Before upgrading your IT, ask yourself what you really need
In this brave new world of internet, intranets, emails, PCs, mobile phones and electronic personal organisers, it is easy to get confused. But staying on top of technology can help a housing organisation deliver to its clients and staff.

Pause for thought
Before making any changes, take a moment to consider whether they are really necessary. Don't just follow what other people are doing. Ask yourself:

  • How many hours a day do you really spend doing emails?
  • Could you have spoken to a colleague instead of writing them an email?
  • Do you need to pay the cost associated with using technology?
  • Will your IT and communications ever fully benefit your tenants?

Focus on your customers
Once you've decided to take the plunge and upgrade your system, look at what sort of changes you need. Don't restrict your technology efforts to your staff and internal IT systems.

Your tenants, too, have grown up understanding and living with technology, and they demand a certain level of competence and service. We all expect to have technology readily available to us in every shape and form – these days we pretty much demand it. Housing association tenants are no different.

Start by thinking from your tenants' point of view into your association rather than thinking from inside your association out. The only way to do this properly is to ask your tenants – and for that matter, your contractors and housing managers – how they feel you should communicate with them.

Digital watch
Among the most useful technology at your fingertips are the internet; ADSL, which stands for "asymmetric digital subscriber line", an internet service which is always connected and means you can make phonecalls on the same line while you are on the internet; and SMS, mobile phone short messaging service, which you are probably familiar with in its most basic form, text messages.

Get more fibre
It's all a matter of fibre: optical fibre that is, of the underground cable variety. There is enough fibre in the ground, but not yet being used, to zip super-fast information between all of us for years to come. In fact, only around 2% of the fibre laid is presently used. There are miles and miles of fibre along every canal towpath in the UK just waiting to be used.

The superhighway code
The internet and its associated technology have many uses and change fast. Plan for all possibilities in your IT strategy by following these simple rules:

  • Think ahead and plan systems that are adaptable. People that plan for multimedia now will be the main winners. But only plan technology purchases for the short term.
  • Learn about ADSL and SMS. They will be hot topics this year.
  • Always look for the outsiders' perspective into your organisation, not the other way around.
  • Use the telephone and talk to people as well as the using the internet.
  • Take advice from a variety of sources rather than only people who sell computers for a living. Seek out people who are capable of telling you both sides of the story. Don't get mixed up with what the manufacturers and salespeople want you to buy.
  • Only hand over your money after a hands-on working demonstration and always ask what is wrong about a product or service as well as what is right.
  • Finally, never be fooled by size when buying equipment and software. Big is not always best.