App to boost productivity by 70% at property firm

A family-run property maintenance and building services firm has developed an app to boost productivity by 70 per cent.

From left: Chris Lawlor of Lawlor Technologies, Kate Forbes MSP and Stephen Prater of Prater Contracts. Picture: Andy Forman

North Lanarkshire-based Prater Contracts, which specialises in insurance reinstatement and acts for major insurers such as Aviva, created its own app after being awarded The Digital Development Loan by the Scottish Government.

Produced by Glasgow-based mobile app developer Lawlor Technologies, the new tech will help the firm’s surveyors to identify and specify necessary work, increasing efficiency.

The app is used to record tasks, labour and materials needed, instantly syncing with the firm’s management software.

Prater has undergone significant expansion in the past two years, moving into a purpose built office and growing to 40 staff plus a dozen sub-contractors. Director Stephen Prater said: “We’ve been using the app for eight weeks now and it has made a huge impact on our time management and efficiency.

“For a company of our size to have our own app is fantastic and we couldn’t have done it without the funding from The Digital Development Loan and Chris Lawlor of Lawlor Technologies.

“By embracing modern technology, we believe we can grow even further and continue to expand.”