“Technology makes it easier to share data and information – whether that’s about repairs, maintenance or compliance – and that is empowering.”

This week, our very own Haris Khan was interviewed by Inside Housing for his thoughts on the Social Housing White Paper.

Here is a quick digest of his views on how technology can help the social housing sector consistently establish a new standard in landlord-resident relationships.

Creating the best possible resident experience.

When asked how social housing providers can offer their residents the quality and experience the White Paper proposes, Haris Khan was quick to explain that the use of technology is critical to achieving this.

By explaining that residents today are digitally-enabled consumers, Haris drew parallels between how e-commerce platforms streamline customer experience and how the sector needs to rapidly follow suit by adapting its service delivery to this new normal.

Residents should be empowered with information on every aspect of their property - be it compliance, the status of a repair or even the safety of the materials used to build their homes.

As Commercial Director at Plentific, Haris is instrumental is building lasting relationships with some of the most progressive housing providers across the UK. He likes to clarify that the need for clear, auditable and accurate information is just as important to landlords as it is to their residents.

Plentific has helped create a single source of truth for over 250,000+ properties currently managed by the platform and Haris explains that once landlords are enabled with portfolio-wide visibility at a click of a button, it quickly extends onto residents, making them feel safer and more empowered in their homes.

Key areas of focus for 2021.

When asked his views on key areas of focus for landlords adhering to the white paper charter, Haris explained that in 2021, the focus should remain on complete digital enablement using online portals, with a special emphasis on wellbeing.

"Bringing health and well-being into a digital platform where it’s also possible to report the need for a repair is, I think, the world I want to be living in from a technological perspective."

Haris further emphasised that when it comes to digitisation, the sector can no longer afford to move at the pace it was before COVID-19.

The pandemic has shown that technology is an enabler. Haris has been on the front lines of charting this rapid digitisation. He explains how technology has helped landlords meet the expectations of residents during this unprecedented time, as well as help them form stronger and more productive relationships with contractors.

Read the full interview on Inside Housing's website here.

Resident repairs reimagined.

We're proud to have recently launched Plentific Resident Manager - a dedicated new tool to empower both residents and property managers.

Discover all the features that enable seamless collaboration for faster issue resolution. Watch the launch video below.

Interested in learning more and seeing how our new tool can be adapted to your organisation? You can book a callback here to get your own free walkthrough of Plentific Resident Manager.

Not yet a Plentific client? Sign-up to Plentific this lockdown and we will waive the set-up fee (valid until 31 March 2021).