Wales & West Housing Association: Streamlining repairs and income management_

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Key takeaways_

  • Reduced outstanding arrears through improved income management, giving teams greater visibility of risk and enabling earlier intervention.
  • Streamlined tenancy and financial management by replacing disconnected legacy systems with a unified BRIKHousing solution built on Microsoft Dynamics 365.
  • Improved operational efficiency and data visibility across departments, helping break down silos between housing, finance, lettings and property services teams.

 

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About Wales & West Housing Association_

Wales & West Housing Association (WWHA) manages more than 12,000 high-quality, affordable homes across 15 local authorities in Wales and were looking for a solution to address the challenges posed by their legacy systems.

Their challenge was to enhance tenancy management, which involves collaboration between Development, Lettings, Housing, Finance and Property Services Teams.

“The BRIK solution goes a long way to meeting our demands of an integrated housing management system and breaking through the silos of departmental operations.

Alex Stephenson

Executive Director - Technology and Transformation

The challenge_

Wales & West Housing Association (WWHA) were looking for a solution to address the challenges posed by their legacy systems. Their challenge was to enhance tenancy management, which involves collaboration between Development, Lettings, Housing, Finance and Property Services Teams.

WWHA encountered various operational challenges before joining forces with BRIKHousing. Their housing stock, which includes over 3,000 homes for older residents, needed a system capable of managing tenancies smoothly while also looking after rent accounting, service charges, and income management. Yet, their current systems lacked cohesion. Capita Open Housing took care of rent accounting, while repairs and communications were efficiently managed through Dynamics CRM.

This fragmentation led to inefficiencies, especially in income management, as housing officers focused solely on residents with the highest arrears, overlooking those who were most vulnerable to falling behind in their rent payments. Moreover, the housing officers required mobile access to tenant data, as many operated in regions with variable network coverage.

“Simply put people were waiting a long time to see updates and improvements come through the pipeline from the housing management systems. Something had to change.

Gavin Jones

Technology Portfolio Manager

The solution_

Infinity Group delivered a fully integrated housing management solution built on Dynamics 365, with the BRIKHousing system. At the heart of the solution was a custom rent engine that automated credit and debit processes while providing granular transactional visibility. This enabled housing teams to quickly understand a tenant’s current balance, monitor arrears status and access the information needed to make informed decisions.

To support the entire resident journey, the solution included end-to-end tenancy management capabilities covering every stage of the tenancy lifecycle, from initial application through to termination. By consolidating tenancy information into a single system, teams gained complete visibility of resident interactions and activities, helping improve collaboration between housing, finance, lettings and property services departments while reducing reliance on disconnected systems.

Recognising the needs of a geographically dispersed workforce, Infinity Group integrated Resco mobile technology into the platform, allowing housing officers to access resident and property information even in areas with limited or no internet connectivity. The solution was tightly integrated with Wales & West’s existing Dynamics environment and core business entities, ensuring familiar processes could be retained wherever possible. This minimised disruption for users, accelerated adoption and enabled a smoother transition from legacy systems.

The Infinity Group approach_

Rather than replacing every existing process, Infinity Group worked closely with Wales & West Housing Association to build on the Microsoft technology they already used. By extending their Dynamics environment and integrating the BRIK capabilities with core business entities, we delivered a solution that felt familiar to users while addressing the limitations of their legacy systems.

The project was shaped around the needs of multiple teams involved in tenancy management, including Development, Lettings, Housing, Finance and Property Services. Through a collaborative discovery and design process, we ensured the solution supported cross-departmental working and provided a shared view of data, helping Wales & West break down operational silos and improve visibility across the organisation.

Recognising the practical realities of managing homes across Wales, we also prioritised accessibility and flexibility from the outset. Mobile capabilities were incorporated into the solution design to support housing officers working in remote locations, ensuring they could continue accessing critical resident and property information regardless of connectivity. This user-led approach helped create a solution that aligned with the way teams worked, rather than forcing them to adapt to the technology.

“A big part of the reason for choosing a Microsoft Dynamics solution was that the technology landscape in the housing sector was quite stale. There were a lot of products that had been around for a long time and there was no innovation at all.

Gavin Jones

Technology Portfolio Manager

Outcomes and benefits_

BRIKHousing’s solution has made a remarkable difference. WWHA is now enjoying the advantages of:

  • Reduced arrears creep: Initial reports indicate a significant decrease in the rise of outstanding arrears, driven by more focused interventions. After implementing the Rent Accounting and Arrears Module total arrears dropped from 4.2% to 1.8%.
  • Enhanced data access: Housing officers can now easily access current tenant information from anywhere, making field operations more efficient.
  • Centralised financial management: All rent-related transactions are now managed in one place, making rent collection and financial oversight more efficient and streamlined.

WWHA has now taken the initiative to align their long-term strategy with BRIKHousing’s module roadmap. They look forward to incoming improvements in rent uplift, compliance and the management of anti-social behaviour, which will drive greater rewards in the coming months.

Ready to transform housing management?

Infinity Group helps housing associations modernise tenancy, rent and income management with solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. By replacing disconnected systems with a single, integrated platform, we empower teams with greater visibility, streamlined processes and the flexibility to deliver better resident experiences.

Discover the BRIK solution.

Speak to us about your housing management system requirements_

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