For all the advantages a digital software solution promises, the benefits will not be tangible unless the platform is time-saving and user-friendly.
Herein lies the strength of Zutec’s digital platform. It consistently outperforms the traditional paper-based approach without requiring a steep learning curve for the user.
With Zutec’s cloud-based solution, architects can share and review designs, engineers can validate health and safety quality, contractors can make light work of site inspections, and owners can set a maintenance plan in place from the outset.
For each stakeholder, a user-friendly interface means the experience is no more complicated than with everyday online platforms and apps. Contractors and clients can be comfortable that the documentation for a digital handover is easy to access, comprehensive, and secure.
The construction sector has a tendency to put trust in tangible, physical objects and a reluctance to embrace innovative digital solutions. Users need reassurance that switching to digital will be as robust and reliable as paper. In fact, digital storage is more resilient than an assortment of files holding sheets, design rolls and printed certificates.
A digital platform also makes the handover easier. From the contractor’s perspective, it assembles a complete listing of all assets in a single location. For clients, it gives visibility of the entire construction timeline and the ability to host essential documents online for the full life cycle of the asset, such as for maintenance or compliance. In between, a cloud-based platform is accessible both to those walking the site on a daily basis and to senior management who may only need an overview of operations.
Responsibility for transferring to the client a complete, satisfactory suite of project documents by the agreed deadline falls to the main contractor. However, there may have been several phases of work leading up to handover, involving a variety of personnel. By the time handover comes around, key personnel may have left the project months or even years before. With a digital solution, the main contractor can stay on top of documentation at every phase so there are no gaps to fill or unanswered requests for information on deadline. Tasks can be clearly assigned, checked and approved in a transparent manner.
The digital solution might make the process of gathering information easier for the contractor, but ultimately the end user is only concerned with the final resource. Zutec’s platform allows the contractor to fulfil the handover with the confidence that the information is complete. It guarantees that the site is ready for operation and maintenance. The building control and fire certificates are signed and dated, for example, and all safety measures have been tested, witnessed and approved. With this information at their fingertips, facility managers can run the building as intended.
The importance of speed at handover cannot be underestimated. With the considerable amount of capital investment tied up in real estate, any delay can create significant shock waves. Owners want investments that can start generating revenue as soon as possible. In many cases, they will be moving in tenants to one part of a building while other parts are still under construction. As such, there is no leeway for handover documents to be prepared and submitted in an unstructured, impromptu manner. With Zutec, owners can bring themselves up to speed throughout the whole process so that they are ready to hit the ground running with operations and maintenance.
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