Do It Yourself

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Last week I was reading the July 2017 edition of Housing Technology magazine.

Interestingly it had articles that extolled the go-live virtues of HMS packaged solutions (4 supplier success stories) and also big ERP (1) at Sanctuary Housing. Strangely, on page four there was also a success story, from a 12,000 home landlord who had gone it alone, DIY just like the old days, how we used to do it.

It was very interesting to read Lawrence Gardner’s article and to hear about the journey he has taken the Wrekin on, for the last five years. I am sure it can feel quite good to have broken free from the shackles of your software suppliers and can dedicate resource to the specific issues being encountered, rather than waiting for ‘Roadmap Enhancements’ to be delivered. Lawrence did not outline what software tools, over just five years it had been developed in, with just 11.5 man years. Clearly Telford rather than Hanoi or Bangalore, is where certain key HMS software providers, should be cutting their code.

My experience of developing a rich HMS solution at my old shop, between 2004-2008, was about 26 professional developers beavering away for about 4 years. That’s 104 person years in Microsoft VB6 technology. We might assume the Wrekin have not developed this in .net. Few clues here then, for any of the UK’s 300+ RSLs/RPs, to pick over, to replicate this themselves. The Wrekin have got previous form on the product front however, if anyone remembers the Hand-e-work solution. Possibly speculating, ‘Hand-e-Housing’ may be released in the coming months. Watch this space.

However, I have had lots of chats over the years with many clients, who have wanted to consider building a HMS from scratch. They often ask, “How difficult can it be?”, “It’s just people and properties isn’t it?”. I have also had that conversation with one client who had their own in-house housing system up until about 7 years ago and after having a (mainstream HMS) package for a while, were considering building one again.

I asked, “Why did you abandon your last in-house HMS then?”. The reply was that it fell behind with needs of the housing team, regulator, returns/KPIs and was poorly documented, so vulnerable to key staff leaving/retiring too. They clearly did not have 104 person years to chuck at it either, so it would have been a pretty basic solution, at best. Understandably, a (sensible) decision was made to select another packaged HMS.

There are alternatives out there as well as DIY, MS Dynamics CRM, ERP from a number of sources, as well as the usual packaged HMS solutions. Each come with their own risks, costs and anticipated richness of functionality. That latter deliverable is perhaps easier to evaluate with a package solution, less so on a project involving much faith and trust, based on high hopes and often extravagant sales promises.

When you are using an external software supplier, at least (as some RSLs & Housing Groups) are finding, you can always dig out the contract and with some assistance, take them to/threaten a trip to court for damages. Bear in mind it would be very hard to do that with your own ICT team, if they didn’t manage such a good job of the deliverables, as the Wrekin.

Related Post: Dont leave documenting your in-house ICT solutions, it soon could be too late!  

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.

Gloria Gaynor - Do It Yourself.
(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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Working Class Hero

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



I was reading that Bromford are looking at giving all tenants a taste of being a plumber, this week. Thinking it was a story about 'modern apprentices', I read on. It was in fact about equipping customers with the skills to tackle minor repair jobs around the home. Rob Dudley (job title 'True Leader' - Shome Mishtake Shurely?), was the author and had a useful graphic to illustrate.

Amusing though this was, I am an advocate of making tenants more self-sufficient, in a positive way around repairs. I and most people in my shoes with a mortgage, make decisions on how much of a job we might tackle, and what we wont. Social housing tenants may be more inclined to just pick up the phone to a customer service centre, if the landlord is responsible for the repair or not.

Rob Dudleys training kit - that will get them plumbing...

Now Bromford are generally, or like to think they are, in front of the curve. Who knows if the Bromford Lab helped knock this killer idea out? However, I have got to say, this was occurring over ten years ago. It was interesting circumstances too, how I learned about it.

I was doing a large Housing Management System implementation back in 2005 and used to always book into a certain Best Western hotel. I always asked for my clients 'special rate', which was about £75 including excellent full, cooked breakfast. I got friendly with the lady on reception, who recognised me on booking.

One evening after a nice Dover sole, she asked me if I worked for my client. Rather sheepishly I said I worked with, rather than 'for' my client. i thought I had been rumbled. She wanted to engage me about her best friend, who lived in one of their one bed flats, down the road. I obliged naturally.

She said that her friend had virtually been talked though fixing the repair herself. She was somewhat disgusted.  I sympathised and said I could imagine what systems and processes were at work there. Having told me approximately where her friend had lived, a place I had driven past many times on the south coast, near a vineyard, she told me her landlord. Surprisingly I had to say it was someone who was a client of mine too.

Being curious, I asked her what she thought of her RSL. As readers of this blog know, I am too polite to expose the guilty etc, but she said they were really good. Repairs were done on time, for satisfaction, they were all over her, like a rash, asking how it was for her etc. brilliant customer service. Then came the rub. I asked, "Any idea what your friend pays, also what do you pay if you wish you can share that with me". I mean I did know her pretty well.

Guess what she said? My landlord charges me £89 a week, while my friend just pays £58.50, they rip me off! I then explained to her the value she received for that higher rent. It seems even in social housing, we get what we pay for (I believe most of the time). In fairness, this was probably a rent that she felt was affordable.

In this case, her friend was being turned into a plumber, which was the service level maybe you could expect to receive for that rent. I am not saying it's right, but it is a way of viewing the world. Both of these clients of mine, used the same application and scripting solution. The set up was what distinguished them.

If we are going to nudge our tenants in the direction of more practical skills, are we looking to enrich their experience, or look to save money? Maybe a bit of both? Why can't we enrich our tenants experiences if we take them down this road? Think carefully on the effect we have on customers and decide how we can support their journey, as well as our omni-channel ambitions.

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

Related Post: How do we bring different group RSL systems together? 

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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.


David Bowie - Working Class Hero.
(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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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 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