gives us greater buying power if we can buy in bulk. Everything from guttering, windows, electrics, bathrooms and kitchens means we can negotiate better deals based on the knowledge we now have at our fingertips.”
Chris McLaughlin, managing director, MIS AMS, said, “Driving costs down and creating efficiencies is only possible if you have the right information readily available. Warwick District Council has put in the leg-work of auditing its estate and now it can reap those efficiencies over the next 25 years by being better able to manage its estate and the projected costs.”
