FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Restore Records Management has been working with HM Land Registry to digitise historic files that include a property lease, helping to drive improved efficiencies in its service.
Restore has been working with HM Land Registry, a non-ministerial department which registers the ownership of land and property in England and Wales, for almost 15 years, looking after the document management of its archived paper records.
This latest project continues a focus on scanning the most regularly retrieved documents to reduce ongoing handling costs and provide a quicker service for customers and HM Land Registry caseworkers when requesting documents –ultimately speeding up the process for prospective property buyers.
Nigel Dews, Managing Director at Restore Records Management, said: “Land Registry property documents have been digital since 2008 but older files are all hard copies, stored and managed by Restore.
“Traditionally we pick the records on request, for instance when a solicitor requires them, then scan and deliver the following day. But for documents which are needed most often it can be more efficient and cost effective to digitise in bulk.
“In 2020, when the pandemic meant the majority of HM Land Registry caseworkers had to work from home, we advised and led a project to begin digitising documents which include a lease, because these are the most regularly required.
“We have continued to work with HM Land Registry to digitise a second tranche of these documents. It underlines our strategic partnership with HM Land Registry, and we are delighted to be able to help.”
Eve Foster at HM Land Registry said: “Restore helped us to identify the records which are most frequently requested. This helped us drive efficiencies in our service, provide long-term cost savings but most importantly to support our vision to deliver a more efficient, fully digital property market.”
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
