Portfolio-Wide Upgrade of Emergency Call and Lift Communication Systems

The Challenge

A managing agent responsible for a large, geographically dispersed later living portfolio identified that many of its developments were operating with analogue emergency call infrastructure installed decades earlier.

Rather than treating each scheme in isolation, Innovus established a phased, risk-led framework across the portfolio.  

This included identifying a number of portfolio-wide risks: 

• Systems approaching end of life.
• Maintenance contractors reporting parts obsolescence.
• Intermittent failures at some schemes.
• Lift emergency call points dependent on the same ageing infrastructure.
• Inconsistent digital connectivity across developments.
• Contractor lead times extending ahead of the January 2027 analogue withdrawal.

In later living settings, emergency communication supports resident reassurance and day-to-day safety. Managing this transition across occupied schemes required structured oversight rather than reactive, building-by-building replacement.

Our Solution

Innovus was appointed to provide coordinated portfolio oversight and delivery planning.

Rather than treating each scheme in isolation, we established a phased, risk-led framework that included:

• On-site assessments to confirm system type, connectivity and remaining service life.
• Review of communal panels, plant rooms and lift emergency phone interfaces.
• Scheme-by-scheme review of existing Emergency Call and Lift Communication Systems.
• Identification of analogue dependency and digital readiness.
• Risk-based prioritisation across the portfolio.
• Development of technical specifications for digital replacement systems.
• Inclusion of lift call points within the scope of upgrade.
• Procurement strategy and contractor tendering.
• Support through Section 20 consultation where required.
• Construction Design Management (CDM) compliance and delivery oversight.

This structured approach allowed the client to move from fragmented upgrades to a controlled, phased programme aligned to risk and contractor capacity.

The Outcome

The managing agent now has:

• Clear visibility of analogue exposure across its later living portfolio.
• A prioritised and sequenced upgrade schedule.
• Defined technical scope across both ECS and lift communications.
• Controlled procurement aligned to contractor capacity.
• Digital-ready Emergency Communication Systems delivered or programmed.

By acting early, the client avoided the operational risk of compressed delivery windows, extended lead times and reactive failure management.

Why This Matters

The analogue network withdrawal is fixed, but contractor availability, infrastructure readiness and consultation timelines are not.

For later living operators managing multiple live environments, the risk is not just technical, it is programme, governance and reputational.

A portfolio-wide, structured approach enables control, sequencing and resilience across both apartment and lift Emergency Communication Systems.