ASSA CLIQ® Remote from ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening solutions, is a finalist in this year’s UK Housing Awards, for helping to revolutionise Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s (RMBC) repairs and maintenance processes for void properties.
With approximately 2,000 empty properties to manage every year, RMBC required a key management solution that would simplify its operations, eliminate the need for physical key handovers and cut costs.
Shortlisted in the category ‘Outstanding approach to repairs and maintenance’, ASSA CLIQ® Remote has allowed RMBC to improve key management, and speed up its repair and maintenance practices on void properties.
ASSA CLIQ® Remote uses wireless technology to give key holders – regardless of location – remote access to a property through a single key. By eliminating the need for physical key handovers, ASSA CLIQ® Remote has drastically reduced time spent travelling between jobs, saving maintenance staff and contractors valuable time, resulting in properties being re-let quicker.
As a result, ASSA CLIQ® Remote is saving RMBC approximately 40 hours of time every week. The reduction re-let times has allowed RMBC to deliver an additional £60,000 a year in rental income revenue, enabling the council to use its budget and resources elsewhere.
The improved operational efficiencies are also helping lower the council’s environmental impact. RMBC staff or contractors performing repair and maintenance do not need to travel to physically handover keys, reducing the council’s carbon footprint and fleet expenses.
Finally, the system is reducing the risk of lost or copied keys being compromised as well. If a key is lost or stolen, access rights can be deactivated straightaway.
Simon Wilson, National Sales Manager for ASSA CLIQ® Remote, said: “The Chartered Institute of Housing’s awards are one of the most prestigious for the UK’s housing sector. We are delighted that our work with RMBC has been nominated in the category of ‘Outstanding approach to repairs and maintenance’.
“In the social housing sector, the pressure to re-let houses as quickly as possible and work to tight budgets should not be underestimated. Nevertheless, properties will inevitably stand empty between tenancies, while staff and contractors carry out the necessary repairs and maintenance to a home.
“ASSA CLIQ® Remote has provided a simple solution to the issue of key management and key control for void properties. With physical key handovers no longer necessary, maintenance workers spend less time travelling between jobs, and void properties can be turned around and re-let quicker, whilst improving the council’s sustainability credentials.
“ASSA CLIQ® Remote also ensures lost keys are no longer a security risk, and the council’s time and budget can be used more effectively. The system is a fantastic solution for managing void properties, and we are pleased the cost-savings and efficiencies it’s delivering are being recognised.”
The 2018 UK Housing Awards will take place on Wednesday 2 May at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London.
For more information on ASSA CLIQ® Remote, please visit www.assa.co.uk/cliqremote.