Housing Associations play a vital role in our society by providing safe, high-quality housing for communities. In Britain, there is an estimated shortage of approximately 4.3 million homes.
Every year, Housing Associations make significant contributions to address this housing crisis. They invest millions of pounds in constructing new homes, fostering the development of vibrant communities, and providing families and individuals with a place they can call home.
However, the challenges faced by housing associations are neither trivial nor cheap to manage. With increasing regulation and rising borrowing costs due to inflation, housing associations are confronted with higher expenses and complexities.
So, what are the top three areas where technology can help Housing Associations?
Digital Transformation:
- Housing Associations strive to embrace new ways of operating, gain proactive understanding of their property assets, and better listen to tenant needs while improving internal efficiency through the use of technology. Digital transformation projects should typically include:
- Integrable solutions between internal and external working parties to benefit tenants and comply with regulations, such as using local tradespersons for repairs and maintenance.
- Leveraging Internet of Things solutions to gain insights into the condition of existing properties and integrating tenant services information to make informed decisions regarding tenants and properties.
- Reducing paperwork and data entry overhead for community-based workers and residents by implementing application integration, robotic process automation, and more streamlined workflow systems.
Data Analytics and Business Intelligence:
- Housing Associations aim to align their decision-making with customer (tenant) needs while considering the impact on internal operations. Identifying opportunities to enhance service and efficiency is crucial. Intelligent data systems and business intelligence play a vital role in this pursuit. To leverage the benefits, Housing Associations should focus on:
- Understanding their systems and data comprehensively by establishing a robust data taxonomy and dictionary standard to ensure consistent data analysis across different systems.
- Implementing a powerful central data solution that effectively ingests, processes, and displays insights to the appropriate users at the right time. This central solution becomes the hub for data-driven decision-making.
- Ensuring aligned systems and working practices to maintain data quality and collect the right information from the right people at the right time in the workflow.
Collaboration and Communication Tools:
- Effective communication and collaboration are essential for Housing Associations to provide exceptional customer service, adopt new working practices with partners, and remotely engage with residents and tenants. Housing Associations should focus on the following:
- Internal and Partner working: Establishing reliable and clear communication channels for sharing plans, documents, and information across third parties, especially when involving contractors for buildings, repairs, and maintenance. Implementing an organisation-wide collaboration platform that works across multiple devices is critical to the smooth operation of Housing Associations.
- Engaging with Residents: Utilising video conferencing platforms to connect directly with the community, gather feedback, address concerns, and conduct virtual meetings, town hall sessions, and webinars. These platforms create an inclusive and accessible environment for open dialogue, strengthening relationships and fostering a sense of belonging within the housing community.
- Centralised Communication Channels: Implementing centralised communication channels, such as resident portals or mobile apps, to provide residents with a seamless and convenient way to interact with Housing Associations. These channels enable residents to access important information, submit maintenance requests, and receive real-time updates. By offering user-friendly interfaces and efficient communication channels, Housing Associations can enhance resident engagement and satisfaction.
We all recognize the crucial role that Housing Associations play in addressing the ongoing housing crisis, providing safe and quality housing for communities, and supporting the well-being of vulnerable individuals. However, managing and delivering these services in a complex and cost-effective manner requires the adoption of innovative technologies and the internal skillset to implement these projects.
While it is often suggested to bring in external consultants to deliver Digital Transformation projects, this approach presents its own challenges. It can be expensive and time-consuming, and once the consultant leaves, their knowledge typically departs with them, resulting in a restart for every new project. This approach is not sustainable.
CoPerceptuo has been developed specifically to address some of these challenges within the Housing Sector. With several representatives from various Housing Associations involved in the user testing and content creation process, we are committed to developing a platform that provides all Housing Associations with clear access, visibility, and insights into the data they need to make informed decisions, along with the necessary support to implement change in a cost-effective manner.