Borderline

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

You may have read my article a few weeks ago on the new UK procurement rule changes, now expected to start in Feb 2025. This is 10 year since the last major revision in 2015. If you are a public body (or a body that falls within the public procurement rules), buying goods or services, it is an attempt to deviate from OJEU rules post-Brexit.

When I help AHB’s and social landlords in Southern Ireland, clearly I will still be following the 2015 EU regulations, of which the UK rules were anchored around.

One major aspect to be aware of is how devolved nations should be affected by this. For example, social housing is a devolved matter and therefore either new legislation would need to be passed in Scotland, otherwise existing Scottish law is still appropriate and relevant. So in affect certain procurement will still be using 2015 regulations, known as the Public Contracts (S) Regulations 2015 (and in limited circumstances the Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016).

So far so good, however most software products that I often help organisations procure, are actually English ones, with GCloud, CCS & other sourced frameworks a popular choice, often regarded as a way to speed up procurement. Some also wrongly think they are instant best value. To do software application procurements properly and be able to carry out a well managed implementation, to be honest not much time can usually be saved. At times, corner cutting can actually cost contracting bodies much more at times and bring unwanted surprises.

Even so, frameworks can still be accessed from any public bodies across the UK and there are draft regulations addressing the cross-border options. Here is some bedtime reading on that matter -  . Buried within this consultation, it is clear that either, not both sets of regulations can be utilised, providing some clarity for public bodies in Scotland.

Clearly there is room here for confusion and I would always recommend anyone I am working with to take local advice from their procurement team or legal contact. While I am aware of what is possible within the different acts across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, that does not mean that local teams in Registered Social Landlords or Councils, will allow all options. Its often due to established custom and practice, which in some cases are based on mitigating past issues from occurring again!

If in doubt, do consult your favourite legal practices, I have mine and happy to share if anyone out there is stuck.

Do you have a systems procurement coming up?

Get in touch, for a chat soon over a brew & some Jammy Dodgers ☕

       Related Post: When getting ready to procure, do you warm up the market ?

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ *** Join the discussion with Claire & Aiden *** _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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.

Tame Impala – Borderline.
(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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Sleeping Partners

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

Who knows what goes through corporate management brains sometimes?

Last week I had two conversations with two contacts using QLF, the Aareon home-grown finance ledger offering. Folks like me long in the tooth in the Social Housing sector, will be familiar with Aareon’s classic offering of QLX Housing and QLF financials, all living in a single SQL Server database. Indeed, going back over nearly 30 years in my sector working life, often packaging both like this was a big draw, particularly for housing associations forming after the 1990’s LSVT boom. Councils however would have been more likely to still have a corporate FMS.

Back in the day, the first products I worked with were on the Pick Universe platform, character based and named HAMIS & MISAC (MIS Accounting natch!). On re-writing products for the Microsoft product stack, full SQL Server, Windows UI etc, finance was dropped quite early. Back in 2002 or thereabouts, there were just too many proven established COTS finance options available.

Simdel which became Aareon in the UK, was an outlier solution for the medium to larger landlord, in having a combined HMS/FMS. Indeed, in the heyday of Aareon winning over 60% of new deals in 2010-2018, many new adopters took housing & finance together. Three of my procurements went that way on the bounce, rightly due to cost savings and reduction of integration challenges. It was such a bargain that one 24k+ RSL took it almost as ‘a punt’, with the strategy that it could easily be swapped out after a few years if needed.

In those days it was Paul Gregory and Neil Ward steering the ship (or the helpdesk at least!), I remember seeing most of and often then their time seemed very stretched across the many sites (over 60 at one point I recall).

The rise of full Cloud and true responsive browser developed solutions and the Covid19 helping to emphasis why the sector can no longer see a future in the old Client-Server solutions going forward, clearly put paid to the QLX goldrush. It looked to me though that Yuneo (“Its all about you”!) would have been the QLX/QLF saviour, Cheryl Welbourn pitched it well at CIH2022 anyway.

Unfortunately via a short letter to customers, this was pulled dramatically in April 2023, as you might have read first here  . Following that, its had a recent sellout too      

The latest bit of news for the sector is that for financial solutions, Aareon will now be partnering with OneAdvanced where from its stable, in addition to DRS scheduling, OpenAccounts will now be offered in partnership. Anyone up to speed in the sector will be very familiar with a longstanding partnership selling OA into socialhousing for sometime, which is Orchard, now part of MRI. It will be interesting to see how this move affects the latter.

