Many companies buy a ready-to-use business system and adapt their processes to the system. AF Bostäder has instead chosen to design its own system from scratch. Thanks to strong engagement internally in the development work, the system is powerful, easy to use and liked by both customers and staff.
AF Bostäder’s system, called Diremo, was launched in April 2016 and is adapted to handle everything from properties, maintenance plans and renovation projects to the rental process, payments and the customers’ service matters. AF Bostäder has built Diremo in-house in order to provide the organisation with the best possible support and not be limited by standard functions.
“For a company of our size to develop its own business system is quite unusual, but it gives us enormous benefits,” says Emmy Dahlskog, Operations Development Manager at AF Bostäder. “We can now let the requests and needs of the organisation fully shape the design of our system and our functions. Diremo is unique to us and, among other things, is important to enable us to manage the major annual movements of students at our properties.”
AF Bostäder has a small IT organisation that manages work on Diremo along with external consultants, but everyone within the company participates in the further development of the system. The development work is based on prioritisation meetings at which a steering group discusses requests and proposals submitted from within the organisation. The different ideas are then prioritised according to value and customer benefit.
“The continued development projects are conducted in close cooperation with the part of the organisation that has submitted a proposal for changes and those who will be using the new functions, for example caretakers or colleagues at the Service Centre,” says Emmy Dahlskog. “It means that the design of Diremo has a direct connection with the operations, and that we can ensure that new functions are both easy to use and good for our customers.”
When new functions are to be introduced, selected users and system administrators are responsible for evaluating, compiling feedback and reporting, so that the functionality can be fine-tuned.
“In addition to following up, the selected users are also tasked with having a higher level of familiarity with Diremo’s functions and helping and instructing colleagues, when required,” says Emmy Dahlskog. “This ensures that IT does not become an isolated unit that issues directives to the rest of the organisation. Instead, IT is integrated into the entire company, and everyone has responsibility for keeping the system at its best.”
By logging in to AF Bostäder’s website, customers can, among other things, submit fault reports, follow inspections, check their agreements, get rent notifications and book laundry times. The entire rental process is also digital. All with the assistance of Diremo.
“The structured and uniform working method also means that we can handle all cases consistently,” says Emmy Dahlskog. “When a case has a specific workflow with clear rules, we can ensure that all customers are treated the same.”
“The work on Diremo has led directly to a strong sense of solidarity and an increased understanding of each other’s duties. No one implements changes without it relating to what colleagues at the company do, and we often receive proposals that benefit several processes. Everyone has a considerable sense of engagement, as well as pride, in what we achieve together for our customers,” says Emmy Dahlskog.
Latest update June 26, 2024