Building Inspection Road Block: How Manual Processes Slow Down the Inspection Process
by Susan Campbell Copywriter
Most things that involve
the government stepping in take much longer than what would seem reasonable.
Building inspections are no exception. Some governmental bodies are tied to old
work processes that might be inefficient, but due to a lack of resources,
they’re left to stick with the status quo. What they don’t know is that by
investing in newer processes, they can save money in the long run and improve
the progress of the city.
Some municipalities are so backed up with required inspections that officers
run through the inspection, often only looking deep enough to see if things are
up to code. Many buyers are looking for something more comprehensive, so
they’ll hire an independent inspector to come through the property and look at
factors that could affect value, not just whether or not the structure lives up
to the standards in the city codebook.
Of course, code enforcement officers in charge of building inspections aren’t
just looking at properties that are listed by a realtor – they’re going through
all types of structures, from new buildings soon to filled with workers to
vacated buildings where the owner has been foreclosed upon. There are also the
structures that catch the eye of neighbors who file reports requesting the city
take stock of a possibly unsafe structure.
The communities that get the best service are those that have a city government
that understands the power of new technology and how it can be used to improve
work processes. There is software available today that is designed for the
needs of building and safety inspectors and managers. This easy to use system
allows inspectors to ditch the clipboards for handheld devices where every note
is entered digitally and sent to the appropriate parties, immediately from the
field.
With the right technology, staying current on building inspections becomes a
non-issue. Furthermore, when you have access to the right technology, you can
schedule follow-up inspections and receive automatic reminders, which means
you’ll never have an excuse of missing an important appointment. It’s also a
massive time saver because the technology automatically populates notices with
case information for everyone in the department to see.
Building inspection managers can finally have more accountability throughout
the staff because the technology keeps tabs on where everyone is and what case
they’re working. You can run reports on staff activity and pull up case
histories to get to the bottom of any issue that interests you.
Vendors like Comcate are actively seeking out the wants and needs of municipal
and city governments so that the solutions can speed the inspection process,
save money and keep communities safer.
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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.