Saturday 24 November 2018

Schools Out


If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy


Well, what a week I’ve just had. Anyone who knows me, understands that no week of mine is ever remotely similar. I like that, but I get it that everyone else might not enjoy working in that way!


An interesting week of some ecstasy, ups, downs, travel, real fires, Hook Norton, new places, old places, lots of mixed emotions.

Towards the end of the week, however I had the chance to join a proper, ‘Back To School’ type moment.

In Scotland, I work with the lovely Arneil Johnston folks, helping them as associate with all their ICT work with Council and SocialHousing clients. As part of Scottish Housing Day, Arneil Johnston undertook some free schools outreach with a number of secondary schools.



As part of that, I went back to school in East End Glasgow, within a stone throw of Celtic FC’s ground in Parkhead, last Thursday. A group of about 20 teenage students from St Mungos Academy played an interactive game, about different personas and housing options, which may match their future circumstances. It was an interesting afternoon and on hand too were a couple of staff from Parkhead HA, to explain what socialhousing is for and who might be most suitable or eligible for it.



The game covered and described all the types of tenures, to be found in the school locality, as well as stressing the need to understand the range of what may be available, wherever these young people take their lives. IE limited socialhousing, intermediate rents, Shared Ownership, PRS (Private Rented Sector) and buying to become an owner-occupier via a mortgage. Arneil Johnston also have access to a wide variety of current statistics to provide insights for the students. Local builders and others were name-checked in the presentations.



In Glasgow, the percentage of owner-occupiers has reduced in recent years, in a similar way to most of the large cities & conurbations across the UK. More than ever we need to equip our youth about the options out there and how they might match a career, income level or diverse social needs, to possible housing options.



The day was fun and I would be fibbing, if I didn’t admit to having a wee warm feeling, by its conclusion. I think the majority of the students took a lot from the session. In contrast, although I personally have lived in all but one of those tenures, had absolutely no coaching/teaching at secondary school or college as to what options were out there for me.

An understanding of potentially diverse housing options, in a rapidly shrinking pool of properties, across the UK, is a useful skill to pass on to teenagers, getting ready to leave school. I think we should be doing more of this, relating it specifically to local catchment areas, landlords & other options.


Related Post: Your team. Do you know their key strengths OR NOT? 


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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Alice Cooper – Schools OutAlice Cooper – Schools Out.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.

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Friday 16 November 2018

(No) Deal Goin' Down

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy



Well, what a week this has been. In the Brexit Pantomime, last Wednesday the UK and EU reached an agreement on the wording of the possible trade deal.

At the time of writing, the UK Govt cabinet have apparently agreed it, although with a few Tory resignation casualties, including a one-time housing CLG minister Dominic Rennie Raab and the often controversial Ester McVey, Work and Pensions Secretary. So, maybe this panto will go on some time longer,  maybe running beyond Christmas.

When at work, I am involved in a SME, a busy Small to Medium Enterprise. All companies I thnk have had that generic HMRC letter, telling everyone to prepare for Brexit, how you trade with Europe (I occasionally do work in Ireland, also further afield).

Apart from telling us that customs checks might well be needed (No s*** Sherlock), there are references to some pretty generic technical notices. Frankly not really much to show for two and a half years our leaders have had to prepare. Forgive me though, maybe I ask too much of people apparently ‘in charge’.

Everyone I have worked with, knows I get involved in lots of procurement of new and replacement systems, individual solutions and critical friend assistance around this area. These usually fall into contracts of value under or over the EU threshold, of currently for 2018 of approx. £181k. Most of my work is north of that.

One preparation notice of far interest to me is the one about where all those contract notices will be shared post Brexit. Under the UK’s EU membership, all procurement opportunities that fall within the scope of the EU procurement directives are advertised on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) via Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) - https://ted.europa.eu/TED/main/HomePage.do - 520k procurement notices a year are published on TED, worth around €420 billion.

Domestic portals do carry opportunities currently, but all ones over OJEU, must be re-published via those notices on TED. These include the following, often locally or regionally branded:
  • Contracts Finder
  • Public Contracts Scotland
  • Sell2Wales
  • eTendersNI
The key advice is that:

“If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no deal in place regarding future arrangements on access to OJEU/TED, a replacement UK-specific e-notification service will be made available. Changes to the procurement rules will be made via amendments to existing legislation, to ensure continued operability.”


This assumes that all those third party domestic portals, will have those links all developed and created.

Having worked for many years on the supplier dark side, I know that the reality is more like software supplier/developers get solid details, about 4 weeks before something is due live as legislation, rather than the 3+ months minimum development lead time, of something of this important nature. 

Without this, there is a possibility of major disruption to a number of procurements. A great danger too, of suitable suppliers/bidders, not being able to bid as a number of opportunities will could be invisible, even across countries of the UK.

Another blind spot is how will non-UK companies bid? Will they be able to bid at all, when will that be finalised and legislated. I do fear for suppliers as well as my clients not receiving the full spectrum of the best possible bids available. Fingers crossed something coordinated comes from all of this.

