Speed Racer

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

I have spent long enough in ICT to have been involved with development, witnessed sales promises with good and less good delivery. Getting it wrong can be down to a lot of possible factors, which most of us have historically experienced.

These include over-ambitious sales, lack of good specification definition, poor overall understanding and setting of expectations, incorrect estimates of effort required from the development teams, or perhaps sloppy communications across staff or remote development teams. This last one is very interesting and can also be cultural too, particularly where software development is offshored. While teams often share a common language (English and technical programming languages and technologies), culturally often they could be far from similar.

Offshoring can work very well although often good managers need to be embedded, or local attitudes need taking into account. For example while Vietnamese developers are quite blunt and black & white at times in attitude, Indian based staff can be too optimistic and positive, often ‘to save face’. I’m a massive fan of the sub-continent, but often experienced the same in its four corners when traveling extensively there. These misunderstandings no doubt affect deadlines and lead to incorrect, somewhat de-scoped or lightweight solutions being finally delivered.

Over the last 2-3 years increasingly we hear our suppliers telling us they are utilising agile methodologies and sprints, as this should be a possible thing. If we are trying to catch a train or bus and running late, we ‘sprint’. How could we not think that a methodology like this could not get us our upgrades, enhancements, patches or bug fixes much faster?

Of course, when we ‘sprint’, now and again we drop our umbrella or leave something behind, occasionally making us regret that we rushed at all. Equally, how often were you promised that your supplier was  tackling your change in the ‘next sprint’ and you find a month later, after gearing up your project accordingly, that, “Oh sorry it missed that sprint”!

The whole methodology of sprints even brings its own terminology for failure. In one meeting I attended, a development manager stated that 40% of the next sprint was being used to address known “technical debt”. A hapless housing finance manager asked if this would be adding more features around technical rent arrears. I had the unfortunate task to explain the developers were just spending 40% of their resource on what they failed to finish in the last few sprints. Fixation with short & soon deadlines, does lead to various failures as often  “we didn’t have enough time”.

Only a few things can practically be done if heading for the end of sprint deadline. Cut corners including features and quality. Force or coerce staff into working (more) overtime. Cut out other activities, such as mentoring or training. So not brilliant for staff (or customers further down the line).

While Kanban dispenses with the time boxed concept of ‘The Sprint’, we will clearly still be hearing much of it for some time ahead. As one client of mine remarked the other week, “failure of the sprint”, is the latest excuse they always heard these days, as whatever they were relying on, was never delivered on time. Clearly, better setting of expectations by management & sales/account management would do much to improve customer service in many areas.

If there is one principle I have taken on board over the years, its to always try to under promise, then over deliver. That’s what people actually remember.

Have you been the wrong end of a supplier sprint and had to explain to your management why your system improvements & transformation will be another three months or more away? You have my commiserations!

Subscribe to our blog here on this link, to always catch the latest news on whats happening in the sector.

Acutance Consulting would be happy to help you review systems options, 

please just get in touch, for a chat over a Hobnob & a brew ☕😋

       Related Post: How reliant are some software organisations on key directors or founders?

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.

Devo – Speed Racer.
(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 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. . . . . . . . . . . . - | ES | DE | FR | UK |

The Kids Are Alright

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


If the scientists are to be believed, in the current Corona Virus / Covid-19, the kids will be alright, its just us of working (and retiring) age, who have to be concerned.

To follow the press, we could be heading into a mass human extinction event (possibly of the climate change deniers🤔).

Every client I am working with currently seems to be having meetings, dusting off the ‘Business Continuity Plans’ and trying to plan for a bit of an uncertain six months or so. Some are doing real-time, real-life simulations of working securely from home. Many are definitely filling offices with max strength hand sanitizers and not filling them with lots of strange visitors.

On this blog I have written a few times over the years about how flexible working from home and away from the office, these days is mainstream, not the exception. The days of managers assessing success of staff dealing with workload, by the assurance of seeing their bums on seats through core or working hours, are surely now over.

In the last week or so in the UK, many have discovered the following three things to be true:

• The job you were told couldn’t be done remotely, often can
• Many disabled workers could have been doing more working from home and many always could have
• Decent speed internet access, is not a luxury, it’s an essential utility

One view from JHB, recalling
her lazy typing pool days

Laggards, directors, managers who have deliberately dragged their feet about giving staff flexible tech and building a culture around flexible and agile working, are now starting to feel the pinch.

