Orbit is celebrating after being named as winner in three categories of the Housing Digital Innovation Awards 2024.
The categories were:
Best Digital Experience (Landlords): This award recognises Orbit’s multi-channel experience for customers which offers people a range of methods for contacting Orbit and managing their tenancy. This includes a 24/7 self-serve customer portal, customer chatbot, live chat and SMS service in addition to traditional contact methods. Orbit has successfully increased engagement levels with these channels, meaning that more customers can get the information and support that they need at a time and place to suit their needs.
Best Digital Innovation Team: Orbit’s Digital, Assurance and Training Operations Team scooped the award in this category for their work to manage and optimise Orbit’s multi-channel approach to tenant communications, utilising data and feedback to continuously improve customer experience. The team also delivers training to other teams to increase their understanding of the role they play in the customer journey and how teams can work collaboratively and dynamically with the customer in mind.
Best Asset Management Innovation: Orbit shared success in this category with partner organisation Parametrix. Working together, they have successfully created an innovative digital Building Information Model (BIM). Utilising techniques such as laser scanning, thermal drone surveys, and detailed fire risk assessments, sophisticated Digital Twins were created for each Orbit building. These 3D building replicas act as smart databases, which hold the ‘golden thread of building information’ for the estate including 2D plans, schedules, specifications and schematics following the ISO 19650 BIM standard – the international standard for managing information over the whole life cycle of a building.
Paul Richards, Group Director of Customer and Communities for Orbit commented: “As an organisation passionate about driving innovation to ensure that the customer is at the heart of all we do, I’m delighted that Orbit has been recognised in three categories where we are focussed on achieving just that. Investing in technology is a key aspect of enhancing our customer experience – empowering customers to manage their tenancies and access help and support using their preferred method. Asset Management is also an area notorious for using traditional approaches, but our work with Parametrix on delivering the Golden Thread is pioneering a new standard for asset management which allows us to better understand our buildings and keep people safe.”