Gravesham Borough Council’s successful journey to digital transformation

Gravesham Borough Council is a local authority based in Kent, UK with a portfolio of 5,700 socially rented properties.

Gravesham’s previous housing management system was coming to end of life and the team at the Council used the opportunity to take a deep dive into other software providers in the sector.

There were several requirements laid out in the change agenda, but the fundamentally Gravesham were looking for true digital innovation – platforms that provide intelligent customer insight and a quality digital experience, putting customers first. A resilient IT solution that transforms services and delivers a dynamic working environment for obvious cost and operational efficiency benefits.

The council chose MRI’s integrated suite of housing management solutions, wrapped in a hosted managed service. The line-up included MRI Housing Enterprise Web – with CRM, responsive repairs, ASB and home ownership solutions, MRI Mobile, Digital Self-Service, Document Management, Asset Management, Income Analytics, Service Charges and Reporting.

MRI developed 4 bespoke business processes for Estate Management, New Tenancy Visits, Welfare Checks and Tenancy Audits. A notable collaborative innovation resulted in the development of an editable letters solution specific to the council to support tenancy audits.

Gravesham have experienced greater ease and efficiency for recording information in one system. Jody Bulman, Service Manager at Gravesham Borough Council commented:

Officers are spending less time on admin tasks as they have a device that replicates most of the desktop functions for using out on estates. The ability to use the web-based services out on estates is a particular stand-out for us.

MRI’s team of product, development, consultancy, and project management were brought into the process, with an executive sponsor overseeing the project and regular intervals. Jody commented on her experiences of working with MRI,

The team at MRI are highly focussed and solution-orientated; offering positive and helpful solutions to problems and very easy to work with.

Gravesham Borough Council joined MRI at this year’s EMEA Ascend Client conference, which took place on the 7 Dec in London. Jody shared the digital journey the council have been on with MRI, with an exchange of lively audience Q&A from housing providers who are looking to embark on similar projects.

Look out for the full case study early in 2023!