I understand the security concerns, many of which have in the past (quite rightly in some situations), have been cited as ‘why it cannot be done here’. In truth though, the technology exists and is not quite as expensive as it once was, to provide secure two factor authentication, ability for staff to use their own tablets etc, securely with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. Telephony allows way more flexibility than in the past, facetime, Skype, teleconferencing is enabled by pretty much all our everyday tablets and smartphones. Barriers if they persist, still often are in the minds of managers.

Of course, most of our staff having to work from home, might well for a few months at least, have to become ‘the new normal’. Culturally, work needs to be done with people on this aspect. Teams do need to get together as a group from time to time, its healthy, as I have seen working with software houses that generally have staff from all over the nation, on projects. This will be a challenge and interesting to see, what else my suffer from lack of regular ‘in person’ meet-ups.

Of course we should expect that infrastructure that usually only sees, 20-50 remote workers, now encountering 150 - 400, might well stretch ICT resources & capacity. ICT staff clearly will feel the pressure and from what I see, will come through it well, as they are true professionals. Staff/users will need to get used to the odd glitch/outage, client-server applications dropping out in a worse manner perhaps than a browser based solution and maybe some slower response times. Not that the latter is a perfect place to be either. A lack of connectivity is just that, whatever type of applications are in use. The latter certainly generally recover better, that's very true. How many kids in your street streaming films in HD might be a bigger factor on the speed side. 

If managers will struggle assessing how diligent and busy staff are when working remotely, you have to question if they can manage to do it when the bums are on seats, in the office. How is throughput and success with workload monitored and measured now? I don’t mean that to sound unnecessarily harsh, employees are not machines, I don’t mean to imply that, but they are employed (mainly) to complete essential tasks. How many organisations implement workflow and allow certain teams or staff members to just ignore it. Who in your team has a digital work tray and when you click to open, it extends like a toddlers nappy?

No need to panic, politicians have now got The Professionals in

We can trust most staff to work remotely and be conscientious and efficient, if there are some that we can’t, we should have helped or dealt with them already, when they were in the wrong roles or had mis-matched skills for the job.

Remote, mobile and agile working will not save the economy from the inevitable downturn and tough times ahead, but it will soften the blow. If your organisation hasn’t embraced it yet, this is the best time ever, to get on the bus.


Related Post: Is it time to bring on the mobiles (BYOD)?
 

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.

The Who - The Kids Are Alright.
(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, ...
. . . . . . . . . . .

South View Side

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

It was announced to customers this week, after I had heard a few whispers on the housing IT jungle drums, that South View Solutions (SVS) has been bought out by Castleton Technologies. It will sit within the 365 Agile family of products, with the previous Documotive mobile and IoT outfit Wireless Things.

In doing so, that nets another few dozen customers into the group, including a good deal of Orchard ones. SVS was for a long time, possibly the default mobile offering for many Orchard Customers. As customers will perhaps be aware, Orchard are developing their own mobile solutions, which sound like they are coming on apace.

This now brings Castleton an estimated 80 housing customers and I am sure other serious players, such as Kirona & 1stTouch, are watching developments intently. It will be interesting if Castleton will merge mobile products and if SouthView housing clients will be offered sweet deals to upgrade in the short to medium future. Watch this space!

With Castleton currently short of a housing management system, for their expanding portfolio, with the acquisition of SVS, it would be strange if they had not looked into this option. With good integration already into its new acquired mobile, a large customer base, I would think that might be a very attractive option.

More on SVS joining Castleton on this link, comments from Alan Swift and Jonathan Hollyhead
http://www.365agile.com/2015/07/26/365-agile-acquires-south-view-solutions/

If you have any juicy housing ICT gossip, on this or any other evolving stories, as usual please be in touch!

Related Post: Does God love a geek? Can we be too techie and the geekin us gets in the way?

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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.


