There’s no denying that a disaster like the one that occurred in 2017 alerted contractors and indeed local authorities to the need for greater and more widely accessible building knowledge.

Indeed, regulations are now coming in ‘that require owners in the building to understand exactly what’s in their building, where there’s any changes and what’s happening.’

A big part of this is making this information accessible but secure – a single source of truth. So how do they do this?

The software that Operance provide to their clients is “built on an immutable ledger. So, it’s a bit like a blockchain type approach.” Ian says.

“We understand exactly who’s done what, when it’s been changed, and for what reason, providing that Golden Thread through our product.”

For those who have no idea what blockchain is, you’re not alone, but we also don’t have space to elaborate on it here. For a great rundown, we recommend having a read of this.

The important thing is that ‘immutable ledger’ Ian mentioned above. It’s a way of securely encrypting data and making it simultaneously accessible to the right people.

The fact that they are embracing this relatively new form of technology, that many people are touting as the future of the internet, is exciting and shows that they really are at the forefront of their industry when it comes to innovation.

When it comes to consultancy, Operance are working with “anyone that has a building, essentially”, although more specifically these are companies “who want to deliver a really up to date, modern operating and maintenance manual to the users in a building”.

So, whether its buildings delivered by the largest Tier 1 contractors in the country or local SME’s, it’s quite a large market. They can even work with existing buildings to modernise that property.

I question whether this innovative tech tends to attract more forward thinking, ‘progressive’ architectural projects, but Ian stresses it really isn’t limited to that.

That said, they are working on some interesting projects, including, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Liverpool School of Architecture.

“[It’s] a building with all sorts of complex shapes, fancy brickwork and more. It’s got lots of structural timber, so for example beams and things like that. And it’s a really fantastic looking building.” They’d happily take on more projects like this in the future, but their service is useful for a whole range of important buildings, including primary and secondary schools. This work involves collaborations with offsite manufacturing and modular building companies, of which there are a number in the area.

One building is particularly important to Operance. Like many companies in C4DI, Operance started in the co-working space, as two founders with an idea.

Since then, they’ve added to their number and outgrown more than one office. “The ability to be able to move about this building” is to Ian, one of the benefits of being members here at C4DI. “So as you grow, the building sort of grows with you.”

He also says “It’s a great place to start [a company]. Right from the time when we started downstairs, just the two of us, you have people around you. You have different people that do marketing or people that do design so they’re available, on hand.”

Not only that but the business has benefited from being in a tech incubator with access to events and a community of tech-oriented businesses.

Ian also can’t ignore the benefits of their current office. “It’s the inspiration you get from the view. It’s just wonderful. It actually makes you really want to come and work from here.”

They have indeed got a good view and it’s arguably one of the best spots in the building. Right in the pointy end, where wrap-around windows look across at The Deep and the Humber Estuary, which can be anything from glistening in the sun to shrouded in a spooky mist depending on the time of year.