tonysmiththathousingitguy @HousingITguy

Some thoughts on IT and UK SocialHousing from a unique perspective of over 27+ years working with over 140 RSL's, Councils and social landlord groups in the UK, Ireland & Australia. (c) No reproduction without prior/express permission Available for independent housing RSL implementation, procurement of HMS, Repairs, CRM, EDM, DLO, Financial, Scheduling systems, critical friend etc. In Scotland I work with the folks at Arneil Johnston Check us out on Soundcloud /housingitguy

Saturday, 5 August 2023

Add a zero

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

I’ve worked with some of the biggest socialhousing providers in the UK & Ireland, but also with some of the smallest. For the latter how is a provider with just 34 homes for a specialist tenant audience. There are suitable systems and solutions for both and everything in between. I have fitted to all types of budgets and needs.

As I have written in this blog previously, for the most part its not that much easier for smaller providers than the very large ones. I was chatting to one of my clients the other week about being on top of FRA’s (Fire Risk Assessments), gas servicing and legionella testing in his 200 properties. It was clearly complicated and challenging with just a few full time staff.

He had a great expression, “Just add some zeros on the number of homes and its just like the bigger providers”. A lovely way to put it and it reflects the needs of smaller providers these days, once you add up the returns, statistics, new White paper and legislative requirements, required of all social landlords.

I have helped even the smallest RP’s with managing asbestos, servicing, electrical safety, capital works and heating system maintenance. It truly doesn’t get easier, and there are many ways to crack a nut. A lot of these things can be recorded in even the simplest HMS solutions out there, sometimes having to be backed up by some spreadsheets. Well designed ones OBVs!

The best solution is to record as much of the data in your HMS and ensure for all assets (properties & blocks) there is evidence of either relevant work required/components present (or not) and extract to monitor in spreadsheets. That way there is no chance of accidently deleting a few filtered rows in spreadsheets and missing servicing a few years, until the issue is discovered (or a serious incident occurs).

Assets teams are recommended in my experience to embrace shared solutions, rather than find their own siloed alternatives. The data can then be of use to as much of the organisation as possible, particularly to improve overall data quality. Always keep your data clean!

If you are struggling with getting your asset data and compliance in order, just get in touch with us.

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 macaroon & a brew ☕😋

how well linked into the Assets team are they?

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.

The Power Station - Go to zero.
(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 Genero,Civica Saffron,Clearview,Clik,Cx Assets, 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,Docuware,Dynamic AI,DynamicAI,Dynamics 365,D365,Dynamics365, 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,Fuzzlab 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,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 Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid,MoreIQ 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,QLX, QLF, QL Yuneo,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,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, ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . ES | FR | DE | IT | UK |

Thursday, 27 July 2023

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 ☕😋

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

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

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

Thursday, 6 July 2023

Keystone Cold Crazy

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

Is it so great when stuff just creeps up on you?

You know like your need to renew your driving licence or passport, when you have known about needing to do it, for ten whole years. Many of us may have been (nearly) caught out by that one. I was earlier this year, when I realised I had less than 6 months to go on my passport, before a trip to an EU country. I did managed to sort it in time however, without the deadline tripping me up.

One known about more than a decade ago deadline seems to have just tripped up many in SocialHousing. That is the popular housing applications out there, that utilised the early centuries big Microsoft trailblazing & expensive technology, Silverlight. Its late to the table response to Adobe Flash Runtime, launched 2007 and already had an end date planned by 2012.

I first blogged about its demise about 11 years ago - , not that many folk took notice. Still, nothing was to be needed to be done until 2019.

There are a few software applications out there with Silverlight, the two key ones in many housing organisations being Keystone for asset management and 1st Touch mobile. The latter issues (in the forms designer), was announced as fixed by a replacement called ‘Versaa’ - a couple of years back. That fix came with a cost however, as existing clients are aware.

The interesting one for me is the former and over the last three months have never been contacted by so many existing Keystone users. Several dozen appear to have only just woken up to the dangers of keeping it on their networks, particularly if there is web access. The risk of future vulnerabilities has meant that many ICT teams have moved their version to isolated internal servers and to near the top of their risk registers added to other known dangers, with good reason.

Keystone has been a very popular Asset Management package, which was bought up by Civica in 2014. I have over the years found it a very capable package, although rarely fully exploited or integrated well into HMS or other packages. In many cases, Asset Management can have been managed in its own organisational silo. In theory there is a replacement option from its owner, although its fair to say that organisations I have encountered are all keen to test the procurement market, including soft-testing.

While some lightweight options exist, it can be pretty expensive to replace Keystone properly and leverage considerable transformation too. Integrations as ever are trick to overcome, which can lead to looking more comprehensively at systems in use, particularly if they are knocking on a bit. No doubt about it, better transformation can be achieved with the assets area fully in the mix, together with potential significant savings. If you are a current Keystone user, it’s a thought worth popping into your cafetiere, and seeing if it comes out brown!

If you need any assistance getting to grips with life after Keystone, please reach out and have a chat on 07854-655009

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 brew ☕😋

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

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

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

Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Tuesday, 13 June 2023

Join Hands

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

Interesting this week to hear that web and portals provider Active Housing (from Hallnet), has just been acquired by Plentific, who is solidly positioning itself as a ‘Property management software firm’. I have worked on projects with Stephen Hall from the award-winning Active Housing and done the odd conference spot too on getting the best from self-service in socialhousing.

