Rupert Bates, editorial director of Show House, caught up with Andrew Dyson, CEO and founder of Build Warranty, to find out more about how the headline sponsor of the WhatHouse? Awards is helping housebuilders.
Whatever the sector or industry, there is invariably now a portmanteau attached. Think PropTech – familiar to these pages – FinTech, LawTech, HealthTech. So, what should we call technology and the adoption of AI when applied to the world of latent defects insurance and structural warranties?
We may be talking about the driest of subjects, but with the direst of needs to dump the paperwork and digitise to cut delays and drag critical cogs in the construction chain into the modern world. DefTech? DelTech? WarranTech?
The man best qualified to work on a name is the man at the helm of Build Warranty, the new multi-year headline sponsor of the WhatHouse? Awards – a big statement of intent to drive innovation and efficiency in the housebuilding industry and a company on a rapid growth trajectory.
Andrew Dyson is CEO and founder of Build Warranty. The other end of the Zoom lens I expected a sober suit and technical talk of guarantees and protections, indemnity and compliance, risk and regulation; instead, I found myself ‘in’ Portugal, talking to a highly successful housebuilder, with the construction of high-end Algarve villas on his CV.
When you’ve built houses, you understand the pressures and pinch points of your peers; on the industry stress monitor defects and delays are right up there. So, a new business idea was born, with Dyson moving into construction insurance in 2015 as co-founder of ICW, before starting Build Warranty in 2018.
“My knowledge of, and background in, construction, going back over 30 years, gives me a strong understanding of the industry, and the importance of build quality and technical assurance alongside speed and efficiency. I speak their language and relate to their challenges and frustrations, as well as the passion that drives opportunity and ambition,” says Dyson.
He highlights the frequent disconnect between insurers and providers and the bottlenecks that inevitably ensue. “Often the person signing off the project has no connection with the insurer, while the provider is not taking the risk or the responsibility. The market is so disjointed.”
Enter technology, and Dyson is relentlessly focused on IT and AI. “We have developed our LDI Tech software platform, which serves the insurer all the way to the client, bringing all the stakeholders together in a very user-friendly, streamlined process. Our surveyors use an app on site for inspections and can submit reports instantly, with everybody able to see immediately what needs to be addressed. It is a massive part of our business and one of our USPs.
It also means robust open book auditing, with complete transparency and knowing what happened today on site.”
The tools of a housebuilder’s trade need to include access to the latest digital tools, with Build Warranty’s proprietary software enabling real-time data capture, documentation and timeline visibility, with live defect logging and automated reporting and notifications – technology that supports the full lifestyle of structural warranty cover, integrating all involved, not to mention providing analytics, identifying patterns and where the claims risks might sit, while improving customer satisfaction.
“Build Warranty has a very professional and supportive team with excellent customer service. The portal is very user friendly and, in particular, I like the way the technical team is so knowledgeable and flexible in their approach, with good levels of communication,” says Mark Garrod, director of Kestrel Homes.
Build Warranty, based in the north-east of England, where Dyson is from, has a network of 35 surveyors nationally and 12 in-house surveyors and offers 10- and 12-year warranties. AI augments the automation and helps drive the back office, but despite Dyson’s zeal for technology and the need to keep pace with it, he firmly believes in in-person customer service to oil the digital engine. “In our industry you should never get to a point where you can’t speak to anybody. Customer care and personal relationships remain paramount.”
Increasing market share, Build Warranty prices competitively, while giving clients choice based on needs and criteria – lender-approved policies, fast quotes and advanced technical auditing powered by its state-of-the-art platform.
Another competitive advantage Dyson believes Build Warranty enjoys is that the company is not weighed down by either legacy issues or the dead hand of antiquated bureaucracy. There is no need to transition from old to new or carry historic cases when you began with the technology in place just eight years ago, and smart enough to keep investing in technology as AI capabilities continue to amaze and revolutionise business; today’s software out of date tomorrow, with LDI Tech now a recognised force in the sector, recognised by Managing General Agents (MGAs) and insurers for its streamline processing and open book auditing.
“We are well connected with housebuilders, and you need a track record to highlight your credentials, with existing customers often our best salespeople, recommending us to others. As the new headline sponsor of the WhatHouse? Awards we will continue to build great brand awareness as a leading provider of structural warranties. The Awards celebrate excellence in UK housebuilding, recognising the organisations and individuals delivering outstanding quality, innovation and customer service,” says Dyson.
We haven’t come up with a neat new portmanteau yet. But, in the meantime, LDI Tech has the industry well covered.
