For many councils and housing associations, launching a new resident repairs management platform can take years—leaving call centres overwhelmed, costs rising, and tenants frustrated with outdated processes. But for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) and BD Group, waiting wasn’t an option. They needed a system that could cut manual processing costs, improve first-time fix rates, and provide tenants with an easy way to report and track repairs—and they needed it fast.
In just 12 weeks, LBBD went live with Made Tech Repairs, a fully integrated and user-friendly repair reporting service. This rapid delivery proves that with the right partners, modernising housing repairs reporting doesn’t have to be a long, costly process.
From discovery to live in just three months, LBBD’s new digital repairs service includes:
- Seamless integrations with existing housing management and scheduling systems
- A streamlined tenant experience that makes reporting easy
- Live status tracking so tenants can monitor repairs in real-time
Compared to the industry norm—where implementations are often slow, expensive, and overcomplicated—our work with LBBD and their housing repairs subsidiary BD Group, has set a new benchmark for speed and efficiency.
High adoption, less admin, happier tenants and service centre staff
Before launch, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham tenants suggested that only 15% preferred using LBBD’s digital channels to report their repairs. However, research by BD Group indicates since launching Made Tech Repairs that number has risen to 69%.
This shows that the demand for digital services was always there and just needed the right solution to unlock it.
In the first three months, 3,000 repairs were processed online, significantly reducing admin for the contact centre team, who would have otherwise handled these requests manually.
And tenants are loving it too, with an NPS score of 4.2/5 and positive feedback like:
🗣 “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to book an appointment via the LBBD website.”
🗣 “It saved me from waiting in a queue on the telephone.”
🗣 “10/10 – can’t believe how easy it was.”
With the new online system, repairs can be reported anytime, anywhere—and with 42% of requests being made outside of standard working hours, you can see just how important it is for LBBD to offer an accessible, 24/7 service.
For London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, this isn’t just about convenience; the shift in service delivery has provided immediate, tangible results and cost savings for the council.
Giving tenants more visibility and control
Beyond reporting repairs, tenants are also using the system to check repair statuses, reschedule appointments, and cancel bookings—all without calling customer service.
Status tracking and self-service rescheduling—powered by integrations with LBBD’s HMS and scheduler—are helping reduce unnecessary follow-ups and giving tenants more control over their repairs.
It’s time for a different approach
The results we’ve been able to achieve for LBBD and their tenants proves that housing providers don’t have to settle for slow and costly implementations.
With the right approach, partners and technology, it’s possible to go live in months, not years—without cutting corners.
If your organisation is stuck in implementation delays, overwhelmed by costs, or struggling to deliver a seamless tenant experience, maybe it’s time for a different approach. Get in touch.
