Plymouth Community Homes

Review of the void process

Sue Shaw - Director of Homes & Neighbourhoods

Andrew Schofield - The Lean Partnership

Today’s presentation

• Background – Sue Shaw

• What is “Lean Thinking” – Andrew Schofield

• The Plymouth project – Andrew Schofield

• The outcomes – Sue Shaw

• Questions & discussion

It’s this way!

I think it’s quicker this way

I’m sure I’ve been here

before

No point hurrying –

everyone else will be ages

No idea what I’m delivering, I wonder

if it’s urgent?

The sooner I can get another job the

better….

Strange job…last week I delivered under-ripe fruit – this week, it’s fruit

that’s gone rotten….

Ooops..run out of fuel

again

“Where on earth is my delivery?”

“you told me that last week” “I don’t care that it’s gold-plated,

it hasn’t even arrived” “I won’t be using you again”

PCH - stats at project commencement: • 15,000 homes • 200 empty

• 20 new voids per week (up from 16) • 21 days repair / 20 days allocation ave

• Friction between departments • Pattern worsening, downward spiral • Significant changes did not “hold”

Had heard about Toyota and the Lean

methodology…

Thought I might be heading for this kind of Toyota….so

called in Lean Partners!

What is Lean thinking?

A synthesis of three improvement activities brought

together:

Quality - from analysing variation to managing using

PDCA

End-to-end - from creating value streams to managing

value systems

Learning - from learning by doing to everyone thinking

and doing

Lean Thinking

Win - win

Value for the Customer

in the Work

Quality

Cost

Time

More Services/ More Homes

Value for the Organisation

in the Results

Growth / Customer Satisfaction

Resources

Save Cash and resources

Investment

The true Win-Win-Win

The Seven Wastes

Overproduction

Defects

Waste (Non Value adding to product or service from the POV

of the Customer)

Unnecessary

Motion

Unnecessary

Inventory

Inappropriate

Processing

Movement

Waiting

Nominations

State of properties

Multiple visits

Waiting list

Multiple inspections

Spread sheets

Collecting material

Waiting for

tenants response

Maintaining

waiting list

Our approach • we identified a project team

• they defined their “lettings business”

• they defined customer value

• they scoped the review

• they mapped their existing process

• they identified their problems

• they designed a new process

• we supported them in the implementation of this

Their “lettings business”

To re-let empty properties to the agreed standard to the right people in a timely way at the lowest cost with

an efficient and motivated team

Customer value in the void process

? who’s the customer? the new tenant ? What do they value?

the sign up & keys ? How long does this take? an hour ? What does perfection look like?

back to back - no cost ? So what’s the rest? Yes -- Waste

What the team did:

• They scoped their process for a hypothetical case by: • Identifying each “trigger point” • documenting the activities • identifying the outputs

• They mapped their process: • at the point of activity • by talking to the process owner

• They identified their problems to identify: • the major wastes • the root causes

Our big picture map

Features of the original process • Lots of visits to the property

• Reactive

• Lots of steps

• Not customer focused

• Lots of checking, lack of trust

• Delays & duplication

• Lack of knowledge of stock

• Departmental priorities

• Lack of clear objectives

• Lack of the right information in the right place at the right time

Effects of the original process

• Wasted time

• Wasted money

• lost rent

• excess costs

• High workload

• Stress, pressure, frustration

• New tenant frustrated and not certain

Major changes

• Better use of the notice period

• More pro-active, more planning

• Real time measurement and problem solving

• Teams ( letting and repair ) co- located

• Holding outgoing tenants more accountable

The future – high level 0 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Advert

Accept

Sign Up

Offer

Rent

Plan

Survey

Work

Advert

Offer

Accept

Sign Up

Work

Rent

Plan

Survey

The future process

Customer /

Property

Customer calls -

Notice Lettings

Appointment

Devon Home Choice

Advert

Update board

Measure Target Actual

Real time

measures

Building & Technical Services

Offer

PVI

PLANNING

SOW

Sign out / Keys/

Plan

Do work

Update board

Housing Officer New

Customer

Nomination

Complete

Appt

Sign & Keys

View

Food for Thought Some Statistics The billion £ business

Rent Loss £100million • 25,000 homes at £4000 per year

Repair costs £400 million • 200,000 at £2000

Staff Costs £75 million • 3000 at £25,000

Local Authority Cost £400 million • 25,000 bed and breakfast nights at £45

Tenants Waiting, uncertainty, discomfort

What would the future look like if everyone halved their voids?

What we’ve achieved – so far! Plymouth Community Homes • reduced from 200 voids to 70 voids • reduced rent loss by £520,000 a year • no reduction in quality of home-to-let Tenants • more certainty; more support and preparation for tenancy; more choice; a positive

start to relationship with PCH • 130 more households in permanent homes Team • Huge feeling of achievement and control, through listening, co-designing and co-

operation. Inclusion of tradespeople in the solutions • No longer the “non-deliverers” – pride and satisfaction from doing well • Release of inherent potential • 20% more efficient, and more to come…….. • Confidence to tackle problems, and sustain improvement • Significant lowering of sickness levels

“We’ve tried everything” “If only they would…” “It’ll never happen”

“I’d never met you before, actually, you’re easy to work with!”

“I had no idea how many people were in the chain above me”

“I had no idea how my decisions affected the tradespeople”

“Look, the figures have gone down a bit!”

“We have the skills in this team???”

“We have the skills in this

team”

Oh Yes ! – In case you’re asking – now: • 15,000 homes (same) • 70 empty (was 200)

• 21 new voids per week (up from 16) • 11 days repair (was 21) / 10 days

allocation (was 20) ave • Co-operation between departments • Pattern improving, upward spiral • Significant changes embedding Further improvement confidently

expected

~ Our job ~ Our colleagues

~ Our mission ~ Our ability to deliver

~ Making our customers happy

Questions & discussion

Information

Andrew Schofield – The Lean Partnership

Email: andrew@leanpartners.co.uk

Telephone : (07977) 929570