Inside Looking Out

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


When looking to improve use of digital channels and self-service, its always essential as a starting point, to know what mix of interactions we have from customers, as a starting point. You are inside, looking out.

I will use the noun ‘customers’, that might be tenants, leaseholders, factors, shared owners and others. These all consume a service and should be treated with the respect that any supplier should provide for them. In everyday life I get agitated when landlords do not see the world that way and ‘customers’ get a raw deal and lack of respect.

I work with many organisations looking to digitise. One of my first questions is often, “what mix of interactions do you receive currently”?

That can be a very difficult question to ask. Could you answer it?

That starting point, enables areas to digitise to be identified. If an organisation already has CRM and uses it throughout the whole business, that may be an easier task. The challenge to that is most often cultural, not an ICT one. Understanding the mix now, is a great starting point to examine alternatives. Here are some hypothetical splits, that will not be too off the mark annually, for many typical housing associations, with minimal digitisation currently.

• Office visits 8%
• Phone calls 29%
• Home visits 11%
• Emails & letters 12%
• SMS 15%
• Payments 19%
• Misc’ or uncategorised 6%

Now, if you cannot catagorise accurately, then that is a challenge that needs to be addressed. Procure a CRM (or solution(s) to record the data reliably) and maybe develop KPI’s and reporting.

All of the above might well also split into team tasks, from logging repairs, taking payments, responding to queries, complaints, (compliments), ASB, letting issues etc.

This is ground zero of your organisations digital journey. Without this, it is impossible to monitor progress and improvement. Once we have the stats as at now, its essential the management team agrees a target for digital transformation. I always despair a little, when the answer back from management is ‘Just a bit more Tony’. Pick a number and lets aim for that, exceed it and then congratulate everyone afterwards.

In my experience, only by having targets, will we be successful. That’s because moving to a digital mindset is 25% an ICT problem and 75% a transformational cultural change.  The former is essential and enables the latter. Never confuse these estimates, but get both right, to improve internal efficiency and also customer service and satisfaction, achieving more with less.

Related Post: Help your next project go even more smoothly...
 

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://soundcloud.com/housingitguy/

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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.

Grand Funk Railroad – Inside Looking 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.
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,Agile,Agile365,AirWatch,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,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,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, DRS,Deeplake,Designer Software,Development Systems,Director,Document,Documotive,Dynamic AI,DynamicAI,Dynamics 365, ECMK,EDM,EDRMS,ERP,ESRI,Elmhurst,Enghouse Interactive,England,English,EnterpriseBI,Estatecraft,Etive,Exhibition,Exponential-e, Facebook,Factorwise,Field Service management,Finance,Financial Systems,Financials,Footprint,Forms,Freezes,Fusion, 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, 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, Landlord,Ledgers,Linkedin,Liquid,Locality,Localz, M3,MAVIS,MD,MDM,MI,MIS,MIS-AMS,MISCS,MRI,MS Dynamics,MS Dynamics CRM2011,MWL,Management,Management Server,Manifest,Measuring,Mebus,Microsoft Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid, 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,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, 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, Swordfish,Sx3,Symatrix Human,System alignment,Systems,Systemwise, T-Files,TEAMS,TED,TFiles,TP Tracker,TSG,Tagish Casework,Tagra,Task,Technologies (India) PVT Limited,Telecetera,Template,Terminal Services,That,Three Star,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,Visualmetrics,Voice,Voice and data,Voluntas, Wales,Welsh,Wheatley,Windows Server,Workflow and,Work Hub,Works Connect, XML,Xen App,XenApp,Xmbrace, ...
. . . . . . . . . . .

Promises

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


I am sure you like me have heard plenty of promises in your time.

After all, you like me have probably been around the block a few times. How often have you heard software suppliers promise to provide comprehensive reporting, save x, create efficiencies to the square of y and crucially, not continue to leave the toilet seat up? Well, its déjà vu right there.

It’s right to be cynical and I am used to the fight it often takes to get suppliers to implement, attend project and account management meetings, even during the initial project. Promises broken quite early on. How many of your suppliers come back on a regular basis and ask you how your organisation is doing, with whatever silver bullet you purchased, back in the heady pre-Brexit days? Not so many in my experience. Even rarer, have you ever had a supplier come back with the tape measure, hydrometer, theodolite etc. to check where you are on the outcomes journey?

Now I have seen a few case studies and they talk a lot in generalisations on the whole, when you really examine the language. With all the statutory returns we have in SocialHousing, you would think we would be awash with data, particularly as most software providers are helping us manage all that information. You know the areas, voids, arrears, income, repairs spend, achieving target completions and SLA’s etc.

Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I stumbled across an account manager (actually calling themselves a ‘Client Success Consultant’), chucking performance data at an organisation, like a scattergun and managing to keep the seat down, in the sole lavatory on that floor too (I believe). It’s said that the more you see, the less surprises you have and I was keen to ask the salient logical questions. I.E. Is that a one-off, how long have you been using this stuff, what were the deliverables and are you achieving them?

