HousingIS: Comprehensive Procurement Solutions for the Housing Sector

Roger Jameson , Director

Information systems play a crucial role in enabling housing providers deliver quality services effectively to their tenants and stakeholders. Few housing providers have the in-house expertise required to procure or implement an efficient IT system. This is where Housing Information Solutions (HousingIS), a procurement specialist steps in. Armed with an in-depth understanding and experience of the IT housing market in Australia and New Zealand, the company assists community housing organizations in making an informed choice in procuring software to support their ongoing growth and deliver professional services.

Being a vendor independent consultancy, HousingIS offers specialist advice and guidance in the review, procurement and implementation of information systems to the social housing sector. “Our key differentiator is our extensive expertise in the provision of information systems and housing business consultancy for social housing organisations in Australia and New Zealand,” states Roger Jameson, a Director of HousingIS. The company offers an extensive range of services including guidance and strategies for software procurement, conducting IT service provider market assessments, preparing business cases and requirements specifications, systems reviews, systems evaluation and project management.

HousingIS has successfully completed a wide range of procurement projects for some of the largest community housing providers in Australia including Bridge Housing, Junction Australia, Unity Housing, Argyle Community Housing, Foundation Housing, and The Housing Trust among others.

Ian Simpson, GM of Corporate Services, Junction Australia expounds, “When Junction Australia was grappling with the need to analyze its business requirements and run the procurement process; the company put its trust in HousingIS industry and system knowledge.”

HousingIS has already achieved sustained growth and has become the number one housing systems consultancy in Australasia

HousingIS managed the procurement process in its entirety, defining business requirements, compiling a comprehensive suite of tender documents, analyzing responses from suppliers, managing the evaluation process and negotiating with the preferred supplier to ensure that Junction Australia could prove to its Board that it had undertaken a thorough due diligence process.

HousingIS has already achieved sustained growth and has become the number one systems consultancy for 7of the top 10 community housing providers in Australia.“Because of our proven market knowledge and our in-depth understanding of our customers’ needs, clients increasingly approach us. We have a reputation for doing what we say we will do,” adds Roger. “Since our inception in 2007, we have been providing on-going system consultancy to the ACT government and have achieved proven efficiency savings through our work.”

To help support housing providers implementing a new information system, HousingIS provides training in Train the-Trainer techniques. These are designed to equip IT Project teams in understanding, developing and delivering excellent training.

By exhibiting and presenting at major conferences such as the Australian National Housing Conference, State Conferences, and peak body events such the Power Housing Conference in Australia and the Community Housing Aotearoa conference in New Zealand, HousingIS is successfully familiarizing people with its approach and benefits. The company expanded into New Zealand in 2015, and is involved in a range of systems related projects in response to the government’s policy of transferring social housing ownership to community housing providers.

The company also develops web applications to enable community housing providers provide greater access to their services. Designed to add value to core housing systems, its Request-a-Repair product is a web based interactive software application which enables clients with limited maintenance knowledge to quickly identify and log a repair request over the Internet. Along with this, it improves accuracy of work requests and simplifies work order processes.

The company has also recently entered into a partnership agreement with a UK company specializing in the development and supply of web based applications. “Through initiatives such as these, we are leveraging opportunities from our existing community housing clients in Australia and expanding our services through channel partnerships,” Roger concludes.