A lot of current self-service I encounter in the sector can be limiting and transactional, in some cases falling short of even being just adequate. Not a place we should be in 2023!

Hallnet with ActiveHousing do a great job in the space and I have seen them work more flexibly than many other options. Adding a web 2.0 layer on some of the more dated offerings out there brings benefits to residents and enhances customer service. Indeed, I have seen more than a few of their implementations, where I have seen tenabts converting other residents to self-service, they regarded it as so good.

From the hot off the press news release here states, Cem Savas, CEO and Co-Founder of Plentific (who now have a presence in Germany as well as the UK), describes it as :

"The acquisition of Active Housing is an exciting step forward for the company. Building on Active Housing's established presence in tenant-centric solutions and Plentific's innovation in pioneering real-time property solutions, we are poised to elevate the resident experience within our platform to unprecedented heights. By integrating Active Housing into the Plentific offering, our aim is to redefine the category of tenant experience and provide landlords and property managers with a full-service platform that continues the journey of digitalising the end-to-end experience of residential property."

With recent $100 million Series C funding in the bank, this might be a good time for Plentific to look at perhaps a HMS platform to acquire too. One of the laggard candidates struggling to migrate to SAAS/browser presentation or one of the ‘new bright young things’ products recently hoovering up small to medium sized social housing providers.

Adding that piece of the jigsaw would surely provide Plentific with a turnkey HMS, self-service hub, compliance manager and ready made partnering repairs contractor resource/solution. Nothing no other UK provider can currently offer. What an offering it might be too!

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 brew ☕😋

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

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

The Cult – Join Hands.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009

Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Friday, 2 June 2023

The Emerald

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

Compliance is in everyone's mind these days, particularly following the terrible happenings in Rochdale around damp and mould and this month being the sixth anniversary of the Grenfell disaster. For the latter still no-one has been charged or any proper closure provided for families and victims. When I have visited the site in North Kensington, its a solemn and upsetting experience. Social Housing landlords need to protect resident lives, in addition to protecting assets.

Its for that reason I will be speaking at the NIFHA conference in Limavady, Co Derry later this month, on the subject of effective compliance. As can be expected, my experience from a data and systems viewpoint will feature strongly. For compliance, start with getting your data right and everything else, reporting, audit, accountability and benefits for our residents will follow.

Details of the conference below and at https://nifha.org/events/nifha-annual-conference-wed-21st-thurs-22nd-june-2023/

Hopefully see you there OR at CIH Manchester the week after 😉

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 brew ☕😋

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

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

Thin Lizzy - The Emerald.
(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 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,Docuware,Dynamic AI,DynamicAI,Dynamics 365,D365,Dynamics365, 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,Fuzzlab 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,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 Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid,MoreIQ 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,Plentific,Plus,Portfolio Management System,PowerObjects,Pro,Pro-Points,Prodo,Progress,Promaster,Propoints,Proval,Providers,Pyramid, QL,QLX, QLF, QL Yuneo,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,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, ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . - | ES | DE | FR | UK |

Monday, 22 May 2023

The Price You Pay

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

It’s a typical conundrum, how do you do your best to keep software implementations on-time?

I was asked this the other week and (as you do) drifted into a long and varied discussion into ‘service credits’, other penalties and contract conditions. While I am not a massive advocate of reaching for your application software contract, every five minutes. However, it should be somewhere close to hand and able to be ‘playfully waved about’ when needed.

The purpose of the contract is of course to protect both parties, if executed properly. In that sense, its best partly a compromise by both. Specific penalties are useful, although they are no guarantee or pot of gold if things go wrong.

For example, I have seen clients get them selves in knots coming up with elaborate service credits, but in the big scheme of things, these often amount to maybe only a few hundred pounds in a particularly performing month. Raising a credit for under a grand is no biggie to most suppliers, that’s unlikely to change habits anytime soon.

One off penalty payments hanging over delivery or implementation can be another misnomer. On one occasion I had a client clearly unhappy with their supplier, for a number of reasons, over a number of years. Routinely, they would insist on penalties of a few grand, to guard against long delays (of which they had experienced many). I was on site one morning of a project meeting with the supplier, their account manager and a manager from the software house at director level. The client correctly pointed out in a contract where there was a £9k penalty. The project was nearly 18 months late.

Depressingly the (well known) supplier director, analysed the small print and replied, “Yes – we will pay that”. He was then looking for some look of gratitude or a ‘Thank You Mate’ I guess. Of which he didn’t get one. Nor should he either as that 18 month overrun had perhaps caused four staff to need a new temporary workaround and having lost the opportunity for some serious transformation. The £9k was barely touching the sides.

Personally, my favourite clause in contracts based on overruns is getting senior software people of director level in the meeting with you each month. Then they might see for themselves the unpleasant SMT style meeting prior to the project one, where ICT and the project manager get ritually flogged. Directors of software houses getting a taste of that pain themselves can be really helpful. Spookily enough after having their ar*e dragged in to those for a few months, that can be much more effective than raising a few credit notes.

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 brew ☕😋

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

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

Savatage - The Price You Pay.
(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 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,Docuware,Dynamic AI,DynamicAI,Dynamics 365,D365,Dynamics365, 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,Fuzzlab 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,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 Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid,MoreIQ 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,QLX, QLF, QL Yuneo,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,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, ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . - | ES | DE | FR | UK |