Customer Story – Large Government estate
From 40 Buildings to a 720-Property Portfolio
How a public sector facilities management provider used Accordant to transform outdated property data into a foundation for managing a large government estate.
The challenge
Turning outdated building plans into reliable property data
A public sector facilities management provider was awarded a pilot project covering 40 buildings within a large government property portfolio.
The task was to replace outdated spreadsheets with accurate, detailed information drawn from existing CAD plans. Building measurements needed to be reviewed, space allocations recorded and asset information organised into a more effective management system.
The ambition extended beyond updating floor plans. The team needed to understand which departments occupied which spaces, where assets were located and how buildings were being used — without requiring employee information to be loaded into the system.
With the potential to take on responsibility for hundreds of additional properties, the organisation needed a practical way to turn fragmented building information into a reliable resource for ongoing estate management.
The journey with Accordant
Finding the right tool for the job
The team explored a number of software solutions to find one that could meet the project’s specific requirements.
Accordant was selected for its ability to extract meaningful space data from existing plans and make that information useful across different areas of the organisation.
The implementation was tailored to the project’s needs. Custom dashboards, reports and views helped teams access relevant property information, while a bespoke survey interface supported desk booking requirements.
By bringing building plans and space information into a more structured system, Accordant provided the foundation for a more consistent approach to managing the estate.
The transformation
A successful pilot becomes a portfolio-wide operation
Following a detailed review of the improved data and extracted information, the original 40-building pilot was expanded to 80 sites.
The project subsequently grew to encompass the complete portfolio of 720 buildings, with ongoing work to update plans and incorporate space data collected by other departments.
This expanding source of property information supports a range of practical planning activities:
40
Buildings in the initial pilot
80
Sites after the pilot review
720
Buildings now managed
Reviewing space allocations
Understanding how departments and divisions are distributed across buildings.
Planning building restacks
Evaluating how space could be reorganised to meet changing requirements.
Assessing building usage
Using property information to inform future estate decisions.
Managing assets and locations
Maintaining a clearer picture of assets and where they are held.
“Accordant was the right tool to turn outdated building plans into useful information for managing a complex property portfolio. “
Portfolio Management Team · Large Government Estate
why this matters
Better property information supports better decisions
Managing hundreds of buildings requires more than a collection of drawings and spreadsheets. Teams need reliable information to evaluate options, coordinate changes and plan for future requirements.
Accordant provided a structured way to bring existing CAD information and property records together, supported by tailored reporting and views for different operational needs.
The value of this flexibility became particularly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. When social distancing requirements changed how offices could be occupied, Accordant’s planning tools enabled the team to review seating arrangements that maintained the recommended two-metre separation across multiple buildings.
The organisation could use its existing space management tools to respond to a new planning challenge, rather than starting from scratch.
Looking ahead
Building a stronger foundation for estate planning
The organisation continues to update building plans and work towards a more complete flow of property information, incorporating data gathered across different departments.
This information supports ongoing decisions about restacking buildings, evaluating how properties are used and considering the future requirements of the estate.
The journey from an initial 40-building pilot to a 720-building portfolio demonstrates how improving the quality and accessibility of property data can provide a foundation for long-term estate management.
With Accordant, the focus remains on developing a more complete picture of the portfolio and using that information to support informed planning decisions.
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