Technology Is Changing Inspections — But What Are We Actually Looking For?

Technology is changing the way commercial property inspections are conducted.

We can capture more information, streamline reporting, integrate inspection data with property management systems and turn observations into maintenance actions more efficiently than ever before.

These are valuable advances. But there is one part of the inspection process technology can’t replace:

Knowing what to look for.

After more than 20 years conducting property inspections, one of the biggest differences I see between simply completing an inspection and conducting a good inspection is observation.

An inspector can walk through a property, take hundreds of photographs and produce a detailed report — yet still miss the things that matter.

Good inspection practice requires us to look beyond simply documenting what is there and ask:

Does anything here not look right?

It might be staining beneath a downpipe that wasn’t evident previously. A fire exit that has become obstructed. Deterioration to an external surface. Evidence of water ingress. Damage developing around a high-traffic area. Or a seemingly minor maintenance issue that could become significantly more expensive if it isn’t addressed.

The inspector doesn’t necessarily need to diagnose the cause or determine the solution.

Their role is to observe, document and communicate what they can see clearly and objectively so the appropriate person can investigate or act where required.

And that leads to another important part of good inspection practice:

The inspection shouldn’t end when the report is completed.

The real value of the information captured during an inspection comes from what happens next.

A useful inspection process should enable observations to move through a simple cycle:

Observe → Document → Communicate → Act → Follow up

This is where I believe technology has enormous potential.

The better our systems become at connecting inspection observations with maintenance workflows, property records and follow-up actions, the more valuable the inspection becomes as a property management and risk-management tool.

But technology and professional judgement need to work together.

Technology can help us capture, organise and act on information more efficiently.

The quality of the inspection still determines the quality of the information going into the system.

And ultimately, the quality of that information influences every decision that follows.