Integration with IT hinders mobile working strategies in housing sector
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Integration with other IT applications is the main bug bear faced by housing departments in developing a mobile working strategy. However, according to the poll, the greatest benefits in implementing a mobile working strategy are to provide flexible and innovative ways of working for housing staff (33%) and higher service to citizens (36%).
Martyn Rees, Head of Housing, IBS OPENSystems comments: 'Housing associations face immense challenges. These range from being able to generate tangible savings in the second year of Gershon, improving ways of working for staff and enhancing service for citizens. Housing associations are coming around to the idea that mobile working strategies can deliver innovative, yet practical, ways of solving these challenges.'
Martyn Rees, Head of Housing, IBS OPENSystems comments: 'A great example has been the mobile working initiative at Helena Housing. Its field staff uses handheld devices to carry out updates on repairs and timesheets while they are out visiting customers which are automatically logged on completion. The scheme has already seen immediate benefits in achieving efficiency improvements. In addition to reducing levels of manual data entry, fuel and inventory costs have plummeted and there have been significant gains in productivity.'
According to the survey, the repairs and job processing function was viewed as the greatest priority when considering the deployment of a mobile working strategy (70%).
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