Seconds Too Late

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

Back at the start of this century, interfaces were always a continual bugbear. I’ve written many times about integration issues and suppliers. Closed solutions are not helpful, although ones way too open can bring a different type of hazard, such as increased cyber-attack risk.

These days I see more organisations trying to put more eggs in one basket, if that’s practical. That might mean trying to use more of a traditional HMS’s (already integrated) modules or keeping everything within the umbrella of a CRM/product stack, such as MS D365 or F&O etc. This should reduce issues and allow a more joined up approach. Its 2024, we shouldn’t be manually re-keying information or unduly feeding and watering interfaces on a hair-trigger each morning.

Some interfaces cannot be avoided however, such as when using partnering repairs contractors etc. Some of the ways that these interfaces let us down is through poor data. Examples I see are Repair Works Orders completed before they were issued, invalid data-types presented, reasons for cancellation or lateness not supplied, where mandatory for the main system.

Inevitably, some slight attention may be needed each morning, if hundreds of orders are being updated daily, with interfaced solutions, just down to the complex nature of repair scenarios. One scenario I have encountered before is where two server date/times are slightly out or not completely synchronised exactly with time on mobile devices. Thus a few seconds can make the difference between on-time and what looks like a completion in the future (or before something is issued).

One recent interfacing issue I have come across with one Contractor system on an interface, is a problem with calculating if priority KPIs have been achieved or not. ‘The Regulator’ defines a 24 hour or 7 day priority target as exactly that. If a resident logs a repair at 10:11 on Tuesday, anything completed until after 10:11 Wednesday is within target. Similar for a 7 day (urgent) or 28 day (routine) repair priority.

Unfortunately this interface just works on providing a mandatory late reason if completion is after the next day. So, a contractor would have until 23:59 (& 59 secs) to be able to report a job being completed within target. The regulator would not agree however, nor does the HMS raising the client repair. The latter rejects anything properly late that does not have a (late) reason supplied, so as you can imagine, a lot of updates do not update smoothly. Imagine my surprise when I was told its been like this for a long time.

A sad blast from the past

Now I remember even the very earliest calculators when I was at school could manage subtraction, as well as the novelty of making words too. Premature boys were big fans of these, you might recall. So you would expect the top level processors, servers and databases of today could easily manage this feat too & much more. The DateDiff() SQL Server function would be my go-to thing to use in the failing calculation above, although you could always go old-skool longhand.

Now this has been logged on a slow-moving helpdesk for a few weeks already and I have reigned in my sarcasm and not yet pointed anyone to search Google for DateDiff() – well I don’t want to be outed as an IT Geek! It will be funny if this comes back as a chargeable fix to just make software work properly. However, that will add fuel to the fire of the DIY brigade and the folk keen to use D365 to squeeze out the traditional (failing, entrenched?) suppliers. I can see them saying it now, “See Tony, these suppliers can’t be trusted !”. In this instance, I would probably be inclined to agree with them too!

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Acutance Consulting would be happy to help you untangle your interfaces, 

please just get in touch, for a chat over a macaroon & a mug of chai ☕😋

       Related Post: The world of DLO scheduling has changed, checkout some of the new options out there..

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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.

Cabaret Voltaire – Seconds Too Late.
(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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Drip, Drip, Drip…

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

Damp and mould, should become the next strict incarnation of holding housing CEOs to account, like we do in the UK over violations of LGSRs, annual gas servicing – Unlimited fines and prison sentences ?

Based on the level of interaction I have from a lot of my Twitter/X followers who are residents & tenants, a lot of those would be fully behind that type of move. For sure there are quite a few repeat offenders out there that have made for great BBC & Channel4 investigations. Looking in, it looks like quite a mess.

Based on clients I have been working with over the last 18 months, looking out from within, a lot is being done to identify, manage, communicate and improve damp and mould issues. Residents I engage with often would cite their own landlords & RSLs/RPs etc as seemingly doing very little when I mention this. Maybe I have a more optimistic glass half full view on this, as clients working with me are always looking to improve their service and systems, generally putting quality of solutions above raw cost to do things better.

