I.T that helps, not hinders

“People often view technology as something that is enforced upon them, instead of having ownership of the systems used within their organisations.

At Osborne, we want our people to be in control of how they use our IT, and for them to genuinely feel it helps them to get their jobs done on behalf of our clients and customers.

This is as much about transforming individuals’ perception and use of technology, as it is about changing the systems themselves. We can have the best technology in place, but unless our employees are engaged with it, it is useless.

Currently, we’re making our technology easier to use, and ensuring that its ownership sits firmly within our business, and not with our IT department.

Each of our people interacts differently with technology – their job roles vary, and their brains work in different ways. That’s why we’re making it so individuals will be able to use our systems in ways that suit them.

We’re encouraging each and every one of our teams to consider what they’re trying to achieve on a daily basis, and how our IT could better provide them with the information they need to get there.

What data do they need access to, and in what order? What do they need to be able to understand before they can complete a job? Is any necessary information currently missing?

If there’re changes that could help them to do their jobs, they will have the power to alter their systems accordingly.

As part of this piece of work, we’re also giving customers greater interaction with our digital services in a way that better enables them to engage with us.

Everybody talks about digital transformation, and customers have come to expect organisations to provide online access to services. For us, though, this is more than a standard tick box exercise.

Our digital services are part of our wider engagement transformation strategy, and we are analysing where online engagement sits within the whole customer journey.

We’re working to link our online customer service systems into our clients’ systems, so it is easier and more convenient for customers to contact us at a point where they are focusing on their landlord’s services. For example, they will be able to report a repair when the log-in to their rent account.

Again, this is about understanding the different ways individuals want to engage with technology, and making it a seamless experience for everyone.

At Osborne, we recognise that using technology is a human experience, and to work for all of our people, clients and customers, our systems must be as individual as they are.”

Vickie Stevenson, Head of ICT and Applications, Osborne Communities