Digitalization of Processes
Digitalization is becoming an increasingly important topic, both within the company and in terms of our interaction with customers. Standardization and simplification will allow us to improve our processes while freeing up staff and saving money, time and natural resources. Making our business processes more digital opens up new opportunities but also exposes us to new risks, such as the possibility of violating data protection requirements. We monitor these risks on an ongoing basis and take action whenever necessary (see Information Management and Data Protection).
For this reason we continuously review our processes in different divisions to identify areas that could be improved. We have already introduced digital tenant and personnel files, along with a digital technician portal.
Remote working has been given a boost by the coronavirus pandemic. We are making greater use of collaborative digital tools and software than before. Digitalization is opening up a number of avenues that we can use to manage our portfolio more efficiently. Almost all of the elevator systems in our buildings send reports to the technology center in real time (see project box). This information is used to provide an overview of statistics, reports and data on a digital platform. Internet of Things (IoT) technology makes it possible for us to make data-based decisions, while also enabling us to analyze the condition of our elevator systems remotely and effectively. Remote monitoring of our central heating systems will also be rolled out in 2022. This technology will enable us to improve the carbon footprint of our buildings, while also making it easier to rectify faults thanks to a significantly improved reporting chain (see project box “Reducing Carbon Emissions and Cutting Costs – the Heating Monitoring Pilot Project”).
We are also using digitalization to improve our processes and develop new ideas when it comes to our relationship with our tenants. Our customer service department uses systems to automatically categorize customer requests to make sure they are directed to the right person. This enables us to respond more quickly and more precisely to inquiries from our customers. Our updated tenant app improved our communication with our tenants. The app makes a number of processes easier for our customers and our employees to manage. It has also improved our sustainability performance by reducing the amount of resources that we use (see Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality).
We are also taking digital steps in the area of financing and have initiated the financing of a fully digital bond via an online marketplace (see Appeal on the Capital Market). We are committed to using digitalization in order to increase the efficiency and standardization of our business processes. This will provide a solid foundation for us to meet new challenges and react to developments in future.
We ramped up our efforts to digitalize our internal processes in the reporting year. We began using SuccessFactors modules in our HR department and digitalized HR processes such as reporting absences due to illness. Digital working has been expanded, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic (see Attractiveness as an Employer).