Moby - South 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: 360,1stTouch,4Js. , 07854655009 , ," """" ",,#UKHousing,#HousingDAY, #HomesForBritain, #Shout,1st Touch,3squared,Accuserv,Acutence,Aareon,Academy,ActiveH,Alignment,ALMO,Anite,Apex,ArchHouse,Archouse,asbestos,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Aurora,Average IT Costs,App,Associates,ACL,Abritas,AMS,AX,aspireview, 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, 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 ,Fusion, Getting best from,gotonysmith, Grasp,Grip,GeoSolveIT,GIS,GGP, HouSys,Housing software,HG,Housemark survey,Housing Blueprint,Housemark, HRA, Housing Options, Housing Group,hotpixuk, HousingIT,hotpix,Hardware,Hitex,Housing Contact Company, Impact Response,implementations,In House,In4,InMotion, InMotion2014, InMotion2015, InMotion2016 , Exhibition, conference, Infoflow,Information Technology,Informix,inHouse,in-house workforce, Innovation,Inside Housing,Internet Portal,Internetalia, Invu,Ireland,Irish,Inphase , IT Budget,IT Training,iWorld, Innovation Group Apex,ITIL, In4Systems Promaster,IT,Insight, Keylogic,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,Keyfax, Ledgers,Linkedin,Locality,Liquid Voice, MD ,Mr Void , MrVoid, Measuring Change,Mebus,Miracle,MISCS, mobile functionality,Monopoly board images and pictures, Montal,MS Dynamics,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Miracle Software,Management Reporting,MI,M3,MIS,MIS-AMS,Mobysoft, Northgate Codeman,Neighbourhoods and Communities, Northgate,Notice,NROSH,NINTEX , NINTEX workflow,Nintexworkflow, OA,OGC Buying Solutions,Ohms,OJEU Limits,OmFax,Omniledger,Open source software,open tender,OpenHousing,Opti-Time,Oracle,Orchard,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, Registered Providers,Registered Social Landlord,Rent Increase Freezes,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,ROCC , Rocket,RPs,RSL,Reality,ReAct,reidmark,RM865, Saffron,SAP,Scots, Scottish,Scenario, Scotland,SDM,sector,TonySmithHou,Server Virtualisation,servicing, Servitor,Sharepoint,Simdel,Simdell,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, 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, tonysmiththathousingg, tonysmiththathousinguy, sharepoint, share point 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, Van Stock,Voice and data,Vantage Sentinel,Version One,Visualmetrics,Voluntas, Wales,Welsh,Windows Server,Workflow and tasking,Wheatley, Xmbrace,XML ,XenApp,Xen App .

Aero Dynamik

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

 
There was a time when Dynamics CRM was an interesting option for social housing front of house & customer service use, but it was far too 'fiddly'. In that Microsoft style, it was built by techies, for techies. Like Sharepoint, which has come from more of a techie toolkit in version 3.0, is now a rich functional environment, suitable for real world applications.

Last year I chaired a lively discussion at the InMotion event in Warwickshire entitled "Best of Breed OR Single Supplier, what's best for the customer journey?". I had two of the most interesting Welsh chaps in housing ICT with me, Mark Howells of Sanctuary Group and Owen Barret of Newport City Homes. The former as well known was taking the SAP route, Owen the Microsoft Dynamics CRM path. Both had spurned the traditional integrated housing systems that everyone likes so very much to carp on about.

Conventional wisdom has it that an integrated HMS must be best, as it more closely supports the key functions of a social landlord, using a module that supports that CRM function. Certainly that was the case about five years ago, when your options were probably Lagan, Salesforce or one if the more home-grown solutions that presented a ready built 'product'. Even with these, the preponderance of 'Syncronisation errors & issues' can make the experience painful, even where these come from the same source, as some or all of the HMS modules. Of particular challenge is the Almo or local authority stock, where compromises will be needed, as housing is only 30% or so, of the total query set. A housing only CRM, won't ever cut it with potholes, planning queries and other stuff mashed in.

Fast forward to 2015 and housing providers are moving to Microsoft Dynamics based vendors like Documotive and Goldcrest, to usurp some of the usual suspects. This is a more reliable proposition. Possibly the usual suppliers are not  providing best value anymore, or not providing flexibility to support needs of social housing organisations. Large organisations need CRM modules to support different types of customer these days, including complex initiatives and innovations, such as growth in care and support, support to help with skills around worklessness, adding social value in other ways etc.

