Organizational Transformation - IT System Tools Supporting Business Transformation in Non-Profit Housing Corporations
Presented by Christine Brutin, AIHM, CIHCM
CEO - Haldimand Norfolk Housing Corporation
Regeneration Forum 2016: Defining a New Future
HNHC Corporate Introduction
• Formerly known as the Haldimand Norfolk
Housing Authority (1975-2001)
• Since 2001 an arm’s length, autonomous
housing corporation – two municipal
shareholders – CMSM and related municipality
• 7 Member Board of Directors representing both
municipalities
• LHC with 17 housing communities – 391 units
IT Systems Supporting Business
Transformation
• Large rural, geographic area in Southern Ontario
• 13 Staff members (planning for growth) – 175 years
tenure
• Manage 4 other small Non-Profit Housing Corporations
on a fee for services basis (total of 11 housing providers
in CMSM area)
• 5 Corporations managed=544 units (65.8% of total
CMSM social housing units)
• Includes an LHC, Second-Stage/RGI, 2 Municipal and
1 former Federal NP
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Business Transformation Drivers for HNHC
• This policy change transformed our HNHC social
housing business model:
1988 Provincial Announcement - LHA apartment
buildings in Ontario (historically for senior citizens
60 and over) were now available to individuals 16
and over.
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Other external forces:
• Legislation (Landlord, Housing, Human Rights)
• Expectations of the public, clients and media
• Lack of financial resources
• Digital Revolution
• Influential business and organizational management
“schools of thought”
• Social housing best practices (International context)
• Employee engagement
• Networking electronically
• Efficient management of “information overload”
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Our Information Technology Philosophy:
We are not searching for one software system to meet all the needs of our complex
social housing business model.
We look for "best in class” software at an affordable cost, to provide our staff
members with tools to improve their customer service agility and to streamline and enhance our changing business processes and services.
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Information Technology Usage History
• 1990 two non-profits under construction requested the HN Housing
Authority to provide property management services for their NP
Housing Corporations;
• Implemented NuViews and later Bedford Accounting Systems;
• Discovered other IT tools for other business processes that could be
used by the LHA:
o Automated RGI calculation software (NetIntegrity - implemented 1994)
o 1995 migration to Spectra© - our first experience with “integrated”
property management software (financial and property management);
• Building Automation Systems (1998-2004)
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
HNHC Cloud-Based Information Technology Systems - 2016 Inventory
1. Yardi© Voyageur 6.08 - Property Management Software
2. Ameresco© Asset Management
3. Building Automation Systems (17 LHC and NP sites + wireless)
4. Halogen© Talent Management Software
5. Salesforce© (Customer Relationship Management
Software)
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Yardi© Voyageur Property Management Software
• 2001 – Received Yardi© as a Provincial “parting gift”
• Migrated to Yardi© Voyageur – Cloud-Based (2006)
• Moving to latest version (7s) in 2016
• Benefits – Financial information and historical work orders (16 years),
and automated/archived rent calculations, RTA Module
• Construction Module to manage Capital Jobs (Budget to Actual)
• Added service for non-profit management agreements
• Competitive edge in NP Property Management RFPs
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Ameresco© Asset Manager
• Purchased for all local housing providers
by our CMSM
• Asset Management for Capital Planning
• BCA Consultants – RFP required
consultant to populate Ameresco
database with all building element
information from 5 housing corporations
into program
• CMSM has access to all data for capital
planning and funding purposes
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Building Automation and CCTV Video Systems
a) Front Door Card Access for Tenants b) CCTV Systems (Second Stage Housing and some buildings) c) Solid Waste/Waste Water Pumping Station Monitoring d) Remote Door Opening (i.e. Cable Company access) e) HVAC Systems Monitoring f) Boiler Systems Monitoring g) Roof De-icing Cables h) Sanitary Line Flushing i) Exterior Lighting (Daylight Savings Time Changes)
• Benefits –Monitor building systems from office/iPad (after
hours), troubleshooting ability for faster service response
• Added service for management of NPs
• HNHC and 3 Non-Profits currently on-line
IT Systems Supporting Business
Transformation
Halogen© Talent Management Software
• Transforming to a Collegial Coaching Culture
• Job Description Management
• Daily Coaching and Performance Management
• Self/Performance Appraisal Documents
• Training and Development Management
• Career Management
• 3600 Coaching / Notes
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”. Bill Gates • In 2011 a tenant filed an Application to the LTB and during the Hearing
demanded that the housing corporation provide all case management notes
regarding their complaints
• A Customer Relationship Management Software Solution for tenant
information/issues management was needed
• Looked at 3 software products that were affordable
• Qualified under the Salesforce© Foundation
o Software licensing costs are $1,100 (U.S.) per year
o Consultant design costs were $25,0000 CDN (less than $1,000 per year since)
o Staff have been able to implement basic modifications to the program
Salesforce ranked by Forbes Magazine five years in a row (2010-2015) as one of the
World’s Most Innovative Companies
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
