The Conference Season

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

Well, summer is barely gone and the autumn housing IT conference ramps up. There is a good reason why system suppliers enjoy this timing, it gives ICT System Managers good time to squeeze all those super products into next April’s budgets. You may call me cynical, but that's a fact. With that aside, Autumn 2014 looks to be a great period to learn more about what's out there and what your system supplier has put in the latest upgrade.

Orchard, Capita and DRS housing conferences pop up shortly and then this years 'Federation’s IT in Housing Conference and Exhibition 2014' event, becomes a two location affair this year. Although surely that one will cost suppliers double to do both, it will certainly reach more RSLs in the North.

So, how to get the most from your suppliers conference, beyond the almost obligatory free bar? If you are lucky enough to for your supplier using a venue like Alton Towers (you know who you are), ensure you ask for a rides ticket.

Choose some interesting sessions, on areas you may get more from with your existing system. Sessions run by other customers or outside consultants are often the most useful. Expect sessions to be positive though. No supplier would organise a car crash in a session intentionally, so if the subject matter did interest you, do as I do and chat to the presenters after the session, to gauge a more balanced opinion. Suppliers have good stories to tell, but you may well be implementing it in a different situation to others.

Talking of others, conferences are great places for making links with your peers, neighbours and other users of your package. This can be invaluable in sharing insight and knowledge. I have also seen old users of mine at MIS-AMS use contacts to gang up, to push the priorities of new features or module fixes, as a group. You might find that useful to consider. Most suppliers are happy to take feedback on board like that, to push products forward.

I find supplier user conferences invaluable too. Being truly independent, I find all switched on suppliers are pleased to make me aware of their new biggest and best developments. It certainly helps inform me when working with the variety of system applications I work with on a regular basis. It’s obvious that some leading suppliers are developing their systems very rapidly and from their user conferences, seem to be fulfilling delivery promises and expectations.

The National Housing Federation’s IT in Housing Conference and Exhibition 2014 bash also comes with a free drinks event, although this has become more subdued in recent years. Hopefully Documotive will sponsor that again this time. The sheer choice of suppliers you can see at London Olympia and this year at Manchester Central, is a big draw for me. In the last few years I have taken customers wanting to procure around similar suppliers, to make structured soft market assessments. If you are looking to try something similar this year, please be in touch.
Last year’s conference seemed much more focussed on RSL IT experiences and less on supplier pitches, which I believe is the way to go. Satisfied customers often sell solutions better than suppliers sometimes sell software. I am sure you would agree. As again, don’t be afraid to engage speakers after the session if feasible.

If you are booked into the conference circuit this autumn, do let me know. It would be great to share some war stories and a coffee or a beer in the (free) bar(!).

Related Post - Learn To Fly, the Housing Technology Conference

Here are the most important / relevant ones:

Capita's Everything To Everyone 2014 - http://www.capita-softwareandmanagedservices.co.uk/news/Pages/housingconference14.aspx
DigitalFirst at Salford Quays 29th September
Housing Technology SMAC Your IT up at the BT Tower, London, 3rd October - http://www.housing-technology.com/events/smac/  
Orchard Customer Conference 2014 - https://www.orchard-systems.co.uk/news/94b73d32-d118-42ed-9325-b170a7ee3b1f and My experience there
Optitime / Kirona DRS Conference - Chester -4,5th November - http://xmbraceusergroup.org/upcoming-events/next-user-group-meeting/
The Federation’s IT in Housing Conference and Exhibition 2014 - London Olympia and Manchester http://it.housing.org.uk/

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

Nitin Sawhney – The Conference.
(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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Olympian

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/

Are you going to any of the London based housing events next week? (19th/20th November 2013).

You can find me at Olympia for the NHF IT Managers conference and exhibition on Tuesday. Please come and say hello if you follow this blog or my twitter feed at @hotpixUK

Prices look to be much more reasonable this year and rightly so, in the current climate of austerity. Worth getting out of the office for, plenty of interesting sessions and the exhibition of IT suppliers, looking to help spend your IT & systems budget too!

I will be going to Mr Grants excellent HT (Housing Technology) Magazine annual bash at Pizza Express too, so do say hello if you spot me by the bar with a beer!

The day after, Wednesday it is Homes at Excel on the east of town, which is also looking like a good event this year.

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 !

Gene - Olympian .


(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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This Is A Low

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK


In an informal chat today with an insider close to the Northern Consortium, I heard a whisper today that possibly Cardiff and Birmingham (Aston Villa) HITEX housing IT solution events may need to be cancelled. This is due to poor supplier and housing IT department and management take up.


Looking at the list of suppliers signed up this year there were some prominent figures missing from the list. I did not spot the two most popular HMS system suppliers Orchard and Aareon as well as Northgate. Maybe holding out for a cheaper deal nearer the events. Everyone appears to be tightening belts, looking for bargains and delaying decisions where they can be.


I have had great experience of HITEX in the past, found new customers there, taken prospects to the right solutions and enjoyed some lovely buffets. The mini-shepherds pies and the Thai kebabs were my especial faves. Even though it’s free for up to 10 IT and systems staff from housing to attend, there appears to be limited takers this year. Even a few hours out of the office seemingly becoming difficult in these strapped times.


The NHF IT IT in Housing Conference and Exhibition at Olympia is also coming up soon in November 20th / 21st. possibly people are waiting for that one instead. It’s certainly one where there is more prospect of your supplier taking you for a free meal out, if that’s your thing. The conference exhibition is generally free to attend, register here - http://www.eventdata.co.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=ITHB2Visitor


The emphasis most places I go is on squeezing more from existing systems and that includes your existing suppliers. Start trimming out things you pay for and don’t use. A few weeks ago I identified savings of £3.5K per annum just by taking some printers off annual maintenance. A lot of these things are historic. A decent printer used to cost over a grand, now it’s plummeted to just a fraction of that. You might need help in identifying some of the bloat, but a lot can be worked out yourself with some digging. Also don’t forget those modules you paid for and never implemented. Also the ones you used to use and now don’t. I have found similar savings there, moving to cheaper read-only licences, ditching them altogether or moving it all to Access or SQL Server.

**** Quick update : 26th October 2012, Aston Villa Birmingham and Cardiff HiTex venues dropped.

Read on to: Some Exhibitions That Are Thriving

How low can it go?.


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

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