Friday 11 January 2013

Step inside (and survey) this house


If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK

One comes along about every five years and most try to tackle 20% annually internally to keep on top of it. Yes, most IT teams have grappled with one. Yes, the ‘External Asset Survey’. Easily £65K or more of investment in even quite small RSL’s.


Many, although well tendered in my experience are time and effort wasted. Probably 40% of asset surveys I have seen, produced data in an electronic format that was incompatible with any systems already in place. On occasion, the tender just asked for ‘data in electronic format’. A PDF satisfies that one. Although a PDF is not too structured ready for import. So how can we improve this situation if your organisation has an asset survey in the business plan?


Good communication is a great start, between the ICT team, Assets Team (and your procurement people, if a formal process is to be used). Very often a survey is initiated, data received and then delivered to the ICT team to process. On many occasions, content of the survey will be driven by selected external surveyors rather than your Assets Team. This also creates an issue where collected data will bear little resemblance to what is perhaps configured to be stored in your HMS, Keystone, Promaster, Codemaster system etc.


To break that cycle, the process should be placed on its head.


If your asset management module is not particularly working well, address some of those key issues first. Integration can and is an issue with many modules out there. It can be difficult sometimes to even agree a property figure between the HMS and a third party asset/planned maintenance system. Have you got a situation like that? Some do perform better than others and some can be better ‘plumbed’ together than others. I have seen some brilliant integration as well as some disgraceful cases. As a first move, ensure your asset list, to supply to your external surveyors can be reconciled between the two systems. That will save annoying leaseholders, anyone called ‘Mr Void’ or previously deceased contacts by letter.


The next step is to look carefully at your structure. Can you identify what flats sit within discrete blocks? If this is available and accurate it will assist in collection of appropriate linked data. More crucial is what I would call the ‘attribute structure’, information on what components are or could be fitted, what quantities are present, remaining lives, condition and costs. Work out what unique identifier will be the ID or UPRN for each asset (where asset can be rentable or not), and what system it will come from.


In a simplistic way I like to see as few attributes as possible. I find its good for my Ying and Yang, small can be beautiful if carefully formed. I believe every single one needs to pay its way. We should know why we collect each piece of data and what return, report or process it supports. For example, a gas service attribute supports the annual cyclical ‘Gas safe’ certification. Failure of that one to be set up or recorded properly would have critical consequences for your chief exec. Kitchen data will support planned programmes, Decent Homes or Scottish Housing Quality Standard reporting. For a lot of other attributes it’s a big greyer. Where storing data is not justified or you cannot tell what useful information it can be turned into, its best let go. Although it does not appear like it does, every bit of data stored and kept up to date has an associated cost. So trim some of the fat.


The asset team should then design the survey based on your attribute structure in the system. Once the attribute structure supports it we effectively have a place for any piece of data that might be collected for a particular asset. So far so good. Now a map of all fields, data types, codes etc should be generated for the external surveyor to set up their survey around. Most survey companies these days use hand-helds and for each question, say for types, will show dropdowns just with your codes and descriptions in them. Therefore our incoming data will be of the right type of content for our imports.


The next step is to coach your surveyors in what syntax for the incoming data might be. By syntax I mean format, i.e. CSV fixed length, whatever your applications will support. This step can actually work well if carried out really early in the tender process, in order to press this point home.
Chances are that a format per attribute might be needed, with a row per asset or UPRN. Those systems that force lots of redundant columns to be present in the import, if you have got one of those, will be guaranteed to annoy your surveyors. Just ride that one out. There’s nothing more galling than surveying for Welsh Decent Homes and each import has several dozen empty columns for English and Scots versions. Developers can be so lazy sometimes can’t they?


OK the ground work has been done, have a sample of assets (minimum 20) surveyed and test the resultant data will correctly go through the import into your system. If that user acceptance test works, check that your reports reflect the same suggestions (as to replacement costs or ability to pass Decent Homes etc) as your surveyors. Any difficulties here should ring alarm bells.


If you have got to this point, you will be ‘cooking with foil’ as they say. You will have joined that 60% of RSL’s that are on track to get the most from the investment in a robust asset survey. Shame it’s not like the old days when you did a LSVT, Saville’s did a gold plated survey/valuation and you got a free copy of PIMSS.

This has been a proper high speed Pendolino whistle stop tour through this mine field of a subject. If you or your organisation are planning a major asset survey soon or wrestling with an unruly third party assets module, feel free to get in touch. I will do my best to help!

Read on to: Whats your favourite Promaster or Keystone ?

Step Inside This House.


(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009

PS If there are subjects you might like me to tackle on this blog, please get in touch and let me know!

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Tuesday 1 January 2013

Four Long years

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK

Well, the Christmas party is over, the tinsel and the top of tree angel are boxed for another December. time to get out teeth into the next four years of austerity.

For everyone in housing it’s going to be a busy year. Fortunately most have been planning for it over the last 18 months. So what’s coming peeps? Here is a quick crib sheet if you think you may be behind the curve. As ever, my belief is that you IT and system scan be helping you with a lot of this stuff. If its not, ask "Why Not"?

