Excellence in Information and Communication Technology

March 2008 - Another award for Flag.

Last night we attended the Quality in construction awards with United House and won the ‘Excellence in Information and communication technology’ award.

Once again we are delighted to have helped a partner to win a major construction Industry award.

This time it is for the customer relations side of our ground breaking online application ‘Flag’.


Extract from Quality in Construction Awards 2008 Publication
The variety of different IT applications made for a lively discussion among the judges

Social Housing contractor United House has a Decent Homes order book worth over £200 million and has contracts to bring 50m000 homes up to standard by 2010. Luckily it also has FLAG, its own process management system, to help it handle this considerable workload.

A bespoke web-based system, FLAG is real-tim management system designed to integrate all the many strands that go into a refurbishment project. Them when the work is completed, FLAG becomes an asset management toll to help with ongoing building maintenance.

FLAG was developed originally in response to a large (£153 million) PFI contract for the London Borough of Islington. United House’s largest contract to date, it was clear that this would require more than its usual project management capability.

Believed to be the first process management system for social housing to be developed by a contractor, FLAG tracks the progress of work property-by-property. It automatically generates and personalises standard letters and makes appointments to fit in with a pre-agreed target programme. It then formulates the work process from start to finish for each property. A simple ‘traffic light’ system prioritises actions to ensure full compliance; work cannot start until the project literally gets the green light.

As well as co-ordinating contractors and subcontractors, FLAG also provides a tool for clients and end-users. Any complaints are logged on FLAG and the client can interrogate the system to check progress and monitor tenant satisfaction.

“Tenants like it because they get answers from whoever they’re speaking to,” says United House Director Paul Nicholls. They can also use FLAG to choose the bathroom or kitchen suite and interior colour schemes they want from a portfolio of options. All information is stored centrally and automatically fed into the project system.

Since the original FLAG system was trialled at Islington it has been revised twice and now the Mark III version is being used on all United House projects, currently covering 30,000 homes.

FLAG was developed in partnership with IT consultant Propeller Studios Limited and funded entirely by United House.