New site mapping system from Searchflow
Searchflow, the electronic conveyancing search service, has launched the first ever electronic site mapping tool.
Commercial property lawyers can now access all property information electronically and get rid of the time consuming manual processes lawyers typically use to assemble paper based site plans.
SearchFlow’s Site Assembly service maps all relevant land titles, tenures and property interests in a single view. This allows instant and easy visibility of gaps in ownership. Additional data, such as environmental information, the position of utilities and aerial photography can be added to build a comprehensive site profile.
At the moment solicitors manually gather all the necessary information, which usually takes between seven and ten hours of staff time, to order, assemble and review a site plan.
The service can be used to assess any site, however large or small. Additional data can also be requested, such as information on contamination and flooding risks. This can also be overlaid spatially onto the electronic map. The service will remove the need to produce paper copies of site plans for distribution to stakeholders. The finished project is delivered on a disk, USB stick or by email.
David Kempster, director of SearchFlow, said: “The Site Assembly service will fundamentally change the way site plans are put together. For far too long, the process has relied on making cumbersome manual copies of all necessary information and presenting this physically to clients.
“By bringing all this information together electronically, the Site Assembly service will bring the process into the modern age and deliver a big time saving.
“The flexibility of the electronic method means just about any relevant information can be added to the plan and passed to all the relevant parties electronically. It’s cheaper, clearer and easier to use than manual plans.”
The system is already successfully employed in more than 20 large commercial and niche law firms, including Munday’s and Brabner’s Chaffe Street LLP. Both firms have integrated this process into their workflow on key development projects.
Ingrid Saffin, commercial property partner at Mundays, said: “Having SearchFlow complete this work was a huge bonus for us and the client in terms of time saving, efficiency and cost.
“Had we undertaken the task via the usual manual, paper process it would have taken weeks to prepare. Completion time was halved as mapping experts deal with GIS data and the compilation of the site.”
