Change is Good

ONPHA Event Recap

By Mike Sederholm on Nov 20, 2016 in News

The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) held a three-day conference and tradeshow in Toronto earlier this month, focused on the theme “Let’s Grow Together.” More than 1,100 housing professionals, government representatives, community partners and service managers attended.

Yardi presented  “A Real-World Look at Technology in Social Housing,” an informative look at innovation. The room was completely full as Peter Altobelli, Yardi vice president of sales and general manager of Canadian operations, moderated a discussion about how technology impacts non-profits, how everyday tasks can be automated and how non-profits can maximize their return on investment in technology.

Panelists included Christine Brutin, chief executive officer for Haldimand-Norfolk Housing Corporation; Dana Farcasiu, supervisor of technical services for Renfrew County Housing Corporation; and Wendy Duncan, manager of finance and administration for Stoney Creek Community Homes.

The session began with the topic of change management issues that arise with new technology adoption. Ms. Brutin noted how far their organization had come since computers first became commonplace in the work space in the early 90’s.

“We had a large mainframe computer that nearly took up its own room!” Ms. Brutin recalled. Haldimand-Norfolk successfully dealt with numerous challenges as the organization began to rely more heavily on computers as well as software solutions such as Yardi Voyager for Canadian Social Housing, which Haldimand-Norfolk began using in 2000.

Panelists discussed how automation has made their organizations more efficient, and helped them better serve their clients. Pain points such as missing case management documentation, disjointed information and lack of consistency in historic records were all cited as “defining moments”  that led to the decision of technology adoption by the panelists. Ms. Farcasiu added that “with the access to information, increase in productivity and reduction on downtime, with Yardi, I have been able to become a better manager.”

Mobile access and cloud solutions were cited as advances in technology. Ms. Farcasiu noted that all of Renfrew’s data became more readily available once their organization moved into a cloud-hosted solution.

“We are no longer bound to the office, which means everything is easily accessible on the (cloud-based) server,” said Ms. Farcasiu.

Ms. Brutin added: “Mobility is a primary driver of what we do right now. It is becoming business critical to do away with paperwork.”

Ms. Duncan shared:  “Having our environment hosted online puts data at our fingertips from any location, as well as reduces IT service costs.”

Panelists shared their experiences with implementing new software, particularly from the perspective of change management.

“Implementation not only includes a lot of trial and error, but also a real need to learn from mistakes. So, be sure to keep a log of what works and what doesn’t so that you don’t avoid repeatedly falling into traps. In addition, using test environments is very useful as you get more accustomed to using the software,” said Ms. Duncan.

The panel provided valuable advice to attendees on implementation, including the need to ensure proper staff resources are available and the option of hiring consultants to help manage the process.

The focus should be on getting ahead of employees’ fear of change, which can negatively impact an implementation effort. This takes patience and a plan. As Mr. Altobelli suggested: “You have to have a champion in the organization leading various elements of the implementation while making sure to alleviate that individual of some duties. This way the focus is on the implementation.”

The session concluded with a look into the future and all panelists expressed their excitement for forthcoming technologies and the possibilities that they promise – some examples included  smart phones, the internet of things, and 3D printing.

Anant Yardi, founder and president of Yardi Systems, sent a personal message to those in Toronto.  “My goal is the same as when I started the company. I want to create the best software solutions for property owners and managers. And I want the Yardi family of employees and clients to be leaders in the industry,” Mr. Yardi said.