I await details of the UK e-notification service, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, sadly something that seems ever nearer each day. Access the official blurb here.

Related Post: Without a control group, how can you determine if something new is working or not? 


_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

ZZ Top - Deal Goin' DownZZ Top - Deal Goin' Down.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.

File Under: 360,1stTouch,4Js. , 07854655009 ,365Agile," """" ",,#UKHousing,#HousingDAY, #HomesForBritain,#InternetOfTenants, #Shout,1st Touch,3squared,Accuserv,Acutence,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,AirWatch,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos, Asprey e-state pro,ActiveHousing,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,App,Associates,ACL,Abritas,AMS,AX,aspireview,Agile365, BO,BPR,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning, Business Process Review,Business social networking, Blockwise, Block wise,BI,BancTec,BluTek,Bluebox, Castle,CBL,Cedar Open Accounts,Cx,Change,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, CHR,Citrix,Civica,Clearview,CMS , CCS IT Keystone CCSIT,Civica Genero,Contractor Systems,CORE,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,CRM,Crystal Reports,CTI,CTX,Customer Relationship Management,Cashflow, COA,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Competitive Dialogue process,complex IT procurements,Component Accounting, Community Reward Services, Consilium, Consolidation, Consultancy,Consultant,Contact Manager,Context,CIH,Chartered Institute Of Housing,Cadcorp,Cerrus Saturn,convergeOne,CACI,CPL, CRS Director, Deeplake,Development Systems,Accuserve,Document Management,Documotive,datasystems , Microsoft dynamics GP 2013, DynamicAI, Dynamic AI, ECMK,EDRMS,England, English,EnterpriseBI,ERP Systems,ERP,Elmhurst,Estatecraft,EDM,ESRI,Exponential-e, Finance, Financial Systems, Financials, Factorwise,Facebook ,Footprint,Fusion, Getting best from,gotonysmith, Grasp,Grip,GeoSolveIT,GIS,GGP,Genero,GCloud,G-Cloud,HouSys,Housing software,HFI (Housing Financials interface),HG,Housemark survey,Housing Blueprint,Housemark,Housing Portfolio Management System, HRA,housingtITguy,Housing Support Pro,HousingSupportPro,Housing Options,Hometeam, Housing Group,hotpixuk, HousingIT,hotpix,Hardware,Hitex,Housing Contact Company,housing predictive analytics, Impact Response,iPayPro,implementations,iRobot,In House,InHouse,In4,InMotion, InMotion2016, InMotion2015, InMotion2016 , Exhibition, conference,Housing Management Consultant,Housing Management Consultants, Infoflow,Information Technology,Informix,inHouse,in-house workforce,Information@Work components, Innovation,Inside Housing,Internet Portal,Internetalia,Information Management Server,IMS, Invu,Ireland,Irish,Inphase , IT Budget,IT Training,iWorld, Innovation Group Apex,ITIL, In4Systems Promaster,IT,Insight, iSupport,iSupportPro, Keylogic,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,Keypera Hometeam,Keyfax,Ledgers,Linkedin,Locality,Liquid Voice,MD ,Mr Void , MrVoid, Measuring Change,Mebus,Miracle,MISCS,mDesign,mobile functionality,mobile platform,Monopoly board images and pictures, Montal,MS Dynamics,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Miracle Software,MDM,Management,CRM2013,Reporting,MI,M3,MIS,MIS-AMS,Mobysoft, Northgate Codeman,Neighbourhoods and Communities,NPS,NPS Housing,NPS CRM,NPS Job Manager Mobile, Northgate,Notice,NROSH,NINTEX,NINTEX workflow,Natural Forms,Nintexworkflow,NPS ASSIST, OA,OGC Buying Solutions,Ohms,OJEU Limits,OmFax,Omniledger,Open source software,open tender,OpenHousing,Opti-time,Oracle,Orchard,Optitime DRS,Outsource and outsourcing,OpenContractor,ORS,OneServe, PIMMS Data Systems, Paloma,performance management systems,PfH, Pick,PIMMS,pimms4communities, Planned maintenance,People Value,Plus, Peoplevalue,Portfolio Management System, PM,Progress,Promaster,Proval,Pyramid,PRINCE2,prince,Pamwin,PlanForm, Propoints, Pro-Points,predictive analytics for housing, QL,QLX,Quiss,Qlikview, QueryView,Queryview reporting,Registered Providers,Registered Social Landlord,Rent Increase Freezes,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,ROCC,RobotAutomation,Rave Technologies (India) PVT Limited, Rocket,RPs,RSL,Reality,ReAct,reidmark,RM865, Saffron,SAP,Scots, "Social Housing IT",Social Housing ICT, Scottish,Scenario, Scotland,SDM,sector,TonySmithHou,Safron,Server Virtualisation,servicing, Servitor,Sharepoint, Simdel,Simdell,SimPro,Sim Pro,Slash and Burn,Social Media,Software,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting Services,SQL reporting services,SQL Server,Star 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