I found the answers most surprising, remarkably positive and quite refreshing, compared with what I am used to seeing a lot of, from many suppliers in the sector. Two levels of account management actually operate, the Success Consultants at a more operational level and an upper set of ‘Account Directors’. How many software suppliers do you have, with two layers of effective account management?

Apparently the software solution was sold with clear outcome aims, around rent arrears management and had been in use for over a couple of years. Regular account management consisted of caseload trend management, collating new ideas, sharing what was being delivered, what was on the roadmap and when it might be delivered. Emphasis was on data, evidencing improvement and achieving successful outcomes, for the landlord. It’s great to see decent account management, as its often where follow-on service breaks down. (Perhaps one for a whole future blog, that subject).

I’ve worked with a few landlords and RP’s, that have generally reflected positively on Mobysoft Rentsense in the past. Good out of the box, flexible arrears solutions, covering what many bigger HMS systems often seem to struggle to crack. Taking an evidence based approach to account management however, is something special in the sector, particularly in a discipline under so much pressure from Universal Credit, LHA Caps and bedroom Tax. Few software or service providers actually regularly measure those outcomes with clients, effectively keeping their promises.

In a world where Software As A Service (SAAS) is becoming more of an operating model for application users, suppliers will be under more pressure to satisfy, than ever before.  About time SocialHousing organisations had the upper hand and saw the benefits promised, rolling in every quarter, on time, every time.

More on Rentsense at http://www.mobysoft.com/  and some chewy for the eyes at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo1cUfm_2Mo&feature=youtu.be 

If you are at Manchester Central, for the annual big CIH housing event mid-June, look out for me. Mobysoft I believe also can be found on stand G20 and have two free seminars on UC (Universal Credit) and how to survive the 1% rent cut. Book early as they say, at http://www.mobysoft.com/events/cih-housing-2017-conference-exhibition

Related Post: Can better use of IT/Telephony make it easier to Call2Collect? 

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://soundcloud.com/housingitguy/

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

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.

Buzzcocks - Promises.
(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 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Time Is The Key (when Gas Servicing)

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


I usually encounter gas service process at least four times a year, when working with various clients. It's a tricky one, always a hot potato as your chief exec can go to prison for it, if not managed adequately.

In these austere times, its one area then, where we might be reluctant to tinker with it, in case we degrade service. Dealing with it in a smarter fashion, we might actually be able to improve service, reduce staff time and save money, which could be deployed elsewhere.
Using some sample stats from a 21,000 unit RSL, it paints a picture which is probably replicated across many other landlords.



Where costs are being incurred for no-access and the admin/letters generated to manage the process, a third of your gas services, could actually be soaking up 56% of the budget. Having the figures to analyse is half the battle, but clearly reducing the number of customers who do not allow you in first visit, is going to produce a significant saving.

Over 21,000 units here, if we could reduce the number of customers requiring more than one visit by just a third, we would make savings of close to a quarter of a million pounds annually. (a third of the difference between basic & real cost £742,637 is £247,545).

The number of gas services requiring more than one visit, will be on the increase as we have a greater mix of shared owners. Most of these are at work during the week and are unlikely to be in during the usual social housing hours, we are used to keeping. Rather than setting up out of hours and weekend appointments as exceptions, only after letter 2 of the gas process has been generated, we should be considering them as a first appointment. This might get us the holy grail of a gas service first time, and improve customer service perception too!

Now a few DLO managers will have their head in their hands at this point, oh-the overtime bill!
Well, how much overtime could we buy for £0.25m? Also, the other tool at our disposal, if we can turn our data into clear information, is our service history. Basic analysis of even just the last CP12 certificate date and time if we have it, can yield some serious insights. If we complete certs by mobile, we will most likely have both date and time. So, we know if we completed each in normal working hours or on weekday.


   
A profile view of our tenant based on previous gas service behaviour, can help us schedule our initial appointment with a greater chance of first time success. Targeting tenants with a previous history of only being available outside normal working hours, we can save many times the cost of a gas service, perhaps undertaken at time and a half. There is probably a case for considering flexible working patterns for gas engineers. Many might welcome this flexibility and incentives could be used to further improve productivity.

This logic driven approach will be far more effective than just starting the service cycle, two weeks earlier, in reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Insight for gas service should not be seen in isolation, other data can easily feed into this area. As tenants retire, have recorded vulnerabilities or move into work, these can all drive the targeting of that first gas service appointment. In addition, repeated no-access from a new tenant, might indicate other factors, such as a safeguarding issue, crime or potential illegal sub-letting.

     Catch the blog monthly archive at https://archive.org/details/@housingitguy

Related Post: Fooled again? Get the Procurement of new ICT solutions right will you? 

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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.


