Managing thousands of compliance documents is a complex task, especially when accuracy is essential for tenant safety. Traditionally, handling compliance certificates has relied on manual, time-consuming processes. With thousands of PDFs to review, manual checks not only consumed significant staff time but also carried the risk of human error.
The Challenge
One of the primary obstacles faced was maintaining data accuracy. This manual checking process was highly labour-intensive, with a single member of staff averaging 300 documents per week — a task that could take several days each week.
The Solution: AI-Powered Document Extraction
To address these challenges, we adopted Microsoft Power Platform, leveraging AI Builder and Power Automate to automate the processing of gas certificates. The results were significant:
- 14,962 PDF certificates processed via the AI model in a single weekend, representing 46.1% of all historic compliance documents in scope for review.
- Key compliance data—such as dates, certificate serial numbers, and property identifiers—captured with high accuracy.
- Duplicates and anomalies automatically flagged and moved to dedicated folders for further review.
This automation accelerated document processing and supports the compliance audit work being undertaken.
Why?
- Reduced manual workload: Staff are now able to focus on higher-value tasks rather than repetitive administration.
- Improved data accuracy: Intelligent extraction and validation enhance the reliability of our compliance records.
- Enhanced compliance confidence: Critical safety checks are logged in a more effective way.
Estimated Time Savings
What once may have required months of manual effort for one FTE (at 300 documents per week) was completed in a single weekend, with 14,962 certificates processed automatically. This represents a transformational leap in efficiency, enabling teams to prioritise proactive compliance management.
Looking to the Future
Automation is revolutionising our compliance document processing, swiftly flagging duplicates and anomalies and slashing manual workloads. By automatically extracting, validating, and organising nearly 15,000 certificates in a single weekend—what would have taken 25 months for FTE—the solution ensures accuracy and up-to-date compliance, freeing staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Looking forward, the next phase will see direct submissions and seamless overnight imports, with staff focusing on data quality rather than data processing. This integrated, end-to-end approach positions us to proactively manage compliance and maintain confidence in our data reliability.
“The introduction of this new solution will enable a fully streamlined approach to the handling of received compliance certificates. Our contractors will be able to submit their certificates directly into the solution, where it will extract all required compliance data in a consistent and structured manner.
This extracted data can then be automatically verified against defined compliance metrics—such as service dates, serial numbers, unique property identifiers, and other mandatory requirements ensuring that only accurate and complete information progresses through the workflow. Any anomalies or concerns will be flagged for targeted review, strengthening our overall assurance position.
By significantly reducing repetitive administrative tasks, this approach will allow staff to focus on higher‑value activities, such as quality assurance, supplier performance management, and proactive compliance oversight. The improved accuracy and reliability of the data captured will support more robust decision‑making and enhance confidence in the compliance information we rely upon.” – Norman Emery, Compliance Manager.