IT EYE
Our InFocus feature IT Eye provides news and updates on information technology developments effecting the social housing and associated sectors.
Housing Services - A Look Into the Future
What is a Phone App Anyway?
January 2012
The following article is from Steve Finegan, Head of Business Effectiveness & Communications at Northwards Housing. In it he explains the development of a phone app for tenants to access their services from their smartphones.
What is a Phone App anyway? A question recently posed by a member of our senior management team reminded me that six months earlier I'd have probably, and with an element of cynicism, asked the same question.
Even now I'm surprised at the speed at which the world of communications is moving. The thirst for information, the growth in real time consumer journalism and the need for responsive quick and easy customer engagement is upon us. It's both exciting and challenging, although I'll admit to being less clear where we'll end up.
At Northwards Housing in Manchester, we've always prided ourselves on being innovative and pushing the boundaries, so the idea of developing a phone app for tenants to access our services from their smartphones was definitely something we felt needed to be taken seriously.
We already have a strong access to services strategy based on one overriding element - choice. Like many housing organisations out there, we provide a whole range of different and convenient ways to access our services, so the prospect of offering another one, with the added potential to engage with a different audience, possibly a younger demographic, had immediate appeal. So what is the business case?
Despite our best efforts, our customer profiling information does not extend to smartphone usage, at least not yet, but we're working on it. We know, however, that according to Ofcom almost a third of adults in the UK now use a smartphone. Those who download and use smartphone apps are not necessarily the same as those who use websites of course, as the user experience is entirely different. Those visiting the App Store or Android Market are looking for something that enhances their smartphone capabilities and the beauty of phone apps is quite often in their simplicity.
In direct contrast, our website - currently attracting over 20,000 visits a month - is crammed with information. If they choose to, people can spend hours reading the content, watching film clips and interacting with us online. The fact is that they often don't, of course, and the average visit of around 4m is perhaps a clue about what it is people really want from our online services. It also raises some interesting questions for the future development of micro sites and the benefits, or not, of doing so given that tenants accessing our website are not necessarily the ones using smartphones and downloading apps.
We know that digital exclusion in social housing is significant, with estimates of around 50% of tenants having no access to the internet - with the subsequent impact on things like their ability to find work, to take simple advantage of discount shopping and even their children's educational attainment. We also know that around 77% of job seekers are now using mobile apps, with Android being the most popular platform.
Our decision to develop the universal iHome app with Panda Media was based in part on our belief that, to address some of these inequalities, we need to offer access to the digital world in the easiest and most practical way possible. We also know that our future tenants will possibly be some of the first to show their parents the benefits of using the Northwards Phone App (free to download).
Impressed by its simplicity as well as its future potential to interface with our housing management system, the unique 'Get Involved' section of the app is what gives it the edge. We were very enthusiastic about the ability to engage with our tenants quickly and easily and having complete control over this section of the app to update it as often as we need to.
We've built in a competition to launch the app to maximise interest and hopefully downloads too, so this is likely to be a regular feature, although we might not be able to stretch to an iPad every time! We're also careful not to exclude anyone, so the same prizes are available to all tenants through our regular Northwards Xtra tenant reward scheme.
During the development of the app we also sought legal advice to help us understand and mitigate the risks. After all, the safety of our customers is important and we didn't want people leaning over balconies to take pictures of their naturist neighbours catching a few rays, or inadvertently storing personal data on their phones without considering security. As a result, we've built alerts into the app to advise people on how to get the best out of it.
So where does this leave us? I'd like to say that in a few months from now, and as a result of the app, a number of people who never visited us online before will be choosing to engage with us in a way that suits them. If in the process we help some of our younger tenants to find a job, win an iPad or get involved in helping us to shape and scrutinise our services, then we will have gone some way to tackling the issue of digital exclusion and if not, then who can blame us for trying? After all it's only a phone app anyway.
To keep up with the how their app launch is going, follow Northwards Housing on Twitter.
Housing Services - A Look Into the Future
October 2011
In our series, IT, Social Housing and a Crystal Ball, we have been asking what changes will IT bring to social housing over the next five to ten years. This latest contribution is from Stewart Davison, Product Manager at Capita's Housing Division.
The social housing landscape has seen significant change over the past few years, and it is unlikely that this state of flux is close to settling down. Questions are still being asked about how citizens and tenants will access housing services in the future. Will things really be different, and will the promise of broadband for all be a reality that has an impact on access to services? Technology has a key role to play in the coming months and years. As its limitations are lifted through innovation, this article will explore what this will mean for the delivery of services to tenants.
Technology in everyday life is commonplace. We buy our shopping online, pick up our cinema tickets from kiosks and get appointment reminders from the dentist via text message. The initial apprehension about switching from face to face to clicking a button has been desensitised, and the Government is making moves to capitalise on this. After all, allowing - and encouraging - citizens to 'self serve' has the potential to make savings.
Social housing providers are already using technology to deliver services and engage with tenants. In fact, the increasingly sophisticated nature and popularity of mobile devices has the potential to allow tenants to take even more control in managing their social housing needs regardless of the time of day.
We are starting to see this already with the introduction of web portals. These enable tenants to query rent accounts, report repairs and make payments. This is freeing up precious resource and allowing housing officers to focus on more complex cases. Some savvy local authorities and housing providers have also developed apps covering areas as diverse as homelessness, empty homes, anti-social behaviour and rent payments. As innovations in technology continue to develop, there is the potential to enhance and advance services for tenants.
