Overview
A residential asset management software provider commissioned Leading Edge to better understand how building owners and property managers manage compliance, risk, and operational data across their portfolios.
The research focused on the evolving systems landscape across the UK and Ireland, and the growing role of digital platforms in supporting building safety and regulatory requirements.
The Challenge
The client was operating in a complex and rapidly evolving market, shaped by increasing regulatory pressure and heightened focus on building safety.
However, there was limited visibility on:
- How asset owners and property managers structure their systems landscape in practice
- The role of asset management software alongside CAFM, compliance, and document management systems
- Where information gaps, duplication, and inefficiencies occur
- What triggers organisations to review or change systems
Understanding these dynamics was critical to ensuring the client’s platform aligned with real-world workflows and emerging compliance requirements.
Our Approach
We conducted an in-depth qualitative research programme across the UK and Ireland, engaging with senior decision-makers responsible for asset management, compliance, and operations.
This included:
- 40 in-depth telephone interviews with asset managers, compliance leads, operational teams, and senior executives
- Coverage of a broad mix of residential subsectors, including housing associations, local authorities, and private operators
- Exploration of system usage, integration, and information flows across development, handover, and operational phases
- Detailed discussion of regulatory pressures, including building safety requirements, and their impact on system strategy
This approach provided both strategic insight and practical understanding of how systems are used day-to-day.
Key Insights
The research highlighted several consistent themes across the residential asset management landscape:
- System environments are often complex, with multiple platforms supporting different functions
- Challenges exist around how building information is structured, accessed, and maintained
- Regulatory requirements are increasing the importance of clear, auditable data
- Integration between systems can be inconsistent, with varying levels of manual intervention
- There is growing interest in solutions that can simplify and streamline information management
The Outcome
The research provided the client with a clear, evidence-based understanding of how asset management software fits within the wider digital ecosystem.
It enabled the client to:
- Refine product positioning within a complex and crowded systems landscape
- Identify where their solution could add value as part of a broader compliance and data strategy
- Better align messaging with the needs and priorities of different stakeholder groups
- Understand key triggers for system change and investment
The findings also highlighted areas where further depth would add value, particularly around system integration, governance, and evolving regulatory requirements.
Asset Management Software and Building Compliance Research
Understanding how building information is managed in practice is critical for organisations operating in the residential sector. This type of construction market research helps ensure that asset management and compliance solutions align with regulatory requirements, operational realities, and the increasing demand for audit-ready data.
Following this initial phase, we have since embarked on a second phase of research to explore these themes in greater depth, building on the insights generated here.
You may also be interested in our research into customer behaviour and decision-making across the construction supply chain.
