PlanRadar & IFC Group team up for the development of a bespoke solution for fire safety inspections and audits
- IFC Group (part of Kiwa UK Group), chooses to use PlanRadar to support their work delivering fire safety solutions
- Site teams will implement the software to track inspections and fire risk assessments and audit sites and companies towards 3rd party certification
PlanRadar and IFC Group are excited to announce a new partnership in which from the end of August 2021, IFC Group Engineers and Inspectors will use PlanRadar technology in the field to manage inspections, fire risk assessments and audits across their projects globally.
The company supports its clients at every stage of their projects, from design to delivery and maintenance, and on projects of all sizes and levels of complexity. With increased scrutiny on building owners, developers and contractors to deliver the highest quality fire safety measures and assurance, IFC Group has found their expertise much in demand.
Several new lots were introduced for 2020, including heritage, town & master planning and fire engineering and at the first attempt IFC were considered an ideal partner.
“After thoroughly reviewing PlanRadar in 2021, we’re very excited to roll out the software to our fire risk assessment teams,” said Glen Sumner, Associate Director at IFC Group. “We had been looking for a software solution that was simple to use, that enabled consistency and that made it easy to share the results of assessments with clients. It was also important for us to be able to work with plans in hand and to be able to mark them up as needed. PlanRadar met all of our criteria and have done a great job in supporting our unique requirements.”
While IFC Group has always been at the cutting edge of fire safety technology, they were looking to improve efficiency of the process of recording inspections and to enhance their support for clients in a rapidly moving marketplace. With PlanRadar’s flexible forms and checklists, engineers will be able to use their mobile devices to record their assessment of each element of a building that they inspect. They can also add photographs, videos, voice memos and other evidence and attach them to a precise location on a plan.
By digitising the data collection process, IFC Group’s engineers can automatically build a complete, time-stamped record of all evidence from a site, including any communication and decisions made. A secure audit trail is stored centrally, making it easy to access at a later date. Data can also be quickly exported into custom-built reports in the exact format required, ready for sharing with a client. This includes the use of a client-oriented dashboard.
PlanRadar’s Matt Ryan, Country Manager for the UK & Sweden, said “IFC Group initially approached us looking to move their inspections and risk assessment teams to a single digital platform. Since then, our agile development and customer success teams have worked closely with them to build cutting-edge fire inspection forms, up-to-date fire risk assessment documents and automated client-ready reports. Fire safety compliance and legislation is an ever-changing beast, increasing in its comprehensiveness and complexity almost daily – and rightly so. This comes with challenges and extended liabilities, so it’s important for us to stay up-to-speed and support the field at all times. Partnering with industry-leaders like the IFC Group helps us achieve that, and helps them increase their teams’ efficiency on the ground, with bespoke solutions to achieve detailed communication and reporting to clients and governing bodies alike.”
UPDATED (19/08/2021). If you would like to discuss any details about relating to this article, please contact
Matt Stevens, IFC Business Operations Manager
matt.stevens@ifcgroup.com
About the IFC Group
International Fire Consultants is a specialist consultancy focusing on advancing the awareness, innovation and practical application of all aspects of fire safety, and in doing so actively contributes towards a safer built environment for everyone.
Our holistic approach ensures IFC is able to assist projects of any size and complexity involving Fire Safety Engineering, Fire Risk Management, Product Evaluation, Computational Modelling (CFD), Fire Life Safety Systems, Expert Witness Testimony, Fire Protection Training as well as UKAS Accredited 3rd Party Certification.
Our expertise spans right across the built environment spectrum; from residential, education and healthcare structures, through to iconic buildings such as historical royal palaces and stately homes.
Recognised internationally as the go-to fire safety experts the IFC Group is proud of its exemplary reputation and is trusted by many of the most prestigious construction firms, architects, developers, manufacturers and estate owners.
With the IFC Group you can expect to receive design flexibility, cost-effective and tailored systems, a client focused approach, in-depth understanding of British & International Fire Safety Standards and wide-ranging cross sector experience.
About PlanRadar
PlanRadar is a platform- and device-independent, web-based SaaS solution (Software as a Service) for documentation and communication in construction and real estate projects.
It can be used for fault and task management, maintenance, building inspections, construction documentation, handovers and more. Using a web application or apps for all smartphones and tablets (iOS, Android and Windows), teams can share digital floor plans or BIM models, communicate and track any kind of information.
By digitising workflows, PlanRadar reduces the frequency of errors, saves time for all parties involved and enables enormous increases in efficiency: customers report saving up to 7 working hours a week. The company, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, serves more than 13,000 customers from 55 countries.
For more information about PlanRadar, please visit: www.planradar.com/gb
