Caledonia Housing Association (HA) is one of Scotland’s leading providers of high quality affordable homes for people in housing need. A registered Scottish Charity, the organisation owns and manages around 5,000 homes in 8 local authority areas. Cordale Housing Association is a subsidiary of Caledonia HA owning and managing a further 512 properties in the Renton area of West Dunbartonshire. Caledonia HA employs 190 staff, spread across its various locations and partner organisations.
IT at Caledonia HA
Caledonia HA’s investment in IT systems, services and connectivity reflects its recognition of the importance of information in supporting continued growth and providing quality services to tenants. The Leadership Team wanted to ensure that management, staff and stakeholders have the correct systems and resources required to successfully deliver the business plan. Tullitec was therefore engaged to:
- Review the information and communications technology (ICT) systems and infrastructure.
- Identify issues, presenting options and make technology recommendations which will meet the operational goals of the business.
- Develop an IT Roadmap which provides Caledonia HA with a clear picture of where it is now, where it wants to get to, how it is going to get there and in what timescale.
IT Roadmap Development
Tullitec was engaged in the Autumn of 2019 and, using its IT knowledge, experience and leadership, worked with Caledonia HA’s IT function and management team to quickly identify and document issues, presenting recommendations and options to the Management Team.
The resulting roadmap comprised a number of key elements, including:
- introduction of ITIL-based IT service management techniques and tools
- IT staff recruitment and competency development
- introduction of cloud services, including Microsoft 365
- deployment of an electronic document management system (EDMS).
- optimisation of infrastructure, including the configuration of Aareon QL hosting.
- improved collaboration and coordination with external support service providers
- business continuity and security
- remote working
Next Steps
Caledonia HA began implementation of the road map in early 2020, supported by Tullitec. Despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 lockdown, progress has been swift, with the organisation already reaping the rewards of its new approach to IT service provision.
Testimonial
“As a geographically diverse Group of Housing Associations IT is critical in enabling us to provide homes and services that make life better for our customers . As a progressive charity we are constantly striving for innovative solutions that drive efficiency and provide value for money. Tullitec through their wide ranging assessment of our IT systems and arrangements were able to identify key areas for improvement and development , and then work closely with us on identifying the best solutions for these. Tullitec have been integral to our work over the past six months in progressing and implementing the identified system and service improvements that will strengthen our ICT platform and support the successful achievement of our business aims.”
(Garry Savage, Director of Strategy and Innovation, Caledonia Housing Association)