ASSA ABLOY Security
Solutions, a UK division of ASSA ABLOY, the global leader in door opening
solutions, has released its latest white paper on key management and control
for void properties in the social housing sector.
According to the
Department for Communities and Local Government, housing associations and local
authorities own five million homes in the UK, with 610,000 of these homes empty
at any one time between tenancies – approximately an eighth of the total stock.
The time spent by
local authorities physically handing over keys between different maintenance
staff and contractors can cause significant workflow delays, increase the risk
of keys being lost or stolen, and result in considerable delays in re-letting
properties.
All of these issues
can potentially lead to large costs for councils and housing associations. The
white paper from ASSA ABLOY Security Solutions addresses the impact that
effective key management and control can have on improving operational
efficiencies for void properties, as well as ensuring budgets are used more
efficiently.
Finally, the white
paper outlines how ASSA CLIQ Remote can make a huge difference to an
organisation’s key management and control processes. These include streamlining
operations, reducing the risk of lost or copied keys being compromised, cutting
costs and improving an organisation’s sustainability credentials.
ASSA CLIQ Remote is
a simple, intelligent electro-mechanical locking system that allows only those
with the necessary authority to access a building. It enables owners to have
complete control over who can access a property, with members of staff allocated
a single key, and entry permissions that can be altered remotely or set for
only a certain length of time.
One organisation to
benefit from ASSA CLIQ Remote is Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC).
Since its introduction, the system has helped the council save approximately 40
hours of time every week. The reduction in 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 more effectively.
The guide’s author,
Simon Wilson, National Sales Manager for ASSA CLIQ Remote, said: “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.
“As a result, the
need for an efficient and effective key management process is really important.
Our latest guide discusses this in more detail, while demonstrating the
benefits of adopting ASSA CLIQ Remote. It has proven to help save local
authorities and housing associations considerable amounts of time and money.”