‘Buy cheap, buy twice’ as is often said. Tackling damp and mould needs a focussed approach and I believe cannot be done on the cheap. However, done right it improves health and home conditions of residents and longer term protects landlord assets. Benefits for all then if done right!

So what am I seeing ‘Done Right’ looking right then? Well I am currently working with a mixture of providers, some lucky enough to be developing too. Good modern construction can provide good benefits around water tightness as well as applying improvements in modern building M&E systems for efficient ventilation while retaining much of the heat that might be traditionally lost.

This is a crucial point as the move from the 1980s to the 2000s, use of central heating, double glazing planned works etc with limited ventilation provision, has created some of the challenges residents in some historic building architypes face now, many of which were less of an issue originally. Also, in a transition to a warming planet our storms are getting wetter, heavier and windier. Thus meaning that more attention is needed on preventative maintenance of gutters, roofs and rainwater goods than we ever needed previously.

So what do good systems and processes look like in a proactive landlord, with modern integrated housing solutions ?

Well start with an efficient CRM or self-service means of logging all resident interactions about damp, mould, leaks etc. Any that become responsive repairs should start with a dedicated void inspection and checklist, including captured images. A dedicated mobile form to capture details directly and automatically tag/file against calls/property/repair WOs adds efficiency. If a new repair damp issue is logged, can we easily tell if this has occurred at the same home before, over the last 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months? Any repeat issues would obviously warrant additional consideration (you might expect).   

An asset management module or third party solution that can correctly relate a residents home to its siblings or other properties in a block is exceptionally useful. IE if flat 14 logs a leak coming from above, have we data as to what number flats are actually above, or is the roof overhead? On what side of the building roof is the flat? Where warranted, this incident should also trigger a HHSRS failure until rectified. How easy it to record the need for cyclical gutter cleaning in your asset management solution and get some regular visits scheduled in? Better in your system than rows on a spreadsheet OBVs.

IOT (Internet Of Things) monitoring using remote sensing data loggers, left in homes for a period of a few weeks to a few months if necessary, can be convenient and economic. These are capable of recording temperature, humidity and calculate the dew point, typically required for faster mould growth. There is also potential also to check to see if any of the data from a home is most likely due to fuel poverty etc. Adding single Room Heat Recovery units (SRHRU’s) which have evolved to be quite small and low wattage, can be really useful in historic properties. Stale air is extracted while holding around 70% to 80% of the heat. Keeping humidity below about 60% is sufficient to restrict development of mould colonies.

Good case management (from the likes of a dedicated module, D365 or Salesforce CRM etc) is an essential means of setting up a complete template process. Functions available in other case management processes, such as disrepair, ASB, complaints/complements etc are right for use here. IE automation for communication, capturing details, meetings, interventions, logical and concise timeline, outcome satisfaction surveys, lessons learned etc.

Increasingly I have worked with landlords trying hard to leverage the systems they have and also helping to better acquire additional functionality to improve or fill in the gaps. It all helps and is especially important through these winter months, when increased rainfall and cold conditions create additional stresses.

I hope there are a few useful takeaways here. Anyone out there who needs any help, just call or email. Merry Christmas and a best wishes for an exciting New Year to all 🎅🎄

Acutance Consulting would be happy to help you turbo-charge current solutions, 

please just get in touch, for a chat over a few digestives & a cup of coffee ☕😋

       Related Post: Do you use partnering contractors? - Do you let them mark their own homework

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.

Chumbawamba – Drip, Drip, Drip.
(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, TS Acutance Consulting, Tony Smith Acutance ConsultingACL,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 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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 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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,Visualmetrics,Voice,Voice and data,Voluntas, Wales,Welsh,Wheatley,Windows Server,Workflow and,Work Hub,Works Connect, XML,Xen App,XenApp,Xmbrace, Yuneo, ...
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