{"id":213,"date":"2020-08-03T14:55:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T13:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/building-standards\/?p=213"},"modified":"2020-08-03T14:55:45","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T13:55:45","slug":"remote-verification-inspection-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/building-standards\/2020\/08\/03\/remote-verification-inspection-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote Verification Inspection Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0A guest post by Laura Shanks from Stirling Council\u2019s Building Standards Team<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Remote Verification Inspection? This is the prominent question that triggers the most discussion within our building standards team. In recent months our team determined that Remote Verification Inspection (RVI) would be a real time virtual inspection arranged and determined by the case officer, using our existing technology with the ability to invite various parties, record proceedings and share the approved plans on screen. It was the best option to determine reasonable enquiry in the circumstances and ensure the customer was informed efficiently.<\/p>\n

As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, local authority building standards teams have had to rethink our traditional site inspection methods and embrace virtual digital technologies. At Stirling Council, we have developed a system aimed at carrying out the Construction Compliance and Notification Plan (CCNP) and Completion submissions solely online.<\/p>\n

Development<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the outset we encouraged initial\u00a0discussions with the building standards team to be creative and truly take on board what an RVI at Stirling could be.\u00a0 Linking these discussions, as a group we\u00a0have\u00a0embraced, modernised and aligned with the working groups for digital initiatives. We were inspired by our colleagues in Highland Council at the Digital Workshop back in February, which has\u00a0opened\u00a0a new and positive engagement in what a\u00a0long-term\u00a0digital strategy means for us.<\/p>\n

Did\u00a0Microsoft 365 lend itself to the process? We were confident with the knowledge our team had using Microsoft 365. This provided a starting point to move RVI forward. With\u00a0hours of extensive research, using countless media platforms along with discussion forums, we thought outside the box.<\/p>\n

Familiarity with Microsoft Teams was invaluable in our preparation to deliver on RVI. This modern digital era enables the customer to use smart phones for internet access over\u00a0Wi-Fi\u00a0or 4G platforms.\u00a0However,\u00a0we still had to overcome the limited storage\u00a0capacity\u00a0within our existing data management system. MS\u00a0Stream allows us to save the RVI as evidence using\u00a0cloud-based\u00a0storage which can be transferred to our data management system later.<\/p>\n

Critical factors\u00a0in developing the RVI process were the dynamics and support of the whole team. This involved many tasks ranging from the team compiling a list of the inspections they felt couldn\u2019t be carried out through RVI, brainstorming the process from customer request until RVI, contributing to and reviewing the various staff user guides, customer guides, revised BSI 9001 process maps for sending invites, chairing RVI meetings and saving recordings.\u00a0 Allowing\u00a0flexibility to adapt and alter quickly where required, benefited not only our team, but improved our customer focus. It was essential that the process was approached from a customer perspective as this is integral to our Customer Service Excellence (CSE)\u00a0mind-set. Clear customer guidance provides clear details of how to join the RVI, what will happen during site inspections and any equipment\u00a0needed.<\/p>\n

Developmental time constraints, evaluating the performance of the RVI process for training the team and delivering to our customers was\u00a0a major challenge.\u00a0Without the push of the COVID-19 crisis, what took a few weeks to develop, would\u00a0have\u00a0taken a year of meetings and workshops.<\/p>\n

Testing and Launch<\/strong><\/p>\n

After setting up the RVI, we contacted a wide spectrum of our local customers to trial it. After\u00a0an initial\u00a0two-week\u00a0trial period, some minor revisions for improvements, we went live with our system on 18 June 2020.<\/p>\n

RVI in practice is quite surreal.\u00a0 It is\u00a0hugely different\u00a0to the normal interaction we enjoy and use on site, connecting in the field with projects with a broad spectrum of personalities and builders. Physical site inspections allow a \u2018hands-on\u2019 experience in numerous areas which enhances the inspection scope whereas RVI requires an enhanced level of concentration during the site visit process, directing the relevant person with a \u2018remote walk-through\u2019 of key areas you wish to view referring to the approved drawings.\u00a0 Having our senior team on hand peer reviewing the team\u2019s work in the\u00a0first\u00a0phase of RVI brought added\u00a0reassurance and review measures on larger applications such as the Stirling University Mac Roberts Centre extensions.\u00a0 A bespoke RVI team was set up which took into account the specific skill sets of our team, the Contractor and the Design team. Due to the scale and complexity of the project a larger building standards team resource was required to focus on specific areas in order to ensure success throughout the RVI.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

RVI in action, many thanks to Robertson Construction at Stirling University extension project. Top left – Craig Peat- Building Standards Inspector, Ross Davies- Graduate Building Standards Surveyor and Ryan O\u2019Donnell – Graduate Building Standards Surveyor<\/em><\/p>\n

Our team had to rethink how we survey. It takes time to develop and evolve these\u00a0new surveying\u00a0skills. It is worth noting that our RVI process will be simplified through constant review as the system beds-in.<\/p>\n

Review<\/strong><\/p>\n

RVI holds limitations and recognising these early is key.\u00a0 Physical drain tests can\u2019t be undertaken. Also, in towns which have restricted network coverage, or where the team\u00a0consider\u00a0it necessary, a follow up physical site inspection process may still be\u00a0required. However, earlier\u00a0intervention through the CCNP discussions allow us to look at promoting\u00a0the Certifiers of Construction\u00a0scheme\u00a0for the relevant sections creating an efficient process. RVI has advantages in reduced travel times,\u00a0improving accessibility for our customers, a simpler peer review process for the CCNP and reduced build times due to faster inspections and completion processes to name a few.<\/p>\n

It\u00a0is\u00a0necessary\u00a0and important to acknowledge that although this is a\u00a0short-term\u00a0initiative\u00a0during the\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0crisis, there is a\u00a0longer-term\u00a0benefit\u00a0from RVI to assist verification.\u00a0The development\u00a0of RVI shows\u00a0the construction industry is adapting to new, improved technology that puts\u00a0ownership of the process back in the hands of the customer.<\/p>\n

We should recognise this as a real opportunity to progress and refresh, creating a\u00a0new norm for the construction industry.\u00a0\u00a0Developing RVI long after the COVID-19 crisis is another step in the journey towards achieving reasonable enquiry, assisting in a safe and secure built environment.<\/p>\n

Digital technology is blighted by the myth that it\u00a0impacts\u00a0budgets, it is\u00a0\u201cnot what we do\u201d and that it will fail.\u00a0Instead, we should be focused on what digital resources are available, challenging ourselves and our teams to adapt them to satisfy our needs and not just \u2018dip the toe\u2019 into the digital era. Getting behind digital technologies enables us to create verification processes that attract new staff and provide a \u2018best in class\u2019 future for building standards professionals in our industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0A guest post by Laura Shanks from Stirling Council\u2019s Building Standards Team Remote Verification Inspection? This is the prominent question that triggers the most discussion within our building standards team. In recent months our team determined that Remote Verification Inspection (RVI) would be a real time virtual inspection arranged and determined by the case officer,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":525,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,12,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-building-standards","category-digital","category-procedures"],"yoast_head":"\nRemote Verification Inspection Journey - Building Standards<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/building-standards\/2020\/08\/03\/remote-verification-inspection-journey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Remote Verification Inspection Journey - Building Standards\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0A guest post by Laura Shanks from Stirling Council\u2019s Building Standards Team Remote Verification Inspection? 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