Thursday 28 February 2019

Right Next Door

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


On Twitter, anyone who follows me, will know that I am always very interested in resident woes. I always want to know more, as it shines a light in many cases on ignorance, poor communication, governance/control of contractors, or in some cases residents who in whatever situation, are hard to please.

I must say (as I know quite a few tenants who read this blog), overwhelmingly, it’s the former, not the latter.

On a few occasions, I have read tweets & threads about residents, particularly in blocks and towers, not being allowed doormats and now video doorbells, the like of Hive & Nest supply.

Doormats when identified as fire risks, seem to make informed residents smirk and often kick-off, as their blocks are often less than what can be described, as ‘Fire Safe’. I have chatted a number of times with lots of contacts, such as Phil Murphy (@MancCommunities) on this one. It’s hard to see if this one is about a fundamental misunderstanding of general fire safety in residential blocks or overzealous paternal instincts. As Grenfell showed us, coconut matting doormats are the least of our worries.

So what of video doorbells? How could they be a danger?

Well it seems from some threads I have followed, they are a danger to contractor and servicing transparency. Some facts could be revealed that servicing contractors might preferred to be buried.

Servicing is statutory and should be undertaken with residents taken into account. Adequate communication, attempts to provide sensible appointments, gain access swiftly and efficiently. Solutions I often work with, are designed to make this all as painless as possible, enabling a high degree of “Getting it right 1st time”. It’s a no-brainier to work like this, as its actually the cheapest way to deliver a high quality service.

From anecdotal stories, this is not the experience of quite a few residents. Central London seems to be a particular problem, but I have read and heard stories from all around the UK. From where I am looking, transparency seems to be an issue, often between Landlord and (serving/repair) Contractor. The former should at all times be using systems to monitor the latter. Landlord should follow up with satisfaction surveys for residents to monitor. After collating that information, it should be used to better manage contractors.

Landlords are citing video doorbells as a data protection issue, as they might confirm presence of a Gas Engineer, making reasonable attempts or not to gain entry, before they card and record a no-access. I am not sure that argument can stack up. Removing the means of residents to monitor, does not solve probably a very real contractor management issue.

Too much of the ‘rapid carding’ by slapdash or on low profit margin contractors, can be detrimental to the landlords resident perception. This can cause issues with future repairs or potential added warning flags on rent accounts.     Systems software will allow this, although that is not generally their original design intention. If a resident suspects this may be the case, they can make a FOI (Freedom Of Information) request. This will reveal documented opinions, as well as general expected data.

I have experienced contractors who were allowed to ‘mark their own homework’, to a pretty extreme degree. Almost drawing the graph and plotting the data which netted them the bonus agreed in the five year contract every quarter.

Often returns from satisfaction surveys, vastly differed from what contractor stats were being presented. Ramping up satisfaction surveys, using automated systems, has in some cases confirmed issues like that and enabled landlords to attempt to manage out that kind of disorderly behaviour.

Residents should not be automatically put in the doghouse in my view. Their feedback (and video evidence if needed), should not be ridiculed and ignored, but taken more seriously.

Related Post: Time the Development pipeline is better plugged into Asset Management 
 

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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.

Robert Cray - Right Next DoorRobert Cray - Right Next Door.
(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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Saturday 16 February 2019

Cry For Help

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

 
Anyone who has owned a car over the years, especially older or classic ones, will know the benefits of regular care and maintenance. Spending a few hundred pounds across the year, can prevent some of the bigger bills which can arise when small issues become much larger jobs.

It has always surprised me that so few take that approach with ICT systems, infrastructure and also applications.  It’s no bad thing for a supplier to offer a regular monthly day or two, to address any issues arising. In fact, based on a lot of the more random conversation snippets I come across, so many people could benefit from a visit from an imaginative, well informed implementer type, on a regular basis. When I say implementer, I mean one of those more in demand ones, if you know what I mean.

Here’s some of the type of things I hear in passing:
“This is really slow”
“How can I add a few extra columns on this report”?
“Why do I always struggle for 4 days each month, manipulating this in Excel”?
“How can I build a new mailmerge, from [that] application data?
“P2P never recognises [this suppliers] invoices and we see 45 a week from them”
“Why can I only sometimes reach [that server] on the network”?

All of the above are not good crazily difficult to diagnose and probably help with on the spot adding value. Leave some or all of those to fester and bigger problems may arise or a systemic dissatisfaction with any or part of the solution.

While out with a friend recently, who does consultancy around mainly infrastructure, he had recently completed 12 days of expensive on-site consultancy, which could have been mitigated by some regular visits. The core problem was a recently tombstones server and a couple of network cables.

It just shows how just a bit of preventive maintenance might have saved that organisation, such a lot of hassle, while they got a lot of other things addressed too, across the year.

Related Post: Time is precious, value and use it well 
 

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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.

Shed Seven - Cry For HelpShed Seven - Cry For Help.
(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 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