ISSUE 01 - H1 2021 IN THIS ISSUE WELCOME TO AM HIGHTLIGHTS BULLETIN Introduction to our Bulletin from our Director Matthew Mackintosh MIRPM, AssocRICS. LATEST NEWS Using AI to streamline our client-invoice processing and going paperless. AM appointed to manage impressive Victorian heritage Mansion. CASE STUDY TEAM SPOTLIGHT: RYAN GRIFFITHS Meet our in-house Gardening Operative Ryan Griffiths as he gets stuck in at his latest project. HALF-YEARLY HIGHLIGHTS BULLETIN Welcome to the first edition of our Half-Yearly Highlights Bulletin commencing from January 2021. Our 6 monthly Bulletins consist of brief team and company updates, news, case studies and behind the scenes insights. 2020 has been a challenging year for many businesses and individuals owing to COVID19 and at AM we have certainly had our share, however we are humbled and relived despite the challenging environment to have 2,000+ property owners continue to rely on us to provide an essential Block Management solution at their building or estate, including many new clients joining us over the lockdown period. I am incredibly proud of our team all of whom have continued to work through the multiple-lockdowns, with zero lay-offs, furloughs or stoppages of service. Despite it’s lows, we leave 2020 on a positive note and look forward to what 2021 will bring; further enhancements to our services by way of onboarding new members of staff into key roles including Senior Property Manager and implementing new software solutions by leveraging Artificial Intelligence to help us go paperless in our handling of supplier invoices via our latest integration with Glantus Software. We offer thanks to our clients and property owners whom have supported us over 2020 and wish all a much more positive 2021. Stay up to date with our latest updates by visiting www.amsbm.co.uk/articles. Matthew Mackintosh MIRPM, AssocRICS Head of Block Management, Director
CASE STUDY: WYFOLD COURT MANSION A one of a kind instruction for any Managing Agent, secured by AM Surveying & Block Management, appointed on behalf of residents at the prestigious Grade II listed heritage Victorian Mansion. Built 1837 and converted into luxury apartments in 2000, this beautiful Mansion boasts both a fascinating history and unique architecture, the latter in particular requiring the professional assistance of our team at AM to help meet it’s specific Block Management oriented challenges. A perfect opportunity for AM to demonstrate the benefit of combining the expertise of Property Management and 01732 220 598 LATEST NEWS: GOING PAPERLESS AS PART OF OUR LATEST SOFTWARE INTERGRATION Hundreds of approved service providers are posting or emailing their invoices to AM each and every day, resulting in thousands of invoices requiring manual handling on behalf of our clients each year. Each invoice then requires filing and storage. Recent increases in demand for services from AM Surveying & Block Management have resulted in expansion of our Block Management portfolio further causing potential for a pinch-point in our manual handling of hard-copy invoices and the resulting filing of such. These processes are time-consuming, are not environmentally friendly and take up much space with the need to store all invoices for many years. To ensure our team can focus on value-adding matters and to see we retain high service-levels, it has become essential our team find a long term sustainable solution to these challenges!
We’ve elected to team up with Glantus, providers of a range of impressive accounting automation software that boasts flexibility to integrate with existing software infrastructure, among many other functions. Glantus' accounts payable software package; AP Automation, ticks all the boxes for AM: - Automated invoice and invoice-data capture, entirely online. - Totally paperless; online invoice handling and multi-departmental invoice approvals functions. - Tailored design to sit within AM's existing Block Management software ecosystem. - Digital storage of archived invoices. - Enables remote working. - Reduces our environmental impact. Perhaps most impressively, Glantus' AP Automation solution uses artificial intelligence to "learn" essential information and read, using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, AM's supplier invoices to pick out on-invoice information and populate data fields automatically. By analyzing invoicing trends, over time machine learning kicks-in so the system "learns" exactly which member of staff needs to review specific invoice types, thus pushing such invoices direct to the relevant members of staff for review, reducing manual handling and increasing efficiency. Brilliant! AM are proudly one of the earliest adopters within Block Management of the Glantus AP Automation platform and we are incredibly excited to see the return on investment through boosts in invoice processing efficiencies. We expect to improve invoice processing efficiencies by up to 80%, to remove the need to handle any hard-copy invoices, reduce our environmental impact, achieve a more paperless workplace, improve remote-working and overall to do this while retaining the high service levels delivered to our growing Block Management client-base throughout London and the Home Counties. Building Surveying professionals provided to the building under one roof. Wyfold Court Mansion, in Oxfordshire, was built during the reign of Queen Victoria, for Edward Hermon, Conservative MP for Preston and business magnate. It was designed by architect George Somers Clarke, a pupil of Sir Charles Barry whom is the visionary architect responsible for designing the Houses of Parliament. The building is constructed of scarlet-brick with blue-brick patterns and yellow stone details. The external structure includes towers, corner turrets, gargoyle stone ornaments, clock tower, mullioned bay windows and intricate stone detailing to provide a unique Gothic architecture rarely seen at other privately held residential property. Internally, the communal corridors consist of rib-vaulted design (such as that of seen at the Houses of Parliament) with grand staircase and multi-story wide bay windows with stained glass of royal coats of arms bearing the names and reign dates of British Monarchs. In 1932 the property was sold by it's private owners to the Government and converted for medical use as Borocourt Hospital, a mental health institute, and joined the National Health Service in 1948. The property was converted to luxury residential use in 2000 and since then property values have been known to exceed £2mil for an apartment. Managing the building's unique demands include preparation of detailed asset management plans setting out clear strategies for maintenance of areas such as the large expanse of roof and external parts prepared by our internal Building Surveyors. Another area requiring the laser focus of team AM is the matter of achieving accurate insurance terms requiring completion of a Reinstatement Cost Assessment via our in-house Building Surveyors, regular maintenance checks via our tradespeople, coordinating installation of leak detection equipment and facilitating resident-insurance broker discussions enabling key issues to be sounded and decisions taken. Providing effective Block Management to a property such as Wyfold Court truly is a team effort requiring Block Managers and Surveyors at AM. www.amsbm.co.uk
MEET THE TEAM TEAM SPOTLIGHT: RYAN GRIFFITHS What is your role at AM? “I am AM’s in-house lead Gardening Operative overseeing all things green-fingered within our portfolio of communal grounds and gardens. I am dispatched to a wide range of property including to small Victorian conversations, high class listed buildings and housing estates of 100+ properties.” What does your role involve? “In the summer you will find me tending to lawns and flowerbeds anywhere from North London to East Kent and in the winter I will be clearing up the autumn leave fall and carrying out pressure washing duties.” How long have you been with AM? “I joined AM in July 2018 to start a new career in gardening and groundskeeping having previously worked within a supermarket chain.” What is one of the biggest challenges you have overcome in your role? “COVID19 has meant I've been able to interact less in person with residents and colleagues, we’ve been using video calls to replace many face to face meetings among our team.” What do you like to do when your not working? “Spending time with my wife Lucy, snowboarding and playing bass guitar with friends. Can’t wait to get back to some of these hobbies when COVID19 is behind us!” VISIT AND CONNECT 01732 220598 enquiries@amsbm.co.uk www.amsbm.co.uk Matthew Mackintosh MIRPM, AssocRICS Paris Mackintosh Aaron Raymond Abbie Thain Beth Lawrence Chloe Donaghy Ryan Griffiths Ethan Barraclough Richard Hughes Bsc Hons Jacqueline Austen Kieran Murphy Kim Taylor Lauren Jermy AATQB Nick Spalding MA Hons Poppy the Cockapoo Sharon Jermy Tim Hensel Zack Jermy MCIH, AIRPM