Fool By Your Side

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

Wow, what a time to be alive eh?

I’ve sat through six software demos in the last few weeks, yes broadly stayed awake and guess what? All (but one, I wont say which!) was now ‘powered by AI’. Yes – course they were, until you asked for a real world example in front of you, then the dream slightly soured. Everyone has got some irritating AI these days, Salesforce has ‘Agentforce’ for instance, an iconic team DC Comics clearly left on the cutting room floor at 1325 Avenue of the Americas, many moons ago.

Predictably, everyone’s ubiquitous predictive analytics supplier in the sector, is also pitching a repair issues detector with advanced AI & machine learning technology. Beware though the quality of your data, be sure to improve that before pointing any AI engine at it. Also, keep an eye on where any AI’s have been trained, has GDPR been fully respected?

Jeez, I’m no luddite, even my last year of blog posts are now routinely discussed by a couple of AI’s, you might have noticed. If you haven’t, give it a try. I promise you, 11 to 18 minutes of your life you wont ever get back. However, you cannot say I didn’t warn you.

Its been fun to see those AI tech bros recently wetting their panties about DeepSeek the new bargain basement AI heroes showing its workings, dropping in from China, knocking $b’s off share values and worrying Nvidia, Oracle, Broadcom and other holders of financial stock.

Having said that I have less to laugh about when using my own M365 subscription, that seems to have acquired 2025’s reincarnation of Clippy, the ever present ‘Draft (or is it daft?) with CoPilot?’ prompt. Clippy at least could try to make you laugh, ‘I think you are writing a resignation letter, do you need any help?’. This one is of limited use and 40% of the time seems to respond to me as ‘Sorry, I cannot help you with that at the moment’. I'm sure Clippy was designed based on Red Dwarf's Talkie Toaster.

CoPilot has had its issues, offensive & sexualised  images, also training itself on your data without your permission riding roughshod over your and your organisations cybersecurity. The latest version is also worse than its previous incarnation. Perhaps I am being kind comparing it to Clippy, it’s more like Cortana or Bing. That’s before you get into the SSRF flaw.

I am not alone either, as more than a few clients are getting hacked off paying an extra 30 pound/euro a month for the privilege and actively looking to put a stop to it. Stealthily, Microsoft have slipped CoPilot into some annual plans already, with a cost coming down the line the next time you renew. Also, the previously bundled useful VPN will soon be dropped.

As of last month, Jan25, Microsoft 365 Family or Personal customers will automatically get Copilot in their Microsoft productivity apps, if you want it or not. So, with Copilot is now the default package.

In fact what you had before is now renamed as ‘Classic’ and if you have had enough of Clippy (er Copilot) for the moment, you might want to read this article. This for the moment will also save you a price increase at your next renewal.

Personally Microsoft I would prefer to be paying for an AI that was properly, not half-baked. So, I might just sit this one out for a bit.

On a more positive note, some aspects of AI enabled features I am finding more useful. Transcribing recordings in Teams, seeing services to auto-redact or pre-sort CV’s in our HR systems, auto-keywording photographic images, yes all good for doing substantial legwork with an experienced human final signing off. Replacing the human totally, well maybe not yet.

Planning or pining for AI in Social Housing?

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

       Related Post: Damp & Mould, something you don't need AI to get on top of 

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ *** 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.

Hal – Fools By Your Side.
(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, ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . ES | FR | DE | IT | UK

 

Kiss and Tell

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

For way too many reasons I enormously enjoy working in the Social Housing sector. One of the most favourable aspects is the ability of the (generally) open attitude to share experience for the greater good. I have recently written about working with clients recovering from regulator downgrades, looking to improve what they do with residents.

As I work with lots of housing related ICT projects, procurements and recovering where some journeys have seemingly gone off the rails, others experiences are really insightful. At the start of a procurement its particularly salient. With housing providers its generally very open. Where procuring just a contractor solution is a different matter. In one case a company almost the full length of Wales once, was reluctant to provide a reference opinion.