On working with an iPad: “I was conducting (housing) business on the hood of my car.” Janet Earl - Residential Services Manager - HNHC
Platform: The Cloud Hardware: iPad© and Mobile Technology SaaS: Salesforce©
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Salesforce©
• Tenant Issues and Case Management are organized in categories:
o Social Housing Legislation
o Social Issues
o Tenancy General
o Tenancy Termination
o Centralized Waiting List (Offer History)
o General (Board Members, Contractors, Relationships)
o Landlord Tenant Board
• MS Outlook© Add-In for sending and e-archiving tenant e-mails
• Future task management (transferable to new staff members)
• Board Member – Term Expiry, Training, Issues
• Contractor Issues – Bans, Performance Issues
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Mobile Device Access to: 1. Tenant Maintenance Communications/Status of WOs - Historical tenant and HNHC communications - Work Order management 2. Issues and Case Management Status Reports (over 100 pre-populated template matters) 3. Emergency Contact Information (Next of Kin, Executor/Executrix) 4. Building Information - Fire Safety Plans and Building Floor Plans - Emergency Preparedness Plan, Business Continuity Plan - Tenant Insurance Documents for Each Building
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Business Process Improvements
1. Landlord Tenant Board Hearings
- outstanding maintenance issues submissions by tenants are verified on-line
during LTB Hearings and have been dismissed by Adjudicators if the request is
not logged in Salesforce
- Reduction in LTB Hearing adjournments to research outstanding maintenance
matters
- Adjudicators are allowing the instant verification of this tenant defence
2. Knowledge, Issues and Case Management
- issues and cases are documented on a daily basis
- generate a PDF for legal submission to document housing corporation actions
(insurance, legal etc.)
- Knowledge management repository
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Strategic Drivers for the Continued Investment in Information Technology Systems
1. Employee Engagement, Retention and Recruitment
2. Improving Customer Service – Staff, Tenants, Contractors, Agencies
3. Continuous Improvements in Business Agility/Lean Management
4. Knowledge Management and Dissemination
5. Business Intelligence
6. Corporate Growth–Professional Property Management Organization
7. Portfolio Growth and Diversification
(a) Amalgamation/Aggregation of Non-Profit Housing Corporations;
(b) New development Opportunities (i.e. Investment in Affordable Housing);
(c) New business/revenue opportunities;
(d) Shared service opportunities with other housing providers.
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Future Information Technology Considerations
1. Yardi© Voyageur 7S (Property Management Software Enhancements)
(a) Mobile Unit Inspections, Mobile Work Orders
(b) Electronic Funds Transfer (A/R and A/P)
2. Salesforce© Expansion (Reporting and Business Analytics)
3. Internet of Things
4. Unit IT Communication Tablets (communication tool for maintenance
requests, complaints, e-communications etc.)
5. Client access to account information (accounts receivable ledger, status
of outstanding maintenance work orders)
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
The Business is Digital
“Many companies, already reeling from the impact of technology
and the changes they need to make in response, find themselves
temporarily overwhelmed – some even paralyzed as they absorb
the magnitude of the tasks ahead,” the report says. “But once
they’ve paused for breath, they’ll need to start changing their
products, their business models, and all of the processes that
support them . . . the business is digital, so the organization, its
people and its culture must now become digital too.”
Accenture Technology Vision 2016
https://www.accenture.com/t20160129T053101__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/Accenture/Omobono/TechnologyVision/pdf/IT-
Tech-Trends-Technology-Vision-Exec-Summary-2016.pdf#zoom=50
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
We strive to be a “steamroller”, and are grateful to the following who have supported us along the way:
• Our Shareholders: Haldimand County and Norfolk County
o Thank you for allowing the Haldimand Norfolk Housing Corporation in 2001
to remain an autonomous, stand-alone housing corporation which gives us the
business agility to manage, to the best of our ability, a complex, social housing
business model;
• Our HNHC Board of Directors
o Thank you for your early “leap of faith” and continued support in investing in
IT solutions for our organization;
• Our Staff Members at HNHC
o Thank you for your support and enthusiastic embrace of the IT tools you use
in your daily and sometimes 24 hour work.
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Thank you! Questions? Resources: Accenture Technology Vision 2016 – High Performance Delivered https://www.accenture.com/t20160129T053101__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/Accenture/Omobono/TechnologyVision/pdf/IT-Tech-Trends-Technology-Vision-Exec-Summary-2016.pdf#zoom=50 How Canadian Companies Can Stay Ahead of Digital Disruption https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/2016/03/stay-ahead-digital-disruption.html Three Reasons why CRM and Cloud Computing are Critical to Your Business Growth https://www.salesforce.com/ca/blog/2016/04/CRM-for-growth-and-customer-success.html Yardi© www.yardi.com Salesforce© www.salesforce.com Ameresco Asset Management© http://www.assetplanning.ameresco.com Halogen Talent Management© http://www.halogensoftware.com
IT Systems Supporting Business Transformation
Contact Information
Christine Brutin, AIHM, CIHCM
Chief Executive Officer
Haldimand Norfolk Housing Corporation
Unit 2 – 25 Kent Street North
Simcoe, Ontario
N3Y 3S1
519-426-7792 x 111
IT Systems Supporting Business
Transformation