The Challenge:

Q: What challenges did your organisation face before Statlog?
NS: Before the introduction of Statlog, the arduous task of coordinating estate capital expenditure was primarily conducted through manual methods. I was at the forefront of navigating this mission. The annual ritual of soliciting project proposals from schools each October yielded a labyrinth of emails, documents, and spreadsheets, culminating in a considerable workload and a laborious review process. The manual approach lacked the agility and objectivity to respond to both the strategic and the immediate needs of the estate. This resulted in many urgent issues across the property portfolio left either unknown or unaddressed.

The Realisation:

Q: What made you look for a digital solution?
NS: Against a background of increased Diocese responsibilities over schools and capital funding management, we recognised that we weren’t always addressing the true need across the estate and needed better oversight. There was a clear impetus for a digital transformation which would increase our estate knowledge, save time, and allow us to concentrate on giving help where really needed. This led to a comprehensive market search, evaluating several solutions before recognising the potential of Statlog as a fitting answer to our needs.

The Implementation of Statlog:

Q: What differences did Statlog make?
NS: Embracing Statlog has revolutionised our approach to estate management. Statlog provides a cohesive platform, bringing all our schools and academies together under one umbrella. The digital solution has given us; clear oversight across the estate; statutory compliance surety; full prioritised condition and suitability need with real-time costs and solutions; properly and efficiently managed capital programmes and resultant projects; a compete audit trail and full capital spend archive; transparent approval processes; and one-touch DfE assurances. 

Outcomes and Benefits:

Q: Four years on, how has Statlog helped?
NS: The collaboration with Statlog has borne significant fruit. Not only has it facilitated a more strategic and informed allocation of funds, but it has also engendered an environment where decision-making is proactive rather than reactive. The system’s ability to generate detailed condition reports in minutes has been invaluable, particularly during initiatives like last year’s prioritisation of fire safety upgrades across the estate. Moreover, the platform’s project manager module has become a cornerstone for schools to self-manage maintenance and improvement projects, assuring compliance and safety through guided steps and checks. The transparency and efficiency achieved through Statlog were most prominently displayed during the RAAC survey of 2023. With Statlog’s data, the Diocese managed to quickly generate a comprehensive report, leading to significant cost savings and allowing the Diocese to focus on other vital projects.

Conclusion:

The introduction of Statlog to the Archdiocese of Westminster has been a pivotal step in revolutionising their entire approach to estate management. It has transformed a once cumbersome and time-consuming process into a streamlined, strategic operation. This digital advancement has provided the Diocese with the tools necessary to not only ensure the safety and compliance of their learning environments, but also to allocate resources effectively, maintaining the highest standards of educational excellence. The Archdiocese of Westminster and Statlog partnership success story stands as a testament to the power of innovation and change in supporting the mission of education.