In focus – John Buckland – Solutions Principal
John is a Chartered Building Surveyor and was a real estate manager for as US retail bank for four years and a partner in a private practice firm for ten years before moving into asset management software in 1995. Over the years John has been directly involved in software development, project management, implementation consultancy, marketing and sales.
What is your role in MRI?
In my role as Solutions Principal, I have both hands-on practical asset management experience and over 20 years of asset systems development from guiding the direction of MRI’s Asset Management solution.
My role is to create and own the Asset product roadmap, identifying and prioritising new areas of functionality. To do this, I keep a close ear to the ground to identify market trends at an early stage and to ensure the best use is made of the latest technologies. I work closely with MRI’s product owners and development teams to realise his short- and long-term product ambitions and with marketing and sales to launch and promote them.
I am in the privileged position to be regarded as a thought leader for asset management, both within MRI Software and externally. My recent blogs have featured Compliance, Active Asset Management and Fixed Assets. (links to these will be added).
What was your most memorable recent client project?
I have been involved recently in helping Blackpool Coastal Housing to implement MRI Housing Asset Management. Implementation is normally something done by our consultancy team, but it has been good for me to have direct involvement in a project and to understand both the client’s and our own challenges. It has led directly to some suggestions for the short-term product roadmap.
Your sector tech-predictions for 2021?
2020 was a year dominated by Covid-19 and the tech sector was heavily involved in solutions helping clients maintain and enhance their contacts with their customers. This theme has carried forward into the Housing White Paper which, along with the forthcoming building safety legislation will bring a focus on data quality and data availability through the “Golden Thread”. This will mean innovation in the use of AI and IoT alongside much-improved systems integration, providing that elusive “single version of the truth”.
What are your aspirations this year?
To be a big part of spreading the word about the great range of solutions MRI have for the social housing market and to lose a few more pounds before my daughter’s wedding in the summer.
And finally… a fun fact about you
I’m a Spurs supporter if that helps and I follow international cricket. At other times, I tried to go to one or two test matches or ODIs a year.
John’s published articles:
- Blog – How to take a strategic view of your housing stock
- E-Book – How an Asset Management Solution can support your organisation strategically
- Blog – How can an organisation measure social impact?
- Case study – ForHousing transforms the way its assets are managed
To contact John, please email: social housing@mrisoftware.com
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