Conclusions
This section draws on the evidence from the expert review of plumbing records, and stakeholder interviews, to address the key evaluation questions.
Does the digital record keeping provide sufficient information to determine whether the work complies with the building consent issued under the Building Act 2004?
Digital records created in Artisan have the potential to provide sufficient information to determine compliance with the building consent. However, the quality of digital records is only as good as the plumbers compiling them, and the parameters and shot lists defined by the responsible BCA.
The BCAs we spoke with were positive about the potential for digital records to be used in remote inspections for low-risk plumbing work. Many BCAs (including both BCAs interviewed for this evaluation) already conduct remote inspections for non-plumbing work, and as such this Pilot represented an extension of current practice rather than a significant change. The quality and value of the digital record created in Artisan was seen as a significant benefit over current practice.
Plumbers were also interested in continuing to use Artisan. The creation of digital records in Artisan supported efficiency gains through enabling remote inspections, provided opportunities to upskill, and was seen as a valuable record of work to replace more ad hoc current practices.
The expert reviewer felt that Artisan was an effective application for creating digital records of low-risk plumbing work. However, they also noted that approximately 80 per cent of cases reviewed could be improved. Primarily these issues related to missing information. This may call into question the ability for the digital records to be a stand-alone record of compliance, without greater vigilance from BCAs in ensuring all shot list requirements are met. In making decisions about compliance with the building code, BCA inspectors have additional information outside Artisan to draw on. If the digital record is to be considered a standalone record of compliance, then attention must be paid to ensuring all necessary contextual information is provided.
Stakeholder interviews made it clear that that strong BCA buy-in and support in using Artisan is essential to the success of the use of the platform.
Are there sufficient benefits to using remote inspection tools for Building Consent Officials and plumbers?
Stakeholder interviews identified a range of benefits of using Artisan to create digital records. Other than time taken to for training to use the application, there were no substantial costs to Pilot participant for using the Artisan tool. The level of enthusiasm from both BCA inspectors and plumbers is a clear indication that the net benefit associated with using Artisan to create digital records are sufficient to see continued use. A key factor contributing to the strong buy-in from stakeholders is that creating and reviewing digital records in Artisan is an evolution of existing practices, rather than a new task to learn and integrate into the working day.
The primary benefit of using Artisan to create digital records is in enabling remote inspections to be undertaken, and the associated efficiency gains in replacing one or more in-person inspections. However, a range of other benefits were identified by stakeholders, indicating the creation of digital records using Artisan could be an effective tool for both plumbers and BCA inspectors:
- Using Artisan to create digital records appears to support better communication and improved working relationships between plumbers and BCA inspectors.
- Compiling digital records in line with Artisan shot lists was seen as a way of upskilling plumbers, helping ensure focus on common pain points / failures in plumbing work. Plumbers noted that this new perspective of “what’s important” helps them avoid failed inspections.
- Beyond facilitating remote inspections, the digital records created in Artisan also provide useful records of work for plumbers.