Back to the original convo with contacts, they asked, “What might this mean then”? Might QLF financial support be winding down, will we be sold migrations to OpenAccounts, or should we look to more modern products out there? Of which there are a few I see increasingly in housing, such as Xledger. Written for Cloud, with rich APIs and an open attitude to integration. ‘Advanced Financials’ is the Cloud offering to replace OpenAccounts, strange that is not in Aareon’s new sales bag?

Strangely too, the combined HMS/FMS is not dead, with some proven written for Cloud/Responsive Browser options open to smaller (under 4,000 homes) and small-medium (2,000-20,000 homes) sites. Namely Designer Software Homemaster and Rubixx (maybe one for a future post?). As both of these have an FMS in theory of being sold standalone, I would be war-gaming the option of providing the module at rock-bottom pricing, as the Trojan Horse to replace both HMS & FMS.

Indeed, both these true Cloud/Responsive Browser products have been very successful in picking off Aareon sites, particularly in Scotland. They do very well in procurements, where strangely many of the usual suspects do not engage or do not have a suitable product currently. 

Read about the big Aareon/OneAdvance tie up here

Needless to say, if you would like a chat over a brew about possible product options in the marketplace, please reach out. I will bring the biscuits.      

Wondering where your finance solution is going?

Get in touch, for a chat soon over a brew & some chocolate Gingers ☕

       Related Post: Are you getting the best from your self-service?

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ *** Join the discussion with Claire & Aiden *** _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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.

