Social housing repairs and maintenance is a key responsibility of a housing provider, so it is no surprise that the cost of maintenance is so huge. In 2020-2021, the 207 English housing associations spent a combined total of £5.4bn on repairs and maintenance, with £2.3bn attributed to routine maintenance.
While repairs and maintenance is a significant cost to housing associations, the speed and quality of the repairs has significant impact on the satisfaction of tenants. Poor repairs management leads to customer complaints, and if the poor service continues it may be taken to the housing ombudsman.
The Social Housing Whitepaper outlines the kind of service tenants should expect, with one of the key areas being the ability "to know how your landlord is performing" including repairs statistics. From the amount of properties kept in good repair, to the satisfaction post-repair and response time, social housing providers have a range of metrics to track regarding repairs.
With repairs taking up a considerable amount of time, energy, and money, how can housing associations streamline their repairs and maintenance?
Streamline repairs and maintenance with the Microsoft stack.
First, Dynamics 365 can be used to create separate property records as well as tenant records. The benefit of this is that all information regarding the property is stored in one place, including photos, servicing certificates, specifications, floors plans, reports etc, as well as details of future work. With this being remotely accessible, field staff can view all property information on the go. This could also include a property notepad, where formal complaints regarding the property can be noted, as well as dates of recent certifications etc.
Notes that are added to the system by contractors can often be overlooked if it doesn't create a notification. With Dynamics 365, follow up work or return visits can be added to the property record, which then triggers a notification to ensure the additional work is completed.
When a repair is needed, a contractor is automatically assigned using integrated Outlook calendars. This can then create automated reminders for both field staff and tenants, cutting out multiple steps in the repair process. Reminders are also useful for repetitive maintenance, such as health and safety and compliance tasks e.g. gas safety, smoke alarms, fire safety.
Dynamics has the ability to track a project from beginning to end. Planned maintenance and cyclical repairs can be monitored and scheduled using Dynamics up until date of completion, and can include any relevant documentation. It can even include post-repair data, such as customer satisfaction for both responsive and planned work.
Power Platform works hand in hand with Dynamics 365. Portals can be used for tenants to report repairs online or check progress, and can also be used by field staff to fill in information on site.
Watch Dynamics 365 and Power Platform in action. Discover how to streamline your social housing repairs and maintenance in our next webinar.
