Reading between the lines

David O'Riley

It is no secret that the attention to detail and quality of finish in many buildings in the region has frequently left much to be desired.

There are a number of factors that have influenced this outcome such as a preoccupation with saving money today with no regard for tomorrow’s additional expense. But they are outside of this discussion.

What is important is the need to establish a base-line from which the future maintenance of a building can be planned. One way of doing this is to undertake a thorough inspection of the building and its assets and utilise the resulting report.

So, you’ve let a contract to an inspection company based on doing a thorough inspection of the building and its assets but when the report arrives, much of the detail you were expecting isn’t there. Worse still, new information that you need to know about isn’t there.

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The most frequent explanation is that the report you have, is based on an audit of the building and its assets, not on a thorough inspection. A simple enough mistake if you don’t fully appreciate the difference.

So what is the difference? Well, ‘thorough’ is typically defined as: “complete with regard to every detail; not superficial or partial.” Inspection’ is “an organised examination”

A thorough inspection should therefore be complete, not superficial or partial and it should be conducted by examining the asset in a formal, organised way.
An audit on the other hand is defined as an ‘evaluation’ and whilst it may be conducted in a formal and organised way, the depth of completeness with which it is conducted is not the same as an inspection - the subject is not ‘examined’ and therefore the resultant report cannot provide the same level of detail as that produced by an inspection.

Misinterpretation of the word ‘inspection’ may lead to disappointment with the report.

This is something that needs to be adressed initially. Sitting down with your service provider to agree on what the deliverables must be would go a long way to resolving the situation.

There are of course circumstances where an audit is more than sufficient, such as creating or verifying an asset list or establishing the documentation associated with an asset list; but where the requirement is to actually establish the status of an asset, only an inspection will do.

To emphasise the difference consider the following: an audit of the fire alarm system would normally confirm the system had a current Test Certificate. It may involve looking at the panel to see if all of the indications lamps are reading OK.

In addition to the above, an inspection would review the fire panel’s recent activity to establish regular faults or problems, and how long they were active before resolved.It is clear which of the two reports will be of most value to the client.

Striving to do the best for your client is always the objective, but how often does the reliance upon others prove to be the weak point of delivery? The availability of an independent report, one that is a known quantity, unbiased and that can be trusted provides a valuable tool in documenting and managing the delivery of services by a third party.

With the growing need for independent inspection services in the region, many individuals and companies have been encouraged to enter the market. But as with any emerging market there are substantial differences between the standard of service offered, even though all the service providers refer to their services as ‘inspections’

For the time being, making sure you agree the deliverables with the service provider is the only way you can be sure your report contains the information you need.

In time, the industry will become regulated which will be much better for everyone. Certainly in the UAE there are already moves by a couple of government agencies to evaluate the options. International standards do already exist so the shortest route to regulation would be to adopt one of those.

Given the significant change in the real estate market over the past couple of years, from a seller’s to a buyer’s market, every opportunity needs to be taken to maximise value for money in the eyes of the client. The availability of an independent report based on an accurate, detailed inspection goes a long way to ensuring that your client knows exactly what they are getting for their money.

Bio

David O’Riley is senior marketing executive at Snag & Inspect. His background is in Electrical Engineering and Fire Suppression.