Augmented reality is an example of a technology that is finding its way into organisations beyond cinemas, such as schools and hospitals. The technology enables a view of real-world 3D environments, such as exploding volcanoes or a functioning lung. The elements of an image are augmented by computer-generated software and the results have the ability to enhance experiences - whether that is as a learning tool or a visual aid.
In the future, tenants, for example, could select and approve a style of kitchen refurbishment using augmented reality software allowing them to view designs in 3D on their smart phone or laptop. An augmented reality app could enable a tenant to 'overlay' the desired style of kitchen onto their existing layout to see how the room could look after the refurbishment.
Another example could be the use of an integrated camera on a smart phone or connected device to diagnose and report repair issues. The app could 'see' the problem and suggest the best contractor employed by the housing organisation to resolve the issue.
Technologies, such as augmented reality, may be a few years away for the social housing sector. But as the pace of development continues at a rapid rate, providers need to start building in different communication channels in to their service delivery. We are in a society where we expect to be able to log on to a website that provides tailored information, or text a housing offer to advise of a problem regardless of the time of day.
Are we in danger of relying on technology and spelling the end of the housing officer? Absolutely not. Skilled and professional employees are needed more than ever in social housing due to the complex, diverse and challenging situations that face many tenants today. Ensuring there is a human presence that can intervene, guide and advise will only strengthen the service delivery provided to tenants. By taking pressure off resource for the simple queries, effort can be focused on providing personal support to those who need it the most.
In fact, there are still 8.7 million people who are not online. Although there are initiatives like Race Online 2012, led by Martha Lane-Fox, there may always be a segment of community that can't or don't want to engage using technology and prefer human interaction. What we need is a perfect blend.
Case Study
Solihull Community Housing, whose successful project to get broadband into their tower blocks, can be read via this link.
Skype Anyone?
October 2011
This is the latest in our series, IT, Social Housing and a Crystal Ball, where we ask what changes will IT bring to social housing over the next five to ten years. In this contribution, the question is given careful considered by Veronica Coatham, Head of Division of Housing and Community Studies at Birmingham City University.
Information technology can be one of the most costly investments an organisation makes, not just in terms of money but also with respect to time and emotional energy. Yet how many times have I heard that a computer system does not provide the information it is supposed to and in the format people can make sense of; it goes down at critical points during the day or data is held on different software which are difficult to navigate between.
No wonder customers and staff get disenchanted and feel like tearing their hair out; throwing their computer, phone or whatever out of the window. Been there...I have! However I have had to get to grips with the beast that is information technology in all its various forms and on top of that learn a new language 'IT speak'.
As an individual I can choose whether I want to 'tweet' or 'blog', what sort of mobile phone I want to use and how I want to communicate. These things are 'sort of' in my control. (However the pull to engage in tweeting is proving to be a powerful force that I may not be able to resist).
When it comes to communicating with the council, energy suppliers or even my IT supplier, I have to communicate with them on their terms - which more often than not is via a call centre or the internet. I find increasingly I do not see the face of the person on the other end of the phone or screen. And so it goes in a work situation except when I am in a classroom or giving tutorials. Does this matter, if I am provided with an answer or my students feel they have got the guidance from me they need?
However there is an anonymity to it all - instead of phoning up someone for a document, I can get it on 'Sharepoint', if I want the contact details of one of my students I can find it 'on screen'. A whole range of data can be accessed for analysis by my University.
The same is true of housing organisations - the range of data now held about property, people and finance is staggering. As a board member I can access documentation on 'portals' and so on. As someone who was a technophobe 10-15 years ago I feel pretty good when I can help others to 'do things' or 'find things' on their computer and by no means am I proficient. Some of my colleagues seem to be able to pick up things really quickly whilst others refer to themselves as 'luddites'
Other pieces written as part of this series have talked about how social media is being used to communicate with tenants and it is likely that over the next 5 years we will see more developments of this kind. However these should to be part of an organisational strategy aimed at improving organisational effectiveness and service delivery which involves everyone and is not just the domain of the 'enthusiasts'.
Training and support for staff needs to be built into the strategy; they should be encouraged to voice their fears (with no blame), challenge organisational practices and contribute into debates about the increasing use of IT.
Digitisation has the capacity to transform how organisations are structured and how they communicate with both internal and external customers. The increasing availability of a wide range of electronic tools challenges organisational culture and practices at all levels.
However, IT developers, strategists and managers need to recognise that people will 'adopt' the technology at different rates and in different ways, depending upon competency and confidence and these should be reflected into implementation plans.
The key to securing the best out of IT and other software developments seems to me to rest on how they are integrated within organisational strategic directions and communicated to staff. Adopting a strategic approach to the implementation of IT as a tool for improving personal and organisational effectiveness for improving customer service could have three effects:
- It would place pressure on IT and software developers to prioritise the user perspective of their systems.
- It would fend off arguments that it is IT that is driving forward service developments and organisational restructuring rather than the other way round.
- It would set an accountability framework for staff in different parts of the organisation to work within.
The 2011 Government White Paper 'Open Public Services' indicates that digitisation will be rolled out across public services over the next few years, as if you were rolling out a piece of pastry - but the reality is likely to be very different.
Public sector organisations, and housing organisations in particular, are complex structures and require a range of computer technologies and social media to meet different purposes.
The difficulties posed by existing legacy systems cannot be underestimated. Both the lead in time required by IT developers to and the resources available to organisations to support digital improvements all needs to be factored into future strategies and part of this needs to be a recognition of the dynamics at work and the way in which these will continue to shape service delivery into the future. There's no getting away from it….
Skype anyone?
For information about advertising in this section please email us at ms@uk-housing.co.uk
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