New IRPM white paper identifies need for industry standards to govern data access, collection and management

The paper sets out the key challenges thrown up by the rapid increase in the generation, management and sharing of data and considers the future implications in light of building safety reform. Data-driven property provision was also discussed as a potential disrupter in our industry.

Key points are that:

• In future the building manager will be central to the new building safety regime and data collection, storage, management and retrieval will be central to the role.
• Disrupters are already seeing space as a digital service with data at its core and bricks and mortar as add-ons. This provides the opportunity for new data-rich and data-savvy players to enter the market.
• Agreement between the property sector and government is urgently needed to adopt good data and ethical principles that will work across the industry.

The paper concludes that data will continue to play a central role in all our business and personal interactions and we must all learn to use it to benefit, not compromise, the security, safety and wellbeing of our businesses and our customers.

Finally there was recognition that:

• IRPM has a role to play in endorsing data standards for the benefit of businesses, clients and residents.
• Education is key to better data use. There is also a role here for the IRPM to help drive knowledge out across the industry.

Commenting on the findings of the white paper, IRPM CEO Andrew Bulmer said: “Our whole industry must come together, collaborating to identify and adopt appropriate standards to govern the way we operate. This will be to the benefit of all key stakeholders including residents”.