Time to do things differently

Over the last few years Just Housing Group have been deeply involved in significant procurement exercises across repairs, voids, major works, asset management, call centre services, cleaning and grounds maintenance and materials. 

A common theme from clients is a desire to do things differently; to build more digitally inclusive solutions, to deliver greater social value and to reinvent the customer journey. These characteristics are increasingly underpinning where social landlords are looking to go. 

However, we can see even greater potential and opportunity in rethinking the whole repairs to asset investment journey. Typically organisations look at elements rather than the whole process. This may be because functions report to different executives, timelines vary for re-procurement across services, a Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) may be underperforming so energy is directed at improvement rather than innovation or simply because there is no vision for the benefits that might follow from joining up. 

Strategic consultancy aims to address this but while the big consultancies are blessed with great talent, technology and resource they rarely understand the culture of social landlords, the importance of residents, the difference between councils and housing associations and the challenge of working in a political environment - in local government this is critical.

In response, we have been developing a suite of ideas to test with landlords that could transform the way repairs and technical services are delivered, including in terms of procurement and how residents are involved in the process.  The first of these will discuss the new trends in procurement followed by a series of articles about whether to DLO or not to DLO. 

And if you have any issues you would like us to take a look at, please do get in touch.

John Swinney