Doll by Doll – Sleeping Partners.
(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: #HomesForBritain,#HousingDAY,#InternetOfTenants,#Shout,#UKHousing, 07854655009, 1st Touch,1stTouch,360,365Agile,3squared,4Js, ACL,ALMO,AMS,AX,Aareon,Abritas,Academy,Accuserv,Accuserve,Active Housing,ActiveH,ActiveHousing,Acutence,Advanced,Affinity,Agile,Agile365,AirWatch,Alfresco,Alignment,Allpay,Amazon Web Services,Anite,Apex,App,ArchHouse,Archouse,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Associates,Aurora,Average IT Costs,AWI SX Integration Toolkit,AWS, BI,BO,BPR,BancTec,BigChange,Blockwise,BluTek,Bluebox,Blueprint,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning,Business Process Review,Business social networking, CACI,Capita One Housing,CBL,CCS IT Keystone CCSIT,CEDRM,CHICS,CHR,CIH,CMS,COA,CORE,CPL,CRM,CRM2013,CRS,CTI,CTX,Cadcorp,Capita,CapitaOne,Capita One,Capital Management,Cashflow,Castle,Castleton,Castleton Technology,Cedar Open Accounts,Cerrus,Change,Charges,Chartered Institute Of Housing,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, Citrix,Civica,Civica CTX,Civica Cx,Civica Genero,Civica Saffron,Clearview,Clik,Cx Assets, Cloud Dialogs,CloudDialogs,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Commontime,Community Reward Services,Company,Competitive Dialogue process,Component Accounting,Consilium,Consolidation, Consultancy,Consultant,Consultants,Contact Manager,Context,Contractor Systems,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,Crystal Reports,Customer Relationship Management,Cx,CxFeedback, DRS,Deeplake,Designer Software,Development Systems,Director,Document,Documotive,Docuware,Dynamic AI,DynamicAI,Dynamics 365,D365,Dynamics365,Dynaway ECMK,EDM,EDRMS,ERP,ESRI,Elmhurst,Enghouse Interactive,England,English,EnterpriseBI,Estatecraft,Esuasive,Etive,Exhibition,Exponential-e, Facebook,Factorwise,Field Service management,Finance,Financial Systems,Financials,FLS,Footprint,Forms,Freezes,Fusion,Fuzzlab Gas Tag,G-Cloud,GCloud,GDPR,GGP,GIS,GasTag,Genero,GeoSolveIT,Getting best from,GoTonySmith,Grasp,Grip,Group Apex, HFI (Housing Financials interface),HG,HRA,Hardware,Hitachi Systems,Hitex,HomeMaster,Hometeam,HouSys,House,Housemark,Housemark survey,Housing,Housing Contact,Housing Group,Housing Insight,Housing Management,Housing Management Consultant,Housing Partners,Housing Portfolio Management System,Hub Asset Management,Homeswapper,Housing jigsaw, Housing Support Pro,HousingIT,HousingSupportPro,HyperOptic, IMS,IT,IT Budget,IT Training,ITIL,Impact Response,In,In4,In4Systems Promaster,InfoBoss,InHouse,InMotion,InMotion2015,InMotion2016,InfoBoss,Infoflow,Information,Information Technology,Information@Work components,Informix,Innovation, Informetis,Inphase,Inside Housing,Insight,Internet Portal,Internetalia,Invu,Ireland,Irish,itLab, Keyfax,Keylogic,Keypera,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,Keynamics, Landlord,Ledgers,Linkedin,Liquid,Locality,Localz, M3,MAVIS,MD,MDM,MI,MIS,MIS-AMS,MISCS,MRI,MS Dynamics,MRI,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Microsoft365,microsoft 365,MWL,Management,Management Server,Manifest,Measuring,Mebus,More IQ,MoreIQ,Microsoft Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid,MoreIQ NDL,NINTEX,NINTEX workflow,NPS,NPS ASSIST,NPS Housing,NPS Job Manager Mobile,NROSH,Natural,Neighbourhoods and Communities,Nintexworkflow,Northgate,Northgate Codeman,Northgate Public Services,Notice, OA,OGC Buying Solutions,OJEU Limits,ORS,Ohms,OmFax,Omniledger,One,OneAdvanced,OneServe,Open source,OpenContractor,OpenHousing,Opti-time,Options,Optitime,Oracle,Orchard,Outsource and outsourcing,OutSystems, PIMMS,PIMSS Data,PM,PRINCE2,Paloma,Pamwin,PanConnect,People Value,Peoplevalue,PfH,Pick,PlanForm,Planned maintenance,Plenfific,Plus,Portfolio Management System,PowerObjects,Pro,Pro-Points,Prodo,Progress,Promaster,Propoints,Proval,Providers,Pyramid, QL,QLX, QLF, QL Yuneo,QuantSpark,Qube,QLX,Qlikview,QueryView,Queryview reporting,Quiss, RM865,ROCC,RPs,RSL,Rave,ReAct,Reality,RedkiteCRM,Red Olive,Registered,Registered Social,Rent Increase,RentSense,RentSenseLite,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,RobotAutomation,Rocket,Rubixx, Salesforce,Salesforce.Org,SAP,SASSHA,SDM,SHBVN,SM,SOTI,SP,SQL,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting,SQL Server,Saffron,Safron,Saturn,Scenario,Scotland,Scots,Scottish,Scout,Sequoa,Serengeti,Serros,Server,Service,Services,Servitor,Sharepoint,Sim,SimPro, Simdel,Simdell,Slash and Burn,Social Housing ICT,Social Housing Software Applications,Social Media,Software,Software solutions,Spotlight Service,Spotlightservice,Star rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic,SunAccounts,Sunguard,Surveys,Streetwise, Swordfish,Sx3,Symatrix Human,System alignment,Systems,Systemwise, T-Files,TEAMS,TED,TFiles,TP Tracker,TSG,Tagish Casework,Tagra,Task,TAIM,Technologies (India) PVT Limited,Telecetera,Template,Terminal Services,That,Three Star,Tilt,TiltAffinity,Today,Tony Smith,Tony Smith That Housing IT Guy,TonySmith that housing IT,TonySmithHou,TonySmithHousing, ,TonySmithHousingITguy,Total,Total Mobile,Totalmobile,Trace,Tribal,Twitter, U2,UC,UK,UK Housing,Ukhousing,UniClass Enterprise,Unidata,United Kingdom,Universal,Universalcredit,Universe,Unrest, Valueworks,Van Stock,Vantage,Vantage Sentinel,Version,Virtualisation,Visitour,Visualmetrics,Voice,Voice and data,Voluntas, Wales,Welsh,Wheatley,Windows Server,Workflow and,Work Hub,Works Connect, XML,Xen App,XenApp,Xmbrace, Yuneo,TS Acutance Consulting, ...
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