Digital self service

Platform Features & Capabilities

Security & Accessibility: The platform was highly secure and built to meet accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA), ensuring compliance with legal requirements and inclusive access for all tenants.

Customisation & Branding: Social housing organizations could fully brand the portal to match their corporate identity, providing a seamless experience for their tenants.

Mobile-First Design: The platform was optimized for mobile devices, recognizing that many social housing tenants primarily access digital services via smartphones.

Analytics & Insights: Google Analytics was built into the platform, enabling housing providers to track usage patterns and optimise the tenant experience.

Multi-Channel Communication:

• Two-way SMS messaging between housing providers and tenants

• Web messaging functionality for ongoing communication

• Multilingual support to serve diverse tenant populations
  

Core Housing Services:

• Rent Management: Full rent account information and history

• Repairs: Self-appointment system for repair jobs, integrated with the housing CRM

• Anti-Social Behaviour: Tenants could raise ASB cases directly through the portal, with full case management in the CRM

• Complaints: Integrated complaints handling system
  
  

Payment Integrations: Seamless rent payment functionality through partnerships with AllPay and Worldpay, providing tenants with secure payment options.

Authentication: Social login capabilities via Auth0, making access easier while maintaining security standards.

CRM Integration: Full integration with Orchard's housing management system, ensuring real-time data synchronisation and comprehensive case management.

Successful Implementations:

• Futures Housing Group and Southern Housing Group successfully introduced self-service tenant portals from Orchard Information Systems, with subsidiaries Amber Valley Housing and Daventry and District Housing launching tenant self-service portals based on Orchard's Self Service Portal product. Self-service wins from Orchard at Futures and Southern housing groups

Award Recognition: Newydd Housing partnered with Orchard to deliver a digital self-service platform for tenants, with Orchard's Digital Self Service Platform improving tenants' online experience, streamlining internal processes and enabling customer services teams to work smarter, winning a TPAS Cymru award. Newydd Housing’s award-winning Orchard self-service platform

Corporate Transition: MRI Software acquired Orchard Information Systems in 2020, adding to MRI's offering for the UK residential market and providing innovation and scale to extend reach to the social housing sector.

This platform represented a comprehensive digital transformation solution for social housing providers, combining essential housing services with modern web technologies and communication channels, all while maintaining the security and accessibility standards required for public sector organisations.