Getting a reference opinion for a product or service is a veritable minefield. Following up from a recent experience with a few lovely clients late last year, I thought it useful to tackle this area for the benefit of others out there. In my long 28 years of experience, I have seen it equally from both sides, particularly as I spent 14 years on the dark side with a housing solution supplier. At that time responding to procurements, I would routinely provide my full list of customers and in a cock-sure manner saying:  “Contact who you like as a reference”. In reality it wasn’t really being cock-sure, as I already knew how well we tried to treat and support customers and made it my business as managing director at MIS-AMS to ensure each and every one got our best attention, as if they were our only customer. That was the aim of the culture I worked to instill then, as I thought it was right and TBH its pretty much my preferred mentality.

Clients occasionally ask me what the point of reference sites are? 

.... Also, could in the procurement we score on references?

These are fair questions and in reality firstly they are most useful during soft-market analysis to understand more about the solutions out there. On the second point, slightly paradoxically during a procurement we should be looking forward not backwards, so references are of limited value. With that strangeness out of the way, lets get on to what reference sites are about. Strap in !

With whatever you are procuring, always ask for some reference sites. They should be similar to us, of our size (small or large) and actually have similar product in use as we are asking for. A lack of seeing reference sites (much like getting a 'No' sometimes ) should be a red flag. Are you going to be a pioneer with this product/software supplier? Have they no satisfied (or installed?) customers in the British isles?

Is the supplier providing its own reference? Don’t laugh, I saw one just a few weeks ago. That is not a reference, it some sales claims. I would not name that supplier here, it would be rude to do that or maybe invite some ‘cease & desist’ communications, which I am sure you would agree would be less than good. If you have no customers happy to talk positively about you, that could well be a problem.

What of the references provided?

Are they local? Are they similar in size and complexity to your organisation? Have they users & clients quite close to you that are not being suggested? Why might that be? Have they even implemented these proposed solutions?

So many questions.

Its quite common for customers serving as ‘reference sites’ for suppliers to be seeing some benefits for being a named contact. Don’t get me wrong, reference sites are doing us a favour by finding valuable time for us and to some extent we should be grateful. I always also urge my clients to return the favour too. Named reference sites might gain free consultancy days and other freebies in signing up to assist. Its suspicious where suppliers rely on just a single or limited number of reference sites. How many sites sold this particular solution are still waiting to be implemented and taken live?

My advice is to try your own contacts and peers first. Also take advantage of forums and other resources such as HR Ninjas etc. Many parts of our sector has them, such as the DirectWorks for DLO teams & solutions. These might well be more local and have a wider view of experiences. Starting with these gives much food for thought, for when you might encounter the ‘official’ references. There will be lots to learn from these, including how they had challenges as well as ones from suppliers. Also that on occasion, sloppy procurement leaves doors open for suppliers to levy additional charges (Change Control anyone?). While this phase can be very useful, it should be taken with a wee pinch of salt. Remember, we are more inclined to complain about stuff than celebrate things at times.

Issues and problems garnered from peers can often form the basis of the questions to ask of the ‘official’ references.

A few ‘top tips’ to consider in your reference questions –

• Ensure you are speaking to reference sites that actually have the same product that is being proposed. They might be clients of the supplier, but have completely different products purchased
• Have these folk actually implemented the products. A fun trick is to recommend someone just starting to implement. While that is useful, there should also be some ‘already live’ references…
• Have any aspects of the sold solution been de-scoped or potentially replaced by alternative products potentially from other suppliers?
• Were there any aspects of the solution that were claimed and could not be delivered? What were they as these could be focused on better in the tender process that emerges.
• Have any of the aspects of the sold solution been aborted or shelved? Why was this, supplier or client issue? Requirements might have changed rather than product fallen short.
• What problems/issues did they encounter? How were these challenges resolved? The latter more important than the former
• What timescale was sold and what was actually achieved?
• What budget was sold and what was achieved? What elements should have been better costed from the start?
• What aspects work poorly and why? Particularly around integrations ?
• Which supplier implementers and consultants worked best with the reference site and any that can be named as working less well? These are possibly the ones we might want in a new project…
• What has post-go-live support been like? Has help-desk response been decent, did user groups and events promised materialised?
• Have requested or costed changes been delivered in a timely manner?
• What is account management like? Have personnel remained static and you have felt well managed with supplier being knowledgeable about issues or not?
• What are upgrades, patch releases and bug fixes like? Are they regular and controlled well? Have upgrades caused issues?

