Client Spotlight

Citizen Housing: Enhancing Asset Management Efficiency

Citizen Housing, a leading social housing provider in the UK, manages a diverse portfolio of 30,000 homes across the West Midlands, ranging from urban tower blocks to rural cottages. With an active development programme adding over 650 new homes each year, the organisation is committed to enhancing its social housing services. However, Citizen Housing faced several significant challenges in managing its extensive property portfolio.

Their asset management systems were fragmented and manual, causing inconsistent data and poor real-time visibility, which made strategic decisions difficult.

Existing tools were insufficient for meeting energy efficiency regulations and compliance standards. Additionally, outdated technology slowed field inspections and data collection, impacting property condition tracking and compliance.

Choosing MRI Asset Management

To address these challenges, Citizen Housing chose to implement MRI Asset Management, a cloud-based solution tailored for social housing organisations. This decision was driven by several key factors:

Unified Platform: MRI Asset Management integrates housing management, finance, and compliance systems, resolving issues related to fragmented data and manual processes.
Comprehensive Energy Management: The system includes tools for carbon reduction planning and scenario modelling, supporting Citizen Housing’s goal of improving energy efficiency across its property portfolio.
Mobile Capabilities: Field staff can conduct inspections and surveys more efficiently, both online and offline, significantly enhancing the speed and accuracy of data collection.
Robust Tools: MRI Asset Management offers essential tools for risk assessments, compliance tracking, and reporting, helping to meet regulatory requirements and maintain high standards.

Realising the Benefits

Since implementing MRI Asset Management, Citizen Housing has experienced significant improvements. The system led to a 45% increase in completed weekly site surveys.

Neil Warne, Stock Condition Systems Manager at Citizen Housing Group, noted,

“The system’s flexibility, especially its mobile features, has made field inspections and surveys more efficient, simplifying asset management tasks.”

Integration with existing systems has ensured consistent, accurate data across departments, boosting decision-making and operational efficiency. The energy management tools have improved analysis and performance of properties, aiding in meeting energy efficiency goals and making informed energy investments. Additionally, the comprehensive reporting tools and dashboards have streamlined compliance record-keeping and report generation, reducing administrative workload.

Transforming Operations

Key features of MRI Asset Management have transformed daily operations at Citizen Housing:

Mobile Inspection Capabilities: Field teams can now perform inspections and surveys more efficiently, whether online or offline. This flexibility has greatly improved the speed and accuracy of data collection.
Integrated Data Management: The integration between MRI Asset Management and other systems has streamlined data management processes, reducing the risk of errors and improving the consistency of information.
Advanced Reporting Tools: The solution’s reporting and dashboard capabilities provide a comprehensive view of asset data, facilitating better monitoring and management of property performance and compliance.

“MRI’s approach to integration with other effective products means we don’t need to reinvent the wheel, ensuring that our asset management system works efficiently with other tools.”

— Neil Warne, Stock Condition Systems Manager, Citizen Housing Group

Positive Impact on Operations and Service Delivery

The improvements in operations and service delivery have been notable. The increased efficiency in site surveys and data management has allowed Citizen Housing to better allocate resources and address maintenance and compliance issues more promptly. With enhanced data accuracy and reporting, Citizen Housing has been able to provide better service to residents, ensuring that property management and compliance are handled efficiently.

The adoption of MRI Asset Management has proven transformative for Citizen Housing, significantly enhancing asset management processes. With improved compliance, and better data management, Citizen Housing is now better equipped to manage its property portfolio and achieve its operational and regulatory goals.

“We’ve used MRI Asset Management now for several years and we see it as a compliment to our housing management system.”