This move seems to be putting nails in the coffin for some of the usual HMS suppliers, used to a captive audience with their limited/expensive, sometimes seat based licensed CRM modules etc. One good example is Bromford Group, who have recently procured CRM and Agile mobile from Documotive, part of growing supplier Castleton Technology Group. Bromford are due to go live late spring, early summer, to better support its vast customer base. Read more about it here http://www.documotive.co.uk/news/2014/12/bromford-selects-documotive-crm-agile-working/
Bromford are well respected and I can see others taking note in the sector. 

Our housing system suppliers need to be more innovative, provide the budget to develop and evolve faster, without so many bugs and excuses holding customers back.

Other sure-footed suppliers are delivering this innovation, with fast, proven products, including flexible mobile, already available off the shelf. Unless some HMS (Housing Management System) software suppliers wake up, improve and smell the coffee soon, they will increasingly become an irrelevance, particularly for RSL Groups over 15,000 homes. We will see more RSL's going to tender for substantially better outcomes, rather than carrying on, with more of the same with the previous incumbents.

Related Post: How agile are we in this sector?

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You can link with me on LinkedIn here - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy It would be great to connect !

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

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We are so (fr)Agile

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

It's one of those buzz-words of the moment, is it not. Agile. There's even a mobile solution being touted with that name. You know who I mean, 'Agile Software Development'. But what's the crack, what's it all really about? In a purest respect, it is about how the software is designed/built, rather than if it is flexible in its deployment. 'Agile' is a great word to have in a sales pitch, as 80% of the audience will interpret it differently. Much like affordable (or 'Affordable' as I would term it). 

From a development viewpoint, it goes back to what my old BSc Applied Computing (Hons) lecturer, Ian Beeson (a super chap), would have called 'user involvement and prototyping'. Even then it was an iterative, flexible, holistic product development strategy where a development team works as a unit to reach a common goal. now, I don't know where you ended up Ian, but you were a good egg, ahead of the curve. last I heard, you were down in Bristol/Bath. If you ever read this, whiz me over a LinkedIn invite will you?

Just to set the scene, here are all the (sometimes challenging) Agile principles

•     Customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of useful software
•     Welcome changing requirements, even late in development
•     Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months)
•     Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers
•     Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted
•     Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (co-location)
•     Working software is the principal measure of progress
•     Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace
•     Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
•     Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential
•     Self-organizing teams
•     Regular adaptation to changing circumstances

Still, back to Agile. it's really about putting your thoughts and designs, under your users (sometimes powdered) noses (Ann, you know who you are...), frequently, to test what you are doing is correct. Getting inside the mind of Ken Schwaber, Communication is the thing. As anyone who has worked with so called IT people, mostly it's fair to say, they are not often the most extrovert animals. It takes a particular IT person to be able to communicate well with your users/customers. In my opinion they are the most valuable IT people.

However, there are some tools that help in this respect and make this an easier path to travel. Wire frame tools are a wonderfully simple method of communicating designs, mock-ups, processes and concepts to your audience. When working with one of the top 5 housing system suppliers, to help design a key module for a true web browser based system last year, I was astounded how well wire-framing communicated concepts telescoped the process to just 8 weeks for me. Balsamiq http://balsamiq.com/products/mockups/ was the one I used, although other wire framing applications are available.

My contract with that customer forbids me from sharing any of my designs with you, (you need to upgrade UH users to see those), but I can share this example. You all know I don't often name names here.

Only this week, I was in a conversation with a new housing group, to be formed from two fine large traditional HA's, looking at another wire-framing application, to help them with prototyping new applications and processes. In my experience, there will be plenty to evaluate and merge. My opinion was "go for it". It's a great way to communicate and validate your requirements.

How often have you had a process with 40 steps, that on discussion, rather than reducing, has expanded to 90 steps. Also with different experts, stakeholders or external consultants being involved, the wheel gets re-invented a number of times. with wire-framing, we have flexible representations that can be re-used and easily adjusted.

Read on to : Learn To Fly

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You can link with me on LinkedIn here - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy It would be great to connect !

Gary Numan - We are so fragile.
(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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