Transforming Housing Repairs in Just 8 Weeks with Dynamics 365
Revolutionising Service Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction in Property Management
⚡ Tl;dr
- Rapid Transformation: A2Dominion successfully revamped their Dynamics 365 Repairs system for housing repairs within an ambitious 8-week timeframe, focusing on improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.
- Integration and Data-Driven Approach: The project involved integrating Dynamics 365 with the contractor’s management system and implementing data-driven features like Schedule of Rates (SOR) for better prediction and management of future repairs.
When it comes to managing housing repairs, ensuring a transparent, efficient, and resident-centric approach is pivotal. At A2Dominion, we ventured on a rapid delivery, aiming to overhaul our existing Dynamics 365 Repairs system and processes all within an intense 8-week window. Our adventure, illuminated with lessons and triumphs, offers an insight for those delving into the intersection of Dynamics 365 and housing repair management.
🌐The Backdrop: Integrating Disparate Systems
Tasked with syncing work orders between our Dynamics 365 system and our contractor’s workforce management system, the integration aimed to offer more than just a data bridge. Managing thousands of work orders monthly, and managing numerous appointments, the objective was to streamline the repair schedules, minimise lead times, and augment our service delivery, elevating our first-time fix rate and improving customer satisfaction.
🔑Key Improvements
Streamlining Repair Processes for Enhanced Service Delivery While our previous system was functional, it had notable gaps in real-time synchronisation with our contractors’ systems and internal process efficiencies.
Recognising the critical need for timely repairs and the limitations of our customer engagement app in facilitating two-way information flow, we aimed to not just meet but exceed resident expectations. Our focus was on delivering services with heightened efficiency and transparency. To achieve this, we introduced several key improvements:
- Reporting Repairs: We integrated Work Orders and SORs with the M3 Reporting diagnostic tool, ensuring precise repair assignments and improving overall repair efficiency.
- Improved Inspections: Our inspection process has been revamped to be mobile-friendly and directly linked to work orders, enhancing both accuracy and accountability.
- Efficient Appointment Scheduling: We’ve upgraded our appointment scheduling system to better align resources with specific repair needs, significantly reducing wait times for residents.
- Effective Communication: A new unified timeline has been implemented to ensure transparent and coherent interactions between our staff and tenants.
- Automated Financial Processes: The automation of quote generation from work orders brings consistency and transparency to our billing process.
- Adaptable Variation Management: We’ve improved our approach to managing variations in service delivery, ensuring high-quality service while minimising tenant inconvenience.
🤝Partnerships
Collaborating with Redkite (Now Infinity), our Microsoft partner, we implemented the Redkite Repairs Dynamics 365 Accelerator app. Redkite worked in partnership with Manifest Software Solutions for their integration expertises, they were critical to helping us integrate with our repairs contractor. The partnerships formed in this project marked a transformation in how A2Dominion manage customer repair requests, work orders and repair outcomes.
📊Data-Driven Insights
With features like adopting Schedule of Rates (SOR) for work order raising, effortless appointment scheduling, and a visibility ribbon comprising over a dozen event types, the new system redefined our communication and operations across all service points.
Optimising the use of SOR codes allows us to harness historical data to predict and manage future repair scenarios better. Analyzing data from thousands of work orders, we could pinpoint patterns and inform our repair strategies, ensuring the right tradespeople are dispatched with the precise materials needed, aspiring to enhance our first-time fix rate within the next few months.
⏳A Timeframe Teeming with Tensions and Triumphs
The 8-week timeline, although delivering a minimal-bug go-live, was a cauldron of pressure and intensity, spotlighting that while robust planning and a stellar team can accomplish rapid implementations, a more balanced timeframe would offer a healthier, more sustainable project environment.
🔭Looking Ahead: Continuous Enhancement and Future-Proofing
With our eyes set on continual improvement, the horizon features integrations like auto-generating purchase orders in our Dynamics 365 finance system from work order quotes, thus knitting a tighter financial integration and process automation. Customer portal enhancements are also in the pipeline, aiming to empower our residents to report and schedule repairs, carving a path towards greater autonomy and user engagement.
💭Concluding Thoughts
This journey, both swift and passionate, unfolded realms of possibilities within the Dynamics 365 space, especially pertinent to housing repair management. It underlined the potency of clear vision, unwavering dedication, and cohesive collaboration among all stakeholders.
To fellow organizations embarking on a similar journey: Early engagement, lucid goal-setting, meticulous planning, and transparent, ongoing communication are your torchbearers. And while speed can deliver results, allow adequate time for a harmonious and sustainable execution, safeguarding both project and people.
