Local delivery

Our growing group enables us to move to more local service delivery meaning better services, more effective local partnerships, and greater efficiency. To help us achieve this we ensure that our homes are managed by the most local member association, and so as the Group grows we transfer stock appropriately.

Managing our supply chain

Our Group approach to supply chain management means we make savings of around £1.5 million a year. We look at whole-life cost, rather than just the lowest short-term costs, and involve our asset management and maintenance teams in setting up supplier arrangements.

Common policies and standards

As each member association has brought varying policies and standards into the Group, we are in the process of review and harmonisation, incorporating best practice from each member as well as the wider housing sector. We will rigorously measure our performance against both our own targets and best-in-sector organisations.

Sharing best practice: Orion

This year we introduced the Orion programme. Our aim is to establish, maintain and measure our success in achieving a comprehensive set of consistent service excellence standards for the entire Group. Our target is to achieve 90% consistent service standards across the Group by March 2010. This is a key part of our 2008-11 Group Strategic Plan.

This extensive programme involves customers, residents, stakeholders and staff to shape the future direction and priorities of service delivery.

Orion standards encompass our entire operations and this extensive programme involves all of our staff and affects how they manage relationships within the Group, and with all of our external stakeholders including customers, residents and partners.

The outcomes of previous assessments by the Audit Commission have informed our set of operational service standards for the Orion programme, as well as Quality Housing Services and resident feedback.

Our growing number of residents, and an increase in the number of subsidiaries delivering services, are other reasons why we are striving for greater consistency in our service delivery. Ultimately, Orion will ensure that all of our residents enjoy consistent, high-quality services wherever they live.

To enhance and validate Orion, we have developed a peer review process. This process aims to embed continuous improvement across the Group, offering a dynamic approach to analysis of service areas. Peer reviews can be flexible, dynamic and inclusive in their operation, relatively simple to initiate and manage, and deliver useful analysis of service provision. Each peer review will ensure that the three overarching service areas of value for money, equality and diversity, and access and customer care are considered.