Document Creation at Housing Associations: Couldn't It Be Much Simpler?

We’ve taken on the challenge of improving document creation. Drawing on our experience with housing associations, we’ve developed a solution that simplifies the process from document creation to document distribution. It’s based on proven technology for automatically creating, personalizing, and distributing documents. But for me, the real value lies primarily in the way we’ve designed that technology: based on the day-to-day realities of housing associations. In short, we started by addressing the challenges employees face every day.

Suppose: Work is scheduled on a number of homes.

The ERP system contains information about which units and tenants are involved. That information can therefore serve as the basis for communication right away. The system automatically determines which message is needed based on factors such as location, unit type, or specific amenities. This means employees no longer have to search through various systems or files themselves to make the right selection. The data that is already available serves as the starting point for communication.

An example? Consider maintenance work where only the even-numbered house numbers—or, conversely, only the odd-numbered ones—are scheduled. Even this kind of selection has become part of the document creation process. It is precisely these kinds of cleverly designed details that make a difference in practice.

The next question is: How do you plan to get the message to the tenant?

For many people, email is a given. Others prefer to receive information on paper. Especially at housing associations, it’s important not to force everyone to use the same method. A document can therefore be sent from the same process to the desired channel: email, print, the mailroom, an external processor, or the digital archive. This way, communication can be tailored to the tenant’s preferences, without requiring an employee to go through a separate process for each channel.

Microsoft Word is a familiar tool for creating letters and other communications. That’s convenient, but there’s also a downside. Because if everyone creates their own documents in Word, eventually everyone will develop their own way of communicating. Some people write in more detail, others use a different format, and there’s always an old version of a template floating around somewhere.

In our solution, a Word template serves as the foundation, but the process surrounding it is managed. Required fields ensure that important information is not omitted and that standard elements are structured in a uniform manner. This preserves Word’s flexibility while making the surrounding process much more manageable.

Then there’s another topic that’s important in document creation: digital accessibility. A PDF that looks neat isn’t automatically accessible to everyone. For blind and visually impaired people who use a screen reader, for example, the underlying structure is important for understanding what’s being read aloud. With PDF/UA as our starting point, we’ve therefore made “accessibility for everyone” an integral part of the document process.

With our solution, we have ensured that every tenant can understand and use the information provided by their housing authority. What’s more, it requires far fewer steps in the creation process for housing authority staff and ensures a consistent approach to communication. The fact that we are thereby contributing to responsible tenancy—with fewer steps, fewer errors, and more attention focused on the tenant—is ultimately what matters most.

Please contact us if you'd like to know how this might work in practice. Or you can also read my related article that appeared in the CorporatieGids.