If I were to produce a word cloud to show the most important things about RoS, at the centre, in the largest, boldest font, would be the word ‘People’.

People are at the heart of our commitment to innovate. Whenever we design a new product or look to improve an aspect of our service – such as the recent launch of interactive search-by-map functionality in ScotLIS – we place the end user at the centre of our decision-making. When we develop our products we work closely with citizens and partners in the legal sector. The incredibly positive reaction we’ve received to the enhanced ScotLIS shows the benefit of having a people-centred design process.

In October, we welcomed some new people into our building. They will be with us for the next 12 months but none of them are RoS employees. The launch of the first ever Geovation Scotland Accelerator Programme is all about working with some of the country’s brightest tech entrepreneurs to find creative new uses for land and property data.

We may be partnered with mapping experts Ordnance Survey to deliver this initiative, but it is taking us into uncharted territory. It’s a really exciting project and we look forward to seeing how the start-up community can turn our data into products that make life better for the people of Scotland. The businesses in the first Geovation Scotland cohort are looking to solve some big issues: from managing forests and property factoring costs, to opening up unexplored parts of Scotland. I look forward to telling you more about them in the coming months.

Investing in our people, helping them understand where RoS is going, and making them more productive, are all part of ensuring we’re supporting our customers even more effectively. With that in mind, we are currently rolling out an internal project called Big Picture. It aims to give RoS staff a better understanding of where the business is headed and how it involves them.

In a similar vein, we recently began to pilot a Wellbeing Hour, offering colleagues the opportunity to use an hour in their working week in a way that will provide the maximum benefit to their personal wellbeing. That might mean going for a walk in the park or taking an online language course. Studies indicate that working fewer hours and finding that elusive sweet spot in the work/life balance can lead to improved employee wellbeing and increased performance within an organisation. We’ll evaluate our pilot at the end of the year to see if it delivers those benefits before deciding whether to roll it forward.

At the start of the year, I set myself the objective of engaging directly with every MSP. It’s all part of RoS’ ongoing commitment to giving our elected representatives the information they need to support their constituents and the economy of Scotland. The latest phase of this takes place in November when I host an event at Holyrood.

Also in November, we’ll be delighted to welcome Kate Forbes, Minister for Digital Economy, to our Edinburgh offices where she’ll meet the Geovation Scotland businesses.

Finally, the thing I am most looking forward in the month ahead are the RoS ‘A Future Focus’ autumn conferences. If you haven’t secured your free ticket then please don’t miss out. These are must-attend events for any legal professional operating in the land and property sectors.

It’s also a great opportunity to meet some of the people, and our partner organisations, who make RoS what it is. We look forward to seeing you there.

Book your place by clicking below:

13 November 2019 | Kingsmill Hotel, Inverness
19 November 2019 | Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
03 December 2019 | Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Want to hear more?

You can me follow on Twitter @RoSKeeper. We also share news, updates and guidance on the main Registers of Scotland social accounts which you can find on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. You can also let us know what you think via the comments below.