By Steve Marshall, Engagement Director at Ensono Digital.

The cost of living crisis has rocked 2022, and with no signs that it is ending, many are now looking to cut costs. Housing associations, in particular, have struggled to balance their expenses whilst managing tenants’ costs. Additionally, since the release of the 2020 Social Housing Whitepaper, housing sector leaders are juggling further financial pressures to meet the new vision for carbon-neutral housing – which is expected to cost the housing sector more than £104 billion to deliver.

With over 20 per cent of housing sector leaders unsure about what the costs will be for their business, it is vital that technological solutions are placed front of mind.

The pandemic brought about a monumental digital shift which, unfortunately, left the housing sector behind. Leaders must now strive to change their approach to technology, combining cost-effective strategy and genuinely innovative policies that will advance the housing sector.

Leaders must rethink how they use data and build digital strategy into their plans to create a more efficient and human-driven housing sector. A good technology strategy always has a narrative that addresses business objectives and ties into the goals that everyone is aligned with. For the housing sector, these goals must seek to grow tenant expectations for service, safety and comfort.

The opportunity is there for housing sector leaders to make a difference, bringing environmental and social policies to the fore and placing customer experience as a top priority. With upcoming financial difficulties, leaders must go above and beyond for their customers. Investing in digitalisation processes is one way to enact significant and effective change.

Pursue flexible solutions that are resilient to changing conditions

The pandemic showed that those who had invested in flexible and adaptable digital services excelled. In comparison, those who failed to pivot fell behind.

For example, two years ago, many would not have thought of hybrid working as an effective business strategy. However, since the pandemic, those who have offered this flexible model, granted in response to a crisis, have delivered a solution designed to meet changing employee needs. Running your solutions against possible long-term disasters or scenarios is the best way to plan effective solutions.

All solutions should meet the criteria of adaptability and resiliency against unpredictable needs.

In the face of these uncertainties, you must rethink how you approach financial planning. The housing sector traditionally plans around the financial year, with yearly metrics and investment. This structure can hinder funding for non-essential projects and initiatives. You must adapt the process so that your plans can be flexible and conducive to growth.

Yearly plans rely on consistencies, such as a stable economy and reliable availability of materials and resources. However, these are constantly in flux and subject to unforeseen change. Earlier this year, for example, the price of oil skyrocketed following Russia’s military action in Ukraine and was at the highest it’s been since 2008. Instead, leaders should focus on iterative benefits and agile delivery, and alternatives such as multi-year plans can be highly effective solutions.

Build flexibility into your plans. Incorporate agility alongside any potential overall cost and timelines, and you’ll have a realistic strategy to deliver results.

Upskill your team

Alongside your realistic strategy, you need the right team that fulfils your needs to be successful. True innovation requires employees who can resolve complexity, adapt to new working models, and improve their skills to meet changing needs.

Look to hire and train people to be responsive, buoyant, and receptive to change. These are the people who will thrive in an unpredictable environment. Unfortunately, with the Great Resignation, the technology industry is experiencing a shortage of skilled workers. So, it is vital that companies look beyond traditional methods of recruitment. Instead, invest in your employees and give them the skills to drive innovation. Upskilling is also a helpful way to prepare your team to excel in new, automated working environments.

As a business – and not a technology company – it is unlikely that you will be able to sustain an entire technology team with all the skills you might need. Even if you have the resources, it is an inefficient way to progress your company.

Instead, think about the technical skills that you currently possess and are unique to your business and those you want to nurture and grow. For example, if you are going to have a substantial self-service tenant-facing system, it makes sense to focus on owning the user experience of that system. For other technological offerings, consider partnerships and virtual teams.

By taking a closer look at your team, you can not only improve the skills and experience of your employees but save resources by investing in the best areas for your company.

Recognising the digital skills of your consumers

COVID-19 redefined how many users engage with digital offerings. McKinsey reported that, as a direct result of a forced change in behaviours through the pandemic, the rising trend in the digitisation of customer interactions has leapt forward three years.

The housing sector must act now to meet this challenge.

With the lack of competition in the housing sector, its digital innovation has fallen behind other sectors, such as banking, where leaders were tasked with offering new solutions to attract new customers. This ‘digital lag’ has put housing sector leaders on the back foot when looking to meet ever-growing digital expectations.

The simplest user journey is the key to engaging your audience. Within the housing sector, we often see convoluted and overly complicated technology. Many users require a simple journey from error to repairs. Ensure that your offerings meet this basic need and enable your users to be successful.

It is crucial that you place your users at the centre of your offerings.

By planning your offerings around how your customers will use your platforms, you will: improve their experience, save their time, and consequently, your time and resources dealing with their requests.

Put social impact at the heart of your solutions

Early forms of digital transformation have typically been centred on tackling challenges with the most obvious, immediate benefit – easy to solve with clear results. But it is important to shift focus to the more complicated, long-term, or even endemic issues that require dedicated focus. These issues cannot be avoided if the business is to scale and grow.

Putting your tenants first

Innovations and solutions in any business must focus on people’s real needs and improving people’s lives. The housing sector has the opportunity to make a real difference for its tenants. With the backdrop of the cost-of-living crisis, there is scope to enact genuine change by putting your tenants’ needs first.

The Charter for Social Housing Residents outlines seven commitments to residents focused on fairness, respect, safety and quality of life. Housing sector leaders must use this guide to drive their digital offerings and offer clarity and visibility to their actions. Digital platforms can easily provide this. For example, by making communication accessible to both parties and logging this clearly, you can ensure that your tenants feel heard.

It’s a small step but it might help make their lives easier during unpredictable times.

Incorporating green solutions together

Sustainability must also be front of mind for all leaders looking to incorporate digital strategy. Integrating climate change solutions into your plans will, inevitably, be a good business decision. It is likely to be an area of considerable disruption moving forward, and working towards solutions now is crucial.

In 2018, the Committee on Climate Change—which monitors Britain’s progress on climate targets—said that achieving this target would not be possible “without near-complete decarbonisation of the housing stock”. Since this declaration, we’ve seen innovations across the sector, and some councils have followed suit.

However, the most effective solutions arise when we work together. Partnering with other housing associations is an important way to pool resources and fund costly technological solutions that will have a strong impact. In April 2021, five of the UK’s largest housing associations formed a partnership to improve the energy efficiency of their 300,000 homes and, together, develop decarbonisation solutions for the sector.

These meaningful collaboration projects share knowledge, experience and resources and provide a combined effort to tackle complex problems. Collaborating in this way is essential for the housing sector to prepare for increasingly challenging issues that the future is bound to deliver.

By working these potential disruptors into your plans, you limit their ability to impact your business whilst improving the experience of your clients, your team, and wider society.