Redrow launches iPad-based quality control

Housebuilder Redrow has instituted an iPad-based quality control system for its site teams in a bid to ensure its homes meet the required standards.

The news came as the company unveiled a 7% increase in pre-tax profit for the year to 30 June to £406m in what it said was a sixth consecutive record year for the business.

Revenue rose by 10% to £2.1bn, while Redrow completed 6,443 homes.

Redrow’s new quality control system, introduced this year, allows site manages to use an iPad to identify faults in homes and record them with marked-up photos detailing the corrective works required. The housebuilder’s subcontractors have access to a portal that provides a detailed list of those faults, along with photos of works requiring rectification. Once remedial works have been completed, the subcontractor can close down the instruction by returning a photo of the remediated works.

Group chief operating officer Matthew Pratt explained: “The data from this system will allow us to review common faults and improve our training and specification to prevent repeating faults. Ultimately, the introduction of this system will allow us to identify faults and ensure they are correctly and quickly remediated. The new system will enable us to engage better with our subcontractors leading to improved quality and reductions in cost through shared best practice. The recording of the home at various stages of build also allows us to demonstrate to our customers the inspections we have undertaken and the inner workings of their new home.”