The data advantage
For housing providers to better serve their tenants and keep them safe, emphasis on data management and a data-centric approach is essential. Building agile environments with cutting-edge, cloud-based technology is key to delivering flawless, end-to-end tenant experiences. However, data limitations frequently affect the success rate of these implementations.
The cost of bad data management
Poor data quality and management can cause more than just annoyances for housing organisations. Housing associations rely heavily on data to monitor the safety and experience of their tenants as well as the state of their homes, with often thousands of homes to look after, HAs can suffer exponentially from poor data management.
The communication of data across different segments is just as crucial as the data itself in terms of quality. Data collected and shared across various touchpoints tell a completely different tale than a single tenant complaint about a damp issue. For example, a single complaint may indicate a larger existing property problem; if everyone has access to the appropriate data, these issues can be solved quickly.
Whether or not data is directly related to mishaps in management, one thing is for sure: effective data management can be vital in making sure that the proper people have access to the right information in order to stop situations like health-threatening damp and mould issues from occurring in the future.
Benefits of accurate data management
1. Enhancing decision-making through accurate data
Effective data management gives housing providers the opportunity to identify patterns and make informed decisions. Field service management tools can help with resource allocation and reduce waste by ensuring that the exact type of resources—whether human or non-human—are allocated efficiently. The solution also has a positive impact on operatives, saving them time through intelligent route scheduling. In turn, this improves the experience for the tenant – with accurate arrival times, tenants can plan their day without long wait times.
Real-time, easily accessible data enables strategic decision making around streamlining resource allocation, improving tenant communication, and maximising employee retention. Ultimately, this leads to improved operational efficiency and enhanced service delivery.
2. Supporting regulatory compliance and transparency
Policies such as the Social Housing Act represents a significant legislative shift in the UK, bringing substantial implications for housing providers. Aimed at improving the quality, transparency, and accountability of social housing, this Act seeks to address long-standing issues within the sector and ensure better outcomes for tenants.
While data management helps housing providers stay compliant with the law on property maintenance it also helps to achieve transparency when presenting data to the board and other stakeholders. This builds trust among investors, regulators, and the public. Accurate compliance data is also crucial for settling disputes and providing evidence for official bodies.
3. Driving policy development and social housing initiatives
Accurate information helps policy makers in adopting transparent and evidence-based policy frameworks to assess social housing demands. By using this data, government and non-profit organisations can tap into and to discover patterns, variations, and possibilities within the sector This kind of insight can be instrumental in the process of creating new policies directed at low-cost and affordable housing.
Protecting data against cyber attacks
Data leakage is a major danger to compliance for any organisation, and housing providers are no different. Leakages can result in identity theft, and are usually the result of human error, a lack of employee training, out-of-date technology, or general bad security.
Limiting the number of data sources that are accessible and making sure employees follow security guidelines and governance are two of the easiest ways to prevent data breaches. The hurdles in accomplishing this typically stem from the enormous volume of services provided by housing associations as well as the sheer volume of individuals who require access to pertinent information throughout the organisation.
In April 2023, 32% of UK businesses reported cyber security breaches, and around a third were victims of cybercrime, as per gov.uk. Arrears peaked at 5% in 2022 because of a hack at a 46,500-home registered provider, which caused customers to stop their direct debits as a result.
To protect against cyberattacks, housing providers must now take data seriously. They must consolidate data sources, and have backup plans ready in case of unanticipated, major data incidents.
Summary
Good data management brings about operational efficiency, compliance with governing authorities, and stakeholder satisfaction. At a time when data is all-powerful managing and using it effectively brings innovation, success, and security. For housing providers, a robust field management system is key to the efficient deployment of resources, improving first-time fix rates and tenant satisfaction.
Find out more about our powerful digital solutions for the UK housing sector. And, don’t miss your chance to attend one of the biggest industry events of the year: the OneAdvanced Housing Summit 2024, at 30 Euston Square, London on September 18. This free event for public sector employees joins together some of the biggest names in UK housing, with expert insight and discussion on the latest trending topics. Numbers are limited, so please reserve your spot today.