Go Paperless for your Customers
Author
Sarah O'Donovan
There are so many products and services offering to digitise different areas of your business, or your life, that it can be hard to know where to start. Beginning with one part of your process can help to prevent digital overwhelm and allow you to ease into the online world.
Your clients should benefit as much as you do from digitisation, so look at the stages in your design and building process which are currently slowed down by paperwork and potentially frustrating for customers. It’s possible one of these is handover, the point at which a client is usually keen to move in without adhering to important protocol. Digitising this process can help to reduce admin costs and post-build issues, while speeding up progress and improving transparency between yourself and the homeowner.
A competitive option for Australian building professionals is inndox, a fast, inexpensive and secure way for builders to provide a compliant digital handover. Bridging the gap between builder software and property owners, inndox automates the ongoing communication to owners using an online owner-management platform. This includes sharing and retrieving data, maintenance scheduling, warranty alerts and transference to future owners.
With access to tools, such as templates, information cloning, contacts and branding capabilities, and after sales services, including referral opportunities for the life of the property at no extra cost, the system is helping to keep builders out of the office and onsite.
Why going paperless will help you, your client and the environment
How many times have you wished for easier Handovers? Or wanted to find an important project file quickly but couldn’t find it? Going digital may seem daunting, but it can make the entire process so much easier and more efficient for everyone involved, throughout the life of the property.
Digitising the Handover process can help to reduce admin costs, time, and post-build issues, improve transparency and brand perception, and stop paper wastage – making your company more competitive and environmentally friendly.
Going digital with inndox is a win-win situation for everyone!
inndox helps you maintain your biggest asset
How do I set Maintenance Reminders
inndox has a property maintenance feature to help you care for your property.
Step 1. Go to the Maintenance Reminders section on your inndox dashboard
Step 2. Select the View all button
Step 3. Click on Add maintenance button
Step 4. Enter in the details: Title, Due Date, select if Recurring & End date, if additional person for reminder, Who it is scheduled for & add any notes
Step 5. Finally click on Add maintenance item
Your important maintenance reminder is now scheduled and you will receive alerts from your inndox app, 2 weeks in advance.
Examples of some typical maintenance checks:
Annual Termite inspections
Annual Pest Sprays
6 monthly gutter cleaning
Annual Smoke Alarm battery replacement
Annual air-conditioning service
6 monthly window cleaning
Monthly garden maintenance
Annual timber deck re-coating
5 yearly hot water system valve replacement
Annual water tank service
Annual water filter replacement
Annual pressure wash of pavers, driveways
Fortnightly pool checks and cleaning
Annual pool equipment inspection
Annual carpet cleaning
Annual curtain & blind cleaning
Here are some consequences for not caring for your property:
***spending thousands of dollars on repairs such as structural integrity issues (a result of not having your property's timber decking recoated)
***potential fire hazard or drainage issues by not having your guttering cleaned on an annual basis
***termite infestation due to unexpected termite invasion by not having annual termite inspections
By using inndox to manage all of these important tasks, you will feel more relaxed.
For example, you will have peace of mind that your painter gets notified two weeks in advance when the timber decks need re-coating, your plumber will be notified two weeks before the water tanks, hot water system and refrigerator filter services are due, the air-conditioning technician gets advance notification that you want your air conditioning units serviced, and the window cleaner gets notice that your windows need cleaning.
No more diarising or simply forgetting. You can become a paper-less and care-free property owner.
How to know if the defect is urgent or minor
Whether it is during Practical Completion or in the after-sales period, Owners or tenants may find defects in the property that need to be fixed. But what constitutes an urgent defect compared to a minor defect?
Urgent defects are anything that involves a health and safety issue, security issue or leads to loss of essential services, like water and flushing toilets, that are within our control.
Minor defects are anything that cause a minor inconvenience, like loose fittings and specific items that should be checked for before the end of the defects period, such as cracks, split wood, loose kitchen drawers, decorating blemishes, etc.
Pro tip: During Practical Completion, make sure you document and take photographs to record any minor defects that you discover during the inspection. Make sure both you and the builder (or your respective representatives) sign that document noting the defects. Ensure you include the agreed dates as to when the items will be fixed.
Practical Completion: 3 Key Items
The 3 Key items that need to be considered for Practical Completion are:
1. Minor defects and omissions - these should be recorded on a signed defects document, signed by the Builder (or their representative) and the Client (or their representative). This document should formally acknowledge the times, issues and defects that have been agreed on, and also the defects where there is disagreement.
2. Contracted work completed properly. The contracted work needs to be completed in accordance with the Building Codes, Standards, relevant laws, and contract documentation.
3. Certificates. Some contracts require provision of all inspection certificates, collection of all the necessary Form 16s, and the final inspection certificate known as Form 21.
These key items are often a condition for the final payment from the Owner.
Once Practical Completion has been reached and the final payment has been made, all the relevant files are provided to the Owner at handover.
inndox can help you manage your handover and provide the next level of service - a digital handover in a convenient app that helps Owners manage and maintain their biggest asset.
No more worrying about warranties with inndox
Warranties are important to be included in the Handover to the Owner.
Noting the Warranty expiry dates for all the products and household appliances is usually overlooked. It's not until something goes wrong with the equipment, that the Client will search through their Handover records to find the product Warranty that may have already expired. This results in the Client often missing out on a legitimate claim causing them undue expense and inconvenience.
What if a Client calls asking for their Warranty information a number of years after completion? Would you know where to find them? Who was the person responsible for archiving those documents? Your client may expect you to retrieve those details and may get frustrated if a seemingly simple task takes hours to be accomplished.
When using inndox, your Clients get an easy-to-use app with Warranty Expiry options that alert them when the warranty is one month before expiry giving them ample time to check the appliance and make a claim if appropriate. Both you and your Clients get peace of mind having access 24/7 to all the property information including the important documentation for product Warranties.
So next time you get that call from the Client asking you where the Warranty details are, just direct them to their inndox!
Why it is important for Builders to always have all documents onsite
Since the recent tower fires in Sydney and Melbourne caused by non-conforming and non-compliant cladding, the National Construction Code has been updated.
For Builders, this means needing to be able to show authorities and clients proof of compliance of all the building materials used in the build and approved installation methods while onsite. Builders should work with all professionals involved in the supply chain for the project with these documents, including the designers, architects, manufacturers, suppliers and trades.
If you don’t have all the information close at hand, you could have your site shut down and be subject to hefty fines, which has already happened to a few building sites in Queensland.
Ultimately, the compliance of the building will rest with the Owner, so this means it is more important than ever for Builders and Developers to provide an enduring record for the Owners at handover.
With inndox, your records are safe, secure and available for the life of the property.
