Architect practice Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare Ltd has implemented Invu Document Management software to tackle document inaccessibility and the inability to share information internally, whilst also providing a robust and compliant archiving solution.
The decision to trial a document management system came about after the completion of the largest project to date – the design of Festival Place, Basingstoke. Forty employees had worked simultaneously on the 900,000 sq ft development for over a decade, creating huge volumes of paper documentation in the process. Issues of document inaccessibility and an inability to share information across the organisation soon became clear and a need for a document management system was identified. After a basic software solution was implemented to tackle this single project’s needs, Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare wanted to roll the philosophy and processes out wider across the organisation but therefore required a more comprehensive system.
Established in 1963, Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare Ltd is an architect practice bringing a range of additional services via support from its in-house planning, urban design/master planning, project management, interior design and graphic teams. Based in Hartley Wintney, the RIBA Chartered Practice has the resources and range of skills to undertake a diverse spectrum of projects.
Steve Atkins, Director for Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare explains, “When we are working on projects, we need all documents to be accessible to the whole team. In some cases this also means previous contracts to give a 360º view of the project. Whilst the temporary document management solution was suitable for a single project, the benefits perceived were enough for the practice directors to consider a more permanent solution. We knew we needed more functionality and greater flexibility, whilst still adhering to our compliance requirements.”
Since implementation, the Invu solution has proved a valuable efficiency tool for the practice. Atkins continues, “95% of the documents received into the practice are stored electronically within Invu. This includes correspondence and finalised CAD files. Only 5% of the incoming documents are postal, which are now scanned straight into Invu. We wouldn’t go back to the paper system. We are working far more efficiently now that we have Invu and this can only improve in the future.”
In addition, Lyons+Sleeman+Hoare identified a need for a document management system to update and remove the costs of the pre-existing archiving processes. Across the construction industry, all project documents have to be retained for 12 years after completion for compliance purposes.
Because of the sheer amount of paper that such a requirement entails, the practice leased a whole additional building for archiving. Vacating the extra building as a cost cutting measure meant that the archive materials needed to be moved. This daunting prospect meant moving 2,500 archive boxes and led to a review of the archive, the shredding of out-of-date information and a commitment to implementing a document management solution.
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