The storage and usage of poor data can be life threatening when it comes social housing. Housing providers are responsible for vast amounts of both tenant and property management data, and the struggle to keep this up-to-date is proving too much for the majority of the sector.
The Housing Ombudsman’s ‘Spotlight on: Knowledge & Information Management’ report revealed that over 90 per cent of survey respondents had problems accessing and using their data. The report highlighted significant issues, particularly around residents with vulnerabilities which haven’t been accurately recorded and housing providers not using the data they’ve stored.
Furthermore, of the seven per cent who reported no problems with data cleanliness or usage, studies have shown that the quality of this data degrades at a rate of two per cent per month. Each year, around a quarter of their clean data will become dirty unless they have good processes in place. This applies not only to structured databases such as housing management and CRM systems but also to the unstructured data in emails, spreadsheets and social media.
Dark data’s organisation-wide impact
For most housing providers, millions of data points are spread across multiple systems and the data is often out of sync due to inefficient processes and poor data cultures. Paper records are not being digitised, plus organisations are dealing with inconsistent data-entry processes and legacy systems. There really is a mass of data out there but volume isn’t the (only) issue; it’s the quality of data and how it’s used that’s crucial.
The incorrect use of this data has a knock-on effect that ripples through the organisation. Operational inefficiencies, such as wasted resources or service delays due to inaccurate information about maintenance and repairs, are common. Inaccurate data also affects residents’ safety, with information such as emergency contact details often wildly out-of-date or missing entirely. This can also result in regulatory issues through non-compliance with safety standards.
Research from Royal Mail Data Services (RDMS) shows that the potential impact and associated cost of poor-quality data can be six per cent of an organisation’s annual revenues. If this is true across social housing, that’s a significant amount of money that dwarfs the relatively small investments needed to make a major difference in improving information management and service delivery.
Westward Housing – Leading the charge
In 2017, Westward Housing embarked on a data transformation journey. Its experience was similar to most housing providers, with multiple systems and many years of unstructured data spiralling out of control.
The housing provider knew this needed to change and looked to technology to identify gaps in its data and once identified, it worked with both staff and tenants to help fill them. However, it knew that unless its culture and processes changed as well, the data would become dirty once again.
This attitude, along with staff briefings on the importance of data and a CEO who is passionate about data and has constantly tabled the subject on the board’s agenda, contributed to the organisational shift.
Westward’s focus on data has allowed it to achieve a ‘grade 5 data maturity’ score, the highest level when measured against the government’s data-maturity criteria. Its journey has highlighted three top tips which have steered it on the path to success and could help other housing providers mitigate the risks associated with poor data quality and the presence of dark data.
Instigate cultural change
There is a need for top-down commitment from boards and executives to change the culture towards data. Senior executives need to communicate the importance of data quality and how this drives positive outcomes for tenants.
This shift in mindset isn’t easy but when paired with the right technology to make data collection and validation as easy as possible, clean data that can drive decision making is possible. And, if this initiative is driven from the top and the benefits are clearly communicated to teams on the ground, tenants will benefit from higher levels of service and staff can provide tenants with the information they need without looking at multiple systems and incorrect data.
Structure promotes accuracy
Westward benefited from implementing processes that saw it move away from using spreadsheets as a management tool; systems and structured data should be used instead, only importing spreadsheet data as needed.
Breaking the dependence on spreadsheets must be part of a core data-improvement project and if certain spreadsheets still have to be used, you need to understand how to validate and audit those spreadsheets. This reliable structure promotes a higher level of data quality which can then feed into systems such as Microsoft Power BI for data visualisation. Once it is set up and the dashboards are built, it’s easy to use, and improved decision-making and increased operational efficiency will be the direct outcomes.
Use digital tools at your disposal
Understanding the strain on resources that physical property inspections can cause, Westward had to think outside the box when it came to data collection. By using forms to report on the findings of each property visit, contractors and staff can report data inaccuracies while visiting the property for other reasons such as maintenance and repairs. Alternatively, residents can provide feedback themselves via a self-service portal. Using a form allows you to capture a wide array of data, not only about your properties but also about factors such as diversity or residents’ additional support needs.
The data challenge never ends
When it comes to defeating dark data, there is still work to be done. Only robust information-management processes and systems will solve the data dilemma, and there’s considerable scope for quick wins and small improvements that make a big difference.
Crucially, action must be taken now. There are already inspirational examples of excellence along with the advice and tools to provide the ‘silver bullet’ housing providers need; they just need to take the leap and follow suit.
Kevin Allder is the head of business solutions at VerseOne Group.
