LandSure is driven by a passion for innovation

When LandSure Systems Ltd. started building an interactive map of titled and Crown lands across British Columbia in 2014, Irshad Jamal was hired to be one of the “digital tailors” stitching together the fabric of various land surveyors’ survey plan datasets.

It was important work. The product, ParcelMap BC, is used by provincial government ministries, local governments, realtors, developers, surveyors and members of the public as the definitive source for geospatial parcel data in the province. A decade later, Jamal was part of another significant evolution in the map, collaborating with colleagues on a major overhaul that will allow for 3D mapping and a “universal parcel identifier” that can connect the map’s data to other provincial systems.

“It’s a big win,” says Jamal, a geographic information systems (GIS) analyst. “We can start doing things like strata mapping in 3D, attaching an ID to features that we haven’t been previously able to, like roads, or connecting our data to systems like assessment records if you want to know a property’s value. We’re going to manage that unique link.”

Based in Vancouver, LandSure is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia (LTSA). It serves LTSA by developing and maintaining technology to support land-related transactions in the province, including the land title register, Land Owner Transparency Registry (LOTR), the Condo and Strata Assignment Integrity Register (CSAIR) and ParcelMap BC.

Real estate in British Columbia represents about $2.8 trillion in assets. “We help LTSA steward that,” says Matt Dockerty, chief information officer and vice-president of technology. The public service mission has created a culture of pride and ownership among employees.

“LandSure is a rare organization in that it has hearts and smarts,” he says. “There are some very smart people here who just really care and take pride in what they’re doing.”

Dockerty says LandSure is committed to improving technology to strengthen LTSA’s core systems and keep them modern.

“I think for an organization of our size, we punch above our weight,” he says. “We’re at a nice place where we’ve got strong support to invest in technology, continuous improvement and innovation, and we have processes that streamline efficiency. We have the ability to get things done.”

That focus on innovation has created an open-minded, creative and collaborative culture, Dockerty says. The company’s leadership training and other professional development programs stress the idea of a “growth mindset,” working together and learning from mistakes.

Dockerty also sponsors an “effective execution working group” that looks at how LandSure can improve decision-making, give employees more autonomy and free up their time to be creative — including trying to cut back on meetings and improve other processes.

The company also hosts hackathons, where employees from across the organization work together in cross-functional teams to come up with solutions for business problems. “There’s good collaboration and everybody’s invited to take part, to think outside the box,” Dockerty says.

In the 11 years that Jamal has worked for LandSure, one of the things he says he has appreciated the most has been the strong sense of connection with his colleagues. Jamal sits on the company’s social committee, which hosts regular events such as a Games Day, complete with darts, table tennis and basketball hoops, food truck lunches and potlucks.

“We wanted to get people together during and outside of work, so you get a good collaboration and connection with your fellow employees,” he says. “We’re always working but we want to keep it a fun place to work.

This story was produced by Mediacorp in partnership with Postmedia, on behalf of LandSure Systems Ltd. Originally published here.