The big data revolution seems to be sweeping almost invisibly through business, academia, government, housing and everyday life. Defined as the collection, analysis, and visualisation of vast amounts of information, facilitated by clever algorithms, big data is seen by many as the biggest technology innovation since the birth of the internet.
A recent survey carried out by Mobysoft appears to confirm that housing providers also recognise the power of effective data analysis, with 100 per cent of respondents stating it will be very important or vital to their organisation in future.
Getting to know their tenants better, assessing the risk and anticipating behaviour were also cited as crucial in the wake of welfare reform and all of the above will undoubtedly be underpinned by intelligent data mining.
The more intelligence a housing provider can gather, the earlier they can intervene and support the tenants who need it most. In the wake of rising rent arrears, this must surely be a benefit to everyone involved.
Derek Steele,
Managing director, Mobysoft
