Microsoft Dynamics, Why Housing Associations Should Avoid It

If you’re considering Microsoft Dynamics as your first choice for sorting out issues with your housing association system, my advice is don’t!?

In my eyes, the fact that a lot of housing associations are buying Microsoft Dynamics and plan on using it for their housing repairs management is a mistake.

To start with, Dynamics products provide a generalised out-of-the-box solution that does not focus on the requirements of property repairs and the need to manage and schedule operatives in real time. Instead, third-party products must be used.

This means that Dynamics might not be the most cost-effective solution for housing associations, as it can require complex integration and support of software between multiple vendors.

There are several other product limitations when it comes to using Dynamics, these include:

• Whilst Dynamics is a completely configurable product, it is not a bespoke piece of software designed to handle a specialist target market. It does not have the rich built-in repairs and scheduling functionality that the ROCC products offer. For example, the field services scheduler requires a certain amount of manual planning and is not a true real-time dynamic scheduler.
• Despite it being possible to integrate Microsoft Dynamics with other software solutions, there is nothing like the ROCC Contractor portal to enable an organisation to easily outsource and manage work sent to a third party.
• Microsoft Dynamics also has a steep learning curve, especially for non-technical staff, as the user interface has low discoverability and learnability. This means that many useful features are not used, which can lead to increased training time for employees and reduced efficiency.

In terms of the negative impact it has on housing repairs management specifically, Dynamics 365 can be complex to implement and customise, particularly for those who are not familiar with the platform.

Where we’ve seen places implement Microsoft Dynamics, they have had to rely upon outside help from Dynamics consultants because they do not have in-house skills to build the system themselves.

Also, the consultants are not familiar with the repairs management sector, and this all has a considerable impact on cost with long project timescales and significant investment in training required.

Why you should choose ROCC instead

The ROCC suite of products is aimed at finding the best way to manage repairs and scheduling. This is based on a strong foundation of years of experience working in the industry and with our customers.

ROCC offers a superior service for housing associations that is focused on the specific needs of the industry. It provides a tailored solution with features such as real-time operative scheduling, outsourcing of work to contractors, tenant repairs portal and asset management capabilities.

An advantage of choosing ROCC over Microsoft Dynamics is the exceptional customer service provided by the ROCC team. Our service desk staff are well-versed in the unique challenges faced by housing associations and are readily available to assist with any issues that may arise.

This dedication to customer satisfaction ensures that housing associations using ROCC can maintain smooth operations and effectively manage their housing repairs with minimal disruptions.

To find out more information about how ROCC’s superior product range can support you, get in touch with a friendly member of our team today.