From Data to Decisions: Why Connected Intelligence Is the Future of Property Operations

By Henrik von Bahr, VP Strategic Accounts at Plentific

The social housing sector is entering one of the most demanding operational periods in its history. Regulatory expectations are rising, resident trust is under sharper focus, and the consequences of poor service delivery are more visible and more serious than ever before.

Yet when we look closely at the root causes behind regulatory downgrades, Ombudsman cases and operational failures, a clear pattern emerges. In most cases, these are failures of systems.

At The Housing Innovation Show, I’ll be exploring this challenge in my session, “From Data to Decisions: How AI and connected data can transform property operations.” The focus is simple but critical: how housing providers can turn fragmented data into connected intelligence and why getting this right will define success over the next decade.

The real challenge isn’t data. It is fragmentation.

Most housing organisations already hold vast amounts of data. Inspections, compliance records, contractor activity, scheduling information, resident feedback. All of it exists somewhere. The problem is that it rarely exists together.

Over time, technology in social housing has grown piecemeal. Individual tools have been introduced to solve individual problems. While each system may work in isolation, together they create operational blind spots: duplicated effort, missing records, unclear ownership, slow handovers and inconsistent resident communication.

Under today’s regulatory environment - from Awaab’s Law to building safety reforms and the revised Decent Homes Standard - those blind spots are no longer sustainable. Accurate records, auditable workflows and real-time visibility are now regulatory necessities.

How connected data enables better decisions

In my session, I’ll look at how technology can unify every stage of property operations - from resident requests and experiences, to compliance and contractor management, to field service management to real-time issue resolution into a single, intelligent ecosystem.

When data is structured, centralised and connected, AI can start to deliver real operational value. It can help teams triage issues more effectively, reduce errors caused by manual handoffs, surface risks earlier and support faster, more confident decision-making. Combined with automation, open APIs and a modular, cloud-based infrastructure, AI becomes a practical driver of safer homes, better services and stronger accountability.

Introducing The Essential Tech Stack for Social Housing

During the session, I’ll also be introducing Plentific’s new report, The Essential Tech Stack for Social Housing. This guide is not about buying more technology. It’s about building the right foundations.

The report reflects what we see every day working with more than 100 housing providers supporting over 3 million residents. The organisations that perform consistently well are those with a connected, end-to-end view of their operations. From resident requests and hazard reporting to contractor performance, field service management  and compliance tracking.

The guide sets out a practical, sector-specific blueprint for building (or rebuilding) operational foundations that can withstand rising regulatory pressure, increasing scrutiny and growing resident expectations.

Join the conversation at The Housing Innovation Show

If you are grappling with operational complexity, regulatory pressure or the challenge of making better use of your data, I’d encourage you to join the session and the wider conversation.

You can catch me 4th February at the ICC Birmingham, speaking on the PropTech / Property Stage in the afternoon, or visit the Plentific team at Stand 20 for a chat throughout the event. Book a meeting with me

The future of housing will be defined by who has the most data AND who can turn that data into decisions, at scale and with confidence.