Pierre Moerlen's Gong - Time Is The Key.
(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, #Shout,1st Touch,3squared,Accuserv,Acutence,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,AirWatch,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos,Asprey e-state pro,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, HRA,housingtITguy,Housing Support Pro,HousingSupportPro,Housing Options,Hometeam, Housing Group,hotpixuk, HousingIT,hotpix,Hardware,Hitex,Housing Contact Company,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, PM,Progress,Promaster,Proval,Pyramid,PRINCE2,prince,Pamwin,PlanForm, Propoints, Pro-Points 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, 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 rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic Asset Management,Sunguard ,Surveys,Sx3,System alignment,Symatrix Human Capital Management, TonySmithHousing, Systemwise,SM,Sequoa,Serros,SP,Scout,score,Swordfish,Serengeti,SOTI,southview,Sunguard,Service Charges,Spotlight Service, Spotlightservice, SunAccounts, Template,Task,Terminal Services, tonys , tonysm , tonysmi , tonysmith, tonysmitht, gotonysmith, tableau Business Dashboards, tonysmithth, tonysmiththa, tonysmiththat, tonysmiththath, tonysmiththatho, tonysmiththathou, tonysmiththathous, tonysmiththathousi, tonysmiththathousin, tonysmiththathousing,Tony Smith That,Tony Smith That Housing IT Guy,TonySmith that housing IT, guy,tonysmiththathousing, tonysmiththathousinguy,tony smith housing guy,sharepoint, share point, SHBVN, Three Star,Today,Total repairs,Tribal,Twitter,U2, tonysmith , tonysmiththat , thathousing , thathousingIT , thathousingITguy, TED,Tagish Casework,TP Tracker,Telecetera,Tagra,Trace, Totalmobile, Total Mobile, UniClass Enterprise,Unidata,Universal Housing,Universalcredit, universal credit, universal credits,UC,Universe,Unrest, UK, United Kingdom ,Ukhousing,UK Housing, 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I am the greatest

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK
or LinkedIn here uk.linkedin.com/pub/tony-smith-bsc-hons-acih/a/979/351/
 
Is your IT team ‘the greatest’ and do you give maximum satisfaction for expenditure per user? What price satisfaction then?

These are some of the things that the annual ‘HouseMark Information, Technology and Communication Benchmarking’ report aims to find out, by taking into account 144 housing organisations.

A little slimmer than previous years, the report suggests that RSL’s spend between £4K-6K on each ICT user, where LSVT’s appeared to mostly spend less. Notoriously, I have always wondered how accurate figures were, as I knew of organisations that deliberately submitted lower costs and others submitted very accurate figures and not surprisingly appeared in the lower quartile (higher cost section) of results.

One surprising conclusion is that costs did not seem to correlate to perceived satisfaction. Spending more on ITC does not appear to guarantee a better user experience or a more reliable system. I am unsure if many finance directors and managers will appreciate that outcome, as general up-time appears to be between 97-100%.

It would have been very useful to compare ICT costs across the six main housing management systems. This is not possible in this year’s report, but might well reflect where they have been used to create staff efficiencies.

A question I have been asked many times over the years, is “How many ICT staff do you think we should have?”. I am pleased to say that my usual finger in the air guess of one FTE (Full Time equivalent) post per 1,000 homes, is still a pretty good baseline. How does that compare for your team? IT staff remain stubbornly expensive at an average of over £41K, with ITC salaries in Yorkshire over £4K higher than in the North West of England. Maybe gods own county is not so frugal after all. 

Consolidation is often thought to reduce IT costs, this report suggests that smaller (perfectly formed) RSLs of under 5,000 homes appeared to perform better and cheaper on average. Of course the provision of many remote offices can push up costs.

Another interesting fact is that having a DLO appears to reduce ICT average costs, as well as saving your organisation 20% on your VATtable repairs.

The report highlights the current  ‘Digital by Default’ agenda as a driver for more web based resident portals and a drive to self service. From what I have seen recently, the drive to move Universal Credit and other current benefits online, is assisting take up of this type of channel shifting. As can be imagined, this reduces the cost of an enquiry or transaction from around £10, down to a mere fraction of that, providing enough customers move to use web portals.

It’s my view that tenants and customers still need a number of reasons to go to the HMS portals provided. This might well point to better integration with social media, local twitter feeds/Facebook/Google+ pages etc, to entice people in. Discount/reward schemes may also be a way to bring people in. A few RSLs to my knowledge have used social media very well in emergency situations, extreme weather, crime, lost children etc.

To help get residents on-line, a trend was identified to move old hardware into schemes that had exceeded its 3 year depreciation as a business tool. Thus the green box can be ticked and costs of disposal deferred or avoided. If your organisation is going down this route, do not overlook support provision, or that this older gear will be more prone to breakdown.

Download the full report for bedtime reading at: http://www.housemark.co.uk/hmresour.nsf/lookup/HM_ITC_BM_rpt_2013.pdf/$File/HM_ITC_BM_rpt_2013.pdf

You can link with me on LinkedIn here - uk.linkedin.com/pub/tony-smith-bsc-hons-acih/a/979/351/ It would be great to connect !

A House - I Am The greatest.


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

PS As usual, 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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