The housing sector loses the trust of residents due to failure to record data and use it for effective service delivery.

Data integrity is at the forefront of many discussions within housing organisations as the Housing Ombudsman uncovers poor data and record keeping in their recent spotlight report. It has come to light that only 7% of landlords who responded to the survey experienced no issues with accessing and using data. It is apparent that this is having a profound impact on housing providers' ability to deliver high-quality services, causing daily detriment to their residents.

The report highlights that many housing providers are experiencing significant challenges when accessing crucial data that allows them to efficiently respond to complaints and deliver effective repairs and maintenance. A clear pattern has emerged from the Housing Ombudsman survey:
  • 56% of respondents reported they have difficulties accessing or being provided with records in order to respond to complaints. 
  • More than 80% of those who experience issues accessing data said that it impacts their ability to fully address complaints.
  • Furthermore, 77% of respondents said it impacts their ability to meet complaint-handling timeframes.
The Ombudsman found that these failures are caused by a multitude of reasons, such as databases failing to synchronise. This affects all types of landlords, notably medium to large landlords (45%) more so, compared to smaller landlords (22%). This might be due to smaller landlords not having automated systems and instead relying on manual data entry. Other reasons include systems not being ‘fit for purpose’, staff not being trained correctly, and having multiple systems being used for the same purpose.

The Ombudsman's recommendations encourage housing associations to implement a strong knowledge and information management system that can be easily integrated, enables adequate risk assessment, and that can extract data for reporting. Notably, some of the UK’s largest housing providers such as L&Q and Notting Hill Genesis have partnered with Plentific to overcome data ambiguity by digitising and streamlining their operations in a single platform. Plentific’s award-winning technology has helped housing providers overcome these challenges by:
  • Creating a single source of truth - by storing and accessing data and information for compliance, auditing and tracking, and utilising a powerful integrated dashboard for real-time reporting.
  • Expediting repairs and maintenance - through a flexible supply chain that enables faster service delivery through an internal workforce, appointed contractors or a marketplace of 20,000 vetted contractors.
  • Developing strong communication channels - by connecting residents, landlords and contractors through a single platform that enables fast reactions and ensures real-time decisions.
Plentific’s state-of-the-art technology is revolutionising data and record keeping by providing a secure and connected platform that enables smoother communication and faster service delivery. The technology allows housing providers to create an immediate impact within the community by having visibility across their service delivery, complete control over operational costs and harnessing real-time data that empower them to deliver a high-quality service to their residents.

Plentific’s purpose-built technology transforms inspections, repairs, maintenance, voids and resident management for housing providers, leading to efficiency savings for landlords, increased revenue for operators, satisfied residents and exclusive access to local work for service providers.

If you are interested in exploring how technology can propel your organisation, get in touch today.