The workplace is changing. You may remember office life when you had photos on your desk, a strict nine to five workday, a big beige computer with a clickety keyboard and a long queue at the photocopier (which was always out of ink!). Digital technology has changed all that. it is revolutionising not only the way we work, but the way we live too, and agile, responsive workspaces are an integral part of that change.

Modern Housing Associations also recognise that their tenant’s lives are changing. They expect an increased level of customer service, as they are used to being able to access information and services online quickly and at whatever time suits them. Tenants may prefer to communicate using apps like Facebook or WhatsApp and this familiar technology should be shaping the way we engage with our customers in the future.

Ensuring Housing Association employees have the right skills and are able to adapt to emerging technologies is also a crucial part of the equation. People are the most valuable asset of any organisation and in order for employees to do a good job, they need the right tools, the right support and the right workplace culture.

So, it becomes clear that there are two equal areas of investment here – technology and people. Housing Associations can no longer treat technology and people investments as two separate activities. It is by bringing together both elements that we build tomorrow’s businesses and enable people (and customers) to thrive within them. Homeworking, mobile working and flexible working hours are set to become the norm and Housing Associations need to trust their staff to do a great job – wherever they are located.

New technologies support this aim with Cloud-based technologies making the filing cabinet back at the office a relic of the past.

If Housing Associations are serious about delivering great customer service, employing gold standard workplace practices and maximising economic outcomes, choosing the right digital technologies, with the ability to grow with you into the future, is definitely the place to start.

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