Raven Housing Trust won the gold award in the customer/tenant services category of the inaugural Housing Technology 2024 awards. Mark Baker, executive director of resources and deputy chief executive at Raven Housing Trust, explains the digital transformation and customer experience programme behind its ‘Better Connected’ programme.
Raven Housing Trust has spent the past three years delivering a digital transformation programme which has revolutionised how we work by improving efficiency, cost effectiveness and customer experience.
The challenge
In such a fast-moving digital age, we have been keen to explore how technology can help us keep pace with changing customer expectations, make better use of our resources and ultimately be more effective in delivering our core purpose.
Our key focus has been on delivering our customer experience strategy; to design valued and trusted services to meet customers’ needs and priorities. As part of this commitment, we wanted to make it easier for customers to deal with us online or by phone, get their queries to the right person and have issues speedily resolved.
Another objective has been to harness automation to reduce the need for manual processing of data, thereby freeing up colleagues so their time can be better spent dealing with more complex customer inquiries.
With the shift towards home or hybrid working, and to make the best use of field-based employees’ time, we also need to ensure we have a secure system which allows colleagues to access information and work from any location on any device.
Our solution
Our ‘Better Connected’ digital transformation programme was an all-encompassing change in our IT infrastructure and systems, which essentially developed simpler-to-use, more integrated systems with cloud-based solutions.
We began with the overhaul of our IT infrastructure to support our move to cloud-based services, the decommissioning of our legacy systems and enhancements to our cyber security. We have shifted from over 60 applications to just six core systems, creating a simpler and more integrated IT infrastructure.
We developed a data lake and warehouse to secure information as well as moving all our documents to SharePoint for online accessibility.
We teamed up with technology partner TechLabs London to deliver its Microsoft-based iProperty Cloud platform, PwC to deliver a Microsoft Dynamics finance system and other partners to deliver payroll, learning and development, and other applications.
We use AI Builder to automatically update documents such as gas certificates and calculate the next inspection date due. We have linked documents to processes so that all information is available to colleagues, regardless of where they are working.
The implementation of a new CRM system has mobilised over 100 front-line colleagues using Microsoft’s Field Service app, incorporating built-in notifications to keep customers up-to-date.
Our telephone system has been designed, delivered and integrated with our CRM so colleagues can instantly identify customers and open their contact record. Customer queries are then automatically logged and distributed to the appropriate colleague.
The iProperty Cloud platform is integrated with our new finance system so that supplier data only needs to be entered once and is then maintained across the systems.
All this has streamlined and automated our internal processes, allowing progress on jobs to be tracked and customers kept informed via our newly-updated MyRaven self-service portal.
The re-launched MyRaven portal now allows customers to pay rent, set up direct debits, view documents, chat with us, report anti-social behaviour, make complaints and raise, schedule and track repairs, as well as being able to upload documents, photos and videos.
We have also revamped our website and developed an easy-to-use portal for contractors, linked to our asset management system, enabling them to receive work orders, update, feedback and invoice completed work.
Business impact
Our multi-award-winning ‘Better Connected’ programme and the underlying iProperty Cloud platform have streamlined systems, boosted efficiency and improved customer experience.
MyRaven’s portal functionality has resulted in:
- 45 per cent increase in digital customers (approx. 5,000);
- 50 per cent of complaints and ASB cases raised online;
- Twice as many repairs raised online (over 20 per cent);
- 50 per cent of payments made online as well as 20 per cent by direct debit;
- 100 per cent of users satisfied that MyRaven is easy to use;
- The Housing Ombudsman sharing our work as best practice.
Our telephone and CRM system integration has led to:
- A reduction of three minutes per call to the contact centre;
- A 25 per cent reduction in call handover.
Our colleagues’ ability to see progress on existing tasks and book future tasks while with a customer has reduced our administrative costs by 20 per cent. With all areas on a common platform and data in one place, we have removed the need for spreadsheets and other manual processes in an estimated 65 per cent of operational areas.
Future plans
Better Connected has also put us in a strong position to implement evolving technologies. We will soon fully manage rents, service charges and arrears end-to-end through MyRaven, along with making asset data available to residents (e.g. when their kitchen is due for renewal).
We also plan to develop a self-service app, automate solutions to tackle problems such as damp and mould, and investigate how generative AI could transform how we access and interrogate our data through natural-language processing.
While we are delighted with Better Connected’s impact so far, we are excited about the future opportunities it presents to further enhance the customer experience while keeping us at the forefront of our sector’s digital journey.
Mark Baker is the executive director of resources and deputy chief executive at Raven Housing Trust. The housing provider won the gold award for customer/tenant services at the Housing Technology 2024 awards.
