Connectivity
Connectivity lies at the heart of innovation and efficiency within the UK housing sector.
Housing Sector
Connecting communities
The pace of technological change in the last few years has been dramatic with ‘digital first’ operations coming to the fore. As housing associations seek to modernise operations, improve resident services, and optimise communication channels, ensuring robust and reliable connectivity has become paramount.
More housing associations are migrating to cloud-based platforms, benefitting from scalability and cost-efficiency, whilst relying on strong connectivity to securely store and access data. This integration of advanced technology and robust networks has revolutionised the housing sector, making it more efficient and accessible to all.
Read our Connecting communities eBook using the link below to find out how housing associations can use digital solutions to best effect, and how Wavenet and Extreme are working in partnership to set the sector up for success.
Tenant engagement and experience
One of the biggest challenges facing the housing sector is the need to improve and increase tenant engagement. Investment in digital transformation and broadband infrastructure that provides high-speed, reliable connectivity will help with this. Fiber-optic technology will offer your housing organisation unparalleled speed and reliability in your Internet connectivity. By delivering ultra-fast broadband to residential properties, and deploying robust Wi-Fi access points to enhance connectivity, tenants and landlords can communicate and share ideas, allowing for housing conditions and services to be improved.
Investing in digital platforms to aid communication will help you create communities. Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp are increasingly being used as routes for tenant engagement, showing how digital transformation can create new opportunities for success.
Digital inclusion
Recognising the importance of digital inclusion is vital for the housing sector who tend to serve a greater proportion of older, vulnerable, and disadvantaged people. These people tend to require additional help when using online services. To ensure the effective roll-out of digital transformation, you should implement initiatives that empower your residents with the digital skills they need. Providing access to online resources, training workshops, and support services encourages residents to embrace technology, and participate in online communities that foster social inclusion and economic empowerment.
Streamlining processes
Advancements in technology such as AI and machine learning have transformed how the world and organisations operate. The housing sector can capitalise on these opportunities extensively, saving time, money and resources in the long run.
By adopting the use of AI and chatbots, you can automate tasks that take up a lot of time but can quickly be conducted by machine learning. These include basic admin, uploading files, automated property and tenant management sequences. You can then reassign your customer service staff to more complex tasks, like regular outbound calls to isolated and vulnerable people.
Having staff work from home poses new and significant problems with technology. In order to negate challenges such as customer communication and disruption to repairs, safety checks, and void processing, you need to ensure there is adequate bandwidth in your IT infrastructure. Secure file sharing is vital, allowing staff easy access to the information they need from wherever they are will improve your process and overall customer experience. These changes are not unique to housing associations, but with the duty of care to tenants, and the increasing demand for high-speed Internet access and data transfer, you need to keep up with digital transformation.
Data management
One of the most powerful tools for any organisation is data. Effective data management through digital transformation is top of the agenda for housing organisations with data quality and governance continually included in the Top 10 Risks and Challenges in the Social Housing Annual Review. In a survey conducted by Inside Housing, 32% of respondents said digital transformation was considered a top priority and 65% of leaders believed digital transformation was key to their development.
With the appropriate technology and software in place, data management can become easier, covering everything from tracking and preventing rent arrears to managing tenant relationships and external contractors. These enhanced systems will highlight the use of resources and customer trends, give a better insight into demographics and customer demand, and present you with opportunities and room for improvement.
Not only is the collection of data essential, but it also provides value when informing essential decisions and setting attainable strategic targets, allowing you to deliver a more proactive service, whilst ensuring an efficient use of budget.
Discover more
How we help housing associations to improve their communication and build fast and supported networks.
Why Wavenet?
Strong connectivity ensures seamless communication among housing professionals and their tenants, regardless of geographical barriers. Without a reliable and efficient Internet connection, tenant happiness can be jeopardised, and staff productivity can be damaged with workers unable to access data and secure communications.
By prioritising connectivity solutions tailored to the needs of residents and stakeholders, you can foster digital inclusion, empower innovation, and enhance the overall quality of living within your communities. Leveraging technology investments and prioritising resident engagement are vital in achieving the full potential of connectivity, driving a positive social impact and sustainable development within your housing association.
Our solutions