Remember that some of the above might result from poor project management or not having a Critical Friend on-board driving accountability, safeguarding against poor resourcing, or management sponsors not correctly setting priorities when required. Issues need not always be caused by the supplier.

Intelligence from all of the above can feed into the formal tender, framework or other procurement questions, enabling better value to be leveraged and improved choices to be made. Good references certainly aid great procurement and way better governance.

I hope I have left some good food for thought and useful nugget takeaways. As ever, you are welcome.

Planning a procurement or test of the market coming up?

Get in touch, for a chat soon over a brew & some Fox's Classics (you're worth it) ☕

       Related Post: Warming up the market will always improve your procurements 

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ *** 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.

Brian Ferry (of Roxy Music) – Kiss and Tell.
(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, ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . ES | FR | DE | IT | UK

 

Good Morning judge

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

A very well timed post for the tail end of 2024 and the start for the new year. Always a milestone for taking stock and setting yourself and your organisations in some cases, for some new resolutions. 2025 is your blank sheet of paper.

As anyone who reads my posts here will know, I work with a wide range of organisations of all sizes. As any of those I am sure would tell you, I do my best to help with my experience or point them to other means of carefully referencing product choices before they are made or finding other help from my contacts. I have been told at times that my optimism and confidence in getting problems solved can be legendary. Indeed if you believe you are beaten before you start, your hope is lost!

Last year I worked with a few organisations coming out of downgrades or regulator judgements. The common theme of all of these were that they were all great teams of people, exceptional CEOs, looking to improve processes, solutions, systems and in some cases needing to take up a new direction. A downgrade should be a temporary wake up call, with issues that can generally be addressed. No regulator judgement will generally tell anyone they needs to change a housing or assets system, but will point to making moves to get better control of data, improve service (such as repairs, maintenance) or governance. Systems and/or the way staff operate them however are usually the root of many troubles.

Apart from helping folk in the sector, I also assist many residents, tenants, leaseholders and factored owners, where I can. Some I can see get a raw deal with something as fundamental as their home. (Yes, home, not a ‘unit’ or an ‘asset’). Often it’s the same culprits I am afraid. I seriously have wondered if some CEO’s might be better paid based on their ratings not their PR.

I have sometimes been asked how I can remain positive working with social housing landlords and councils, when some residents experience can often be just of failing ones? My answer is that I think I see better landlords, as whoever I work with is looking to sort out their systems, not bury their faults and pretend all is fine. I never seem to get the call from any of those usual suspects. I am unsure if they would agree with some of my approaches, once I had had the audacity to hold a mirror up to them!

So anyway, what judgement's have the regulator been up to, just up to Christmas?

Well the RSH has been busier this year than most and it looks like more in depth assessments (deep dive IDAs) are coming thick and fast in 2025. Here’s over fifty from December alone - from Accent Group to the YMCA St Pauls Group. Checkout the G1’s & V1’s and also a few downgrades too.

These inspections can be regarded as quick exams and for sure I have heard of more than a few RSLs ‘boning up’ to show a clean set of heels for the inspectors arrival. In the past I have also experienced this at times in the wake of implementing a new system, during very common data cleansing exercises. While the impetus and priority of these exercises are commendable, like a pet not only being for Christmas, it should be a continual practice. In fact its better becoming the organisation culture. Its often been a serious point of discussion in my projects, how do we embed this respect for data and processes going forward after go-live?

Well, I have quite a few interesting projects on-going into 2025 and this last point is a feature of pretty much most of them. It might surely be a good call for a post later into the year!

Worried about an in depth inspection from the RSH coming up?

Get in touch, for a chat soon over coffee & Hobnobs ☕

       Related Post: Have you got ICT projects taking so long, they are more like ghost ships lost in the fog?

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ *** 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.

10cc Good Morning Judge.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


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

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