Case study · Real Estate & Property · Housing maintenance
Scaling Housing Maintenance with a Custom ERP
A UK heating-services provider replaced Access with a custom OFBiz ERP, connecting repair jobs, call-centre work, mobile task tracking and housing-service data exchange.
OFBizCustom ERPField ServiceHousing Maintenance
AI-generated concept interface with illustrative data. Actual client system not shown.
First release
3 months
Engineers managed
2,000+
Delivery team at scale
5 people
The situation
A growing repair operation had outgrown Access
The London-based company installed, repaired and maintained domestic gas and heating equipment across the UK. Its service portfolio covered 100,000 properties, working with housing associations and relevant government departments to serve tenants.
An MS Access and Microsoft SQL Server system handled job allocation and customer information for around 150 users and 170 repair engineers. As the business grew, database lock-ups, slow processing and limited web access constrained further development.
In January 2012, the company asked Shinetech for a broader system covering call-centre operations, task tracking, orders, suppliers and vehicle allocation. The initial target was at least 500 users and the management of 800 engineers.
The challenge
Expand the operating system while keeping service work moving
Replace a slow, increasingly constrained Access application with a system that could support more users and a larger engineering workforce.
Connect repair requests, customer records, field tasks and back-office administration instead of treating them as separate functions.
Provide continuing software development and support for a client without its own IT staff.
The solution
Use OFBiz as a configurable foundation for the service business
Shinetech recommended custom development on OFBiz, selecting and adapting modules from the existing open-source ERP framework to fit the client’s operating requirements. This approach used an established foundation to shorten development and testing.
The delivered system connected job descriptions and allocation, CRM and call-centre work, orders, suppliers, vehicles and system administration. Mobile task tracking and regular data exchange with housing associations and government departments extended the workflow beyond the back office.
OFBizCustom ERPField ServiceHousing Maintenance
Connected capabilities
Bring repairs, people and operational records together
Repair jobs and customer service
Describe and allocate tasks, manage customer information, and support CRM and call-centre operations.
Field work and resources
Track task completion through mobile access and coordinate the allocation of vehicles.
Back-office and partner data
Manage orders and suppliers, administer the system, and exchange data with housing associations and government departments.
How the work unfolded
Start with a small team, then grow with the operation
A dedicated project manager and developer worked closely with the client to understand its business and shape the initial system.
The first release was delivered by the end of April 2012, in the three-month delivery period described in the source case. The client gradually retired Access and moved to the new system.
The team expanded to a stable five-person group covering project management, UI/UX, development and testing, adding functions and improving usability as requirements evolved.
The source describes more than three years of collaboration with little change in the core project-management and development staff, retaining business knowledge throughout continuing delivery.
Key information
Technology and delivery context
Client context
UK heating-maintenance services provider working with housing associations and government departments
Services
Custom ERP development · Dedicated development team · Ongoing maintenance
Technology
OFBiz · Migration from MS Access and Microsoft SQL Server
Operational scope
Job allocation · CRM and call centre · Mobile task tracking · Orders · Suppliers · Vehicle allocation · Partner data exchange
The result
A larger service operation supported by one evolving ERP
At the point documented in the original case report, the system supported more than 1,000 users, including employees, tenants and landlords, and the management of more than 2,000 engineers. The figures below describe that historical engagement.
A working first release replaced the constraints of the original Access-based system and enabled a gradual transition.
The platform brought job allocation, customer service, mobile task tracking and back-office administration into the same system.
Regular data exchange connected service operations with housing associations and government departments.
A stable delivery team continued extending the product as the client’s service operation grew.
Is your service operation outgrowing its Access system?
Tell us how you manage repair jobs, customer requests and field teams, and which housing or public-service systems need to connect.