Jan 2013 – If you are with a local authority, you will no-doubt be well ahead with publishing your ‘Tenancy Strategy’. This lays out all the things that social landlords in your area need to ‘have regard to’ (in the terminology) when dealing with fixed term tenancies. The old policy expires at the end of January.

Apr 2013 – The Housing Ombudsman Service takes on responsibility for all social housing complaints in England. Your complainants need to be referred to it by a designated individual (this could be an MP or local councillor) or can contact it after eight weeks after they have exhausted your own internal complaints procedures.

Several areas of the welfare Reform Act start to kick in too. Many landlords I am aware of are already putting substantial resource into informing residents of what is coming down the line. The (total) benefit cap of £350 or £500 per week for couples was planned to come into force. This has been delayed now until the summer. Details are vague, but this will be while four trial programmes in London are trialled. (Thanks Joe Halewood for flagging that one up!). 

Bedroom tax starts. Working age households under-occupying stand to lose 14% for one room and 25% for two+ rooms.

Residents you may have receiving DLA (Disability Living Allowances) will now move over to PIP (personal independence payments). This will affect new claimants first with others migrated over from autumn 2013

May 2012 – The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Bill is expected to be  passed. This attaches maximum penalties of two years in prison and unlimited fines for tenancy fraud. How wel do you vet your tenants on sign up? Do you take a photograph or photo ID, recording that on your systems? Are your residents encouraged to report suspected fraud? Dedicated fraud investigation staff may also be useful.

Oct 2012 – UC (Universal Credit) kicks in for new claimants. It is estimated that existing claimants will be migrated over between then and December 2017.

So, quite a lot of change coming. Information distilled from your data (as there is a substantial difference!) should be assisting with identifying and informing your under-occupiers and others likely to be hit by the benefit cap. Depending if residents already use a bank account or not, these groups will need different types of assistance.

Vulnerable tenants should be prioritised. Your housing management system will probably provide the means of recording this information, although if it is up to date and can be relied on is a different matter. To equip front line staff, training may be needed in dealing with tenant questions and anxieties. This may include helping them budget.

Where bank accounts are a viable option, residents should be able to move to direct debit. You may be able to introduce extra DD cycles to support UC payment cycles. For some, the move to monthly budgeting will be a struggle. As will the occasional 5 rather than 4 week month, in which to pay their rent.  I would not be surprised if some landlords resort back to rent collectors in some areas. A return to the ‘Gilbert strip’ might be imminent. By that I do not mean Arizona’s best gentleman’s club either!


Four long years left (so far).


(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009

PS If there are subjects you might like me to tackle on this blog, please get in touch and let me know!

File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Process Review,Business social networking,Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics,
CHR,Citrix,Civica,Clearview,CMS Template,COA,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Competitive Dialogue process,complex IT procurements,Component Accounting,Consilium,Consolidation,Consultancy,Consultant,Contact Manager,Context, MD , Director , Housing software, UK, United Kingdom,Contractor Systems,CORE,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,CRM,Crystal Reports,CTI,CTX,Customer Relationship Management,Deeplake,Development Systems,Document Management,Documotive,ECMK,EDRMS,England, English,EnterpriseBI,ERP Systems,Finance,Financial Systems,Getting best from,Grasp,Grip,hardware,HG,Housemark survey,Housing Blueprint,Housing Group,Impact Response,implementations,In House,In4,Infoflow,Information Technology,Informix,inHouse,in-house workforce, HousingIT, Innovation,Inside Housing,Internet Portal,Invu,Ireland,Irish,IT Budget,IT Training,iWorld,Keylogic,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,management reporting,Measuring Change,Mebus,Miracle,MISCS, mobile functionality,Monopoly board images and pictures, Montal,MS Dynamics,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Neighbourhoods and Communities,Miracle Software, HouSys, Northgate,Notice,NROSH,OA,OGC Buying Solutions,Ohms,OJEU Limits,OmFax,Omniledger,Open source software,open tender,OpenHousing,Opti-Time,Oracle,Orchard,Outsource and outsourcing,Paloma,performance management systems,PfH,Pick,PIMMS,pimms4communities,Planned maintenance,Plus,PM,Progress,Promaster,Proval,Pyramid, QL,QLX,Registered Providers,Registered Social Landlord,Rent Increase Freezes,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,ROCC, NINTEX , NINTEX workflow , Rocket,RPs,RSL,Saffron,SAP,Scots, Scottish,Scotland,SDM,sector,Server Virtualisation,servicing, Universalcredit, universal credit, universal credits, Servitor,Servitor,Sharepoint,Simdel,Simdell,Slash and Burn,Social Media,Software,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting Services,SQL reporting services,SQL Server,Star rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic Asset Management,Sunguard ,Surveys,Sx3,System alignment, Systemwise, Factorwise, Blockwise, Block wise, Task,Terminal Services,Three Star,Today,Total repairs,Tribal,Twitter,U2, 07854-655009 , 07854655009 , 07854 655009 , "07854 655009" , tonysmith , tonysmiththat , thathousing , thathousingIT , thathousingITguy ,UniClass Enterprise,Unidata,Universal Housing,Universe,Unrest,Van Stock,Voice and data,Wales,Welsh,Windows Server,Workflow and tasking,Xmbrace,XML