Block Component Types

Block Component Types define the shared building elements associated with housing blocks, such as communal roofs, door-entry systems and shared floor coverings. Each component has an associated Standard Cost and Life Cycle, which are used by the Asset Management module to forecast future replacement costs and produce Stock Condition reports.

To access Block Component Types, select Admin → Settings from the main menu, then choose Add-ons and click Asset Management. From the Asset Management page, select Block Component Types.

Note: The Asset Management module is an optional Affinity add-on. If it is not enabled for your organisation, please contact the Affinity support team to discuss activation.

Default Block Component Types

Affinity includes the following Block Component Types by default:

• Flat Roof
• Door Entry System
• Communal Hall and Stair Floor Coverings

These default components can be edited or deleted to reflect the types of shared assets managed by your organisation.

The following values can be updated:

• Component – The name of the shared building element.
• Standard Cost – The typical cost of replacing the component.
• Life Cycle – The expected number of years before the component should be replaced.

These values are used when calculating projected expenditure within the Stock Condition Costs reports.

Adding Block Component Types

You can create additional Block Component Types to reflect the communal or organisation-specific assets found within your housing blocks.

Examples include:

• Passenger Lift
• Communal Heating System
• External Cladding
• Bin Store
• Communal Windows
• Security Gates

To create a Block Component Type, click Add Component and supply the following information:

Once created, the component can be selected when updating the Asset Management details of an individual block.

Viewing and Managing a Component Type

Select the name of a Block Component Type to view its details.

From the component details page, use the Options menu to:

• Edit Component – Change the component name, standard cost or life cycle.
• Delete Component – Remove the component type when it is no longer required.

Deleting a Block Component Type prevents it from being selected for blocks in the future. You should confirm that the type is no longer required before deleting it.

Good Practice

The accuracy of Stock Condition forecasting depends on maintaining realistic replacement costs and life cycles. It is recommended that these values are reviewed periodically to reflect changes in construction costs, inflation and your organisation’s planned maintenance strategy.

Block Component Types should represent assets shared by the block as a whole. Components belonging to an individual dwelling should continue to be managed using Property Component Types.