Comment: MRI

Colin Judd, Solutions Architect, MRI Software

After 20 years working in the sector, I’m looking at what providers can adopt to improve repairs and future gazing at the technology set to shake up the sector.

In the early days, the technology wasn’t up to scratch. Unthinkable things could happen, like if a device battery ran down then all the software would be deleted! It wasn’t fun.

We don’t have to worry about those problems anymore. However, if technology isn’t up to scratch, providers risk inefficiencies and under-serving residents.

Technology has evolved to a point where organisations can implement real-time tracking of operatives – and this should be utilised to ensure that they can harness maximum efficiencies for all involved. This isn’t about keeping tabs. What’s important is when an emergency is flagged, for example, the best person can get to that job.

At MRI Software we’ve introduced an ‘Uber-style’ service for repairs. This software notifies residents when an operative sets out, tracks them and establishes a real-time ETA; resident user experience can improve dramatically.

There are operational benefits too. Direct contact and real-time tracking between operatives and residents reduce costly ‘no-accesses’, saving an estimated £80140 each time.

The ability to integrate software with applications has revolutionised how services are delivered. It means optimum routes can be generated, giving operatives an improved work experience and offering a better service to residents.

I’ve also seen scheduling become much more intuitive over the past few years. Solutions can shuffle jobs with a 28-day priority window for those that don’t need an appointment. Often, these are the jobs repairing communal areas and can have a dramatic effect on the people that live there.

Good solutions can present these non-urgent jobs to the schedule every single day. When they can’t be completed, they roll over, ensuring organisations get the best from an operative’s time.

People keep talking about the Internet of Things. This will soon become a reality; new boilers will all have these technologies built into them. These machines should be able to flag faults to repairs software, as well as the parts that are needed to fix it, driving up firsttime fix rates.

Fuel poverty is a primary concern. Beyond the qualityof-life costs for residents, the inability to heat a home adequately will have a detrimental effect on them structurally. There are going to be serious issues.

The high cost of heating a home needs attention. It’s outside of provider or resident control. If you have to choose, you’re going to give the kids a jumper and put food on the table. These issues are going to result in increased repairs costs for providers and poorer living conditions for residents – a ‘lose-lose’ situation.

We’re currently looking at augmented reality solutions to understand how we can make this part of our existing repairs offering. This is the type of technology currently being utilised to conduct surgery across borders.

Remote repairs are going to become a reality for easy-to-fix problems. Augmented reality tools will allow operatives to talk residents through the remedy process remotely and in real-time, saving operatives time and providers a good sum of money. Using this technology, lesser skilled operatives can also receive training on the job, with expert operatives at hand remotely to guide them through the repair.

There are multiple challenges that our sector has to overcome. Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen how technology has helped us face these and I believe we can continue to rise to challenges to achieve the best outcomes for both providers and residents.