Calderbrook Housing Group / BB-Demo – Check In
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Calderbrook Housing Group: documents · 2025-11-20 10:15
New Director of Digital and Data Craig Oduya said the group is consolidating data onto an in-house Microsoft platform and reviewing the brain against it. He declined to discuss commercials or commit on renewal, and asked for exit position in writing.
What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26New Director of Digital and Data Craig Oduya said the group is consolidating data onto an in-house Microsoft platform and reviewing the brain against it. He declined to discuss commercials or commit on renewal, and asked for exit position in writing.
What happened: Craig, about three weeks in, set out a mandate for one in-house platform on the Microsoft estate. The brain is being reviewed against it. Helen Marsden was clear the direction is Craig's, not hers.
Customer view: Craig asked what BB-Demo holds if the contract ended, and wants a written data ownership note and a usage picture. Helen needs source lineage for every board pack figure to survive any move.
Commercial: Tom Ashdown cited Growth, forty seats, term to 1 Sep 2026 and £44k a year. Craig would not discuss commercials or commit on renewal, and wants to meet early in the new year.
Watch: Day-to-day health looks good, with no open tickets and invoices up to date. The risk sits with a new senior sponsor who is not a current user.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Theme
In-house platform review
Importance
renewal
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
decision-maker
Who was there
BB-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Esther Quaye to send Helen the data ownership note and usage picture by the end of next week, and open the arrears ticket today.
- Tom Ashdown to arrange a meeting with Craig early in the new year, after his mapping.
- Tom to confirm price and terms against the order form before anyone quotes them.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- The Growth subscription is being mapped against an in-house Microsoft platform and the new director would not commit on renewal.
- The sponsor driving the review is not a day-to-day user of the brain.
- An exit position was asked for in writing, so the data ownership note must be accurate.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- Because the brain runs in the customer's own Snowflake account, data and models sit with the customer, which supports a strong exit and ownership answer.
- Helen's reliance on the repairs and tenant calls join for the board pack is a concrete value case.
Transcript
Tom Ashdown NoneMorning, all. Can everyone hear me alright?
Helen Marsden NoneYes, loud and clear. Morning, Tom.
Esther Quaye NoneMorning, I can hear you fine. Craig, I think you're still on mute.
Craig Oduya NoneApologies. Morning. Can you hear me now?- Tom Ashdown NonePerfect. Right, no drama, let's get going. How's everyone's week been? Helen, I know it's board paper season for you.
- Helen Marsden NoneIt is. The pack goes out at the end of the week, so I've spent most of it chasing one repairs figure that I want to be comfortable with before it leaves my desk. But it's under control. Thank you for asking.
- Tom Ashdown NoneGood, good. And Craig, you're what, three weeks in now? Settled?
- Craig Oduya NoneJust about three weeks. Still learning where everything is. There's quite a lot of surface area.
- Tom Ashdown NoneI bet. Well, Esther's got the running order, so I'll hand over.
- Esther Quaye NoneThanks, Tom. Good morning again, everyone. Just so we're aligned, I'll start with the tickets, because that's how I always begin. There are none open at the moment, and none raised in the last month, so nothing high priority and nothing waiting on us. I've logged that. Invoices are all up to date on your side too, so thank you for that.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat matches what I see. The team hasn't needed to come to you for anything.
- Esther Quaye NoneGood. On usage, you've got around nine people active on a typical day, which is up on the previous quarter. You're licensed for forty on Growth, so there's plenty of room. And the nightly refresh has been landing before the working day starts, as far as I can see. Helen, does that match what your team's finding?
- Helen Marsden NoneIt does. The analysts open the brain first thing and the arrears and complaints data is there. What I'd say is that the piece we lean on most is the join between repairs tickets and tenant calls. That's what gives me the board-ready picture. In the board pack, section four, the repairs completed in target figure comes straight through it.
- Esther Quaye NoneThat's really helpful to hear. I'll note it.
- Tom Ashdown NoneCraig, anything you've picked up so far? Helen's been the day-to-day on this, obviously.
- Craig Oduya NoneYes. Let me set out where I am, so we're all working from the same picture. My mandate is to consolidate the group's data onto one platform, built in-house, on the Microsoft estate we already run. One platform, fewer suppliers. We're building that capability in-house. So everything that touches data is being reviewed against the platform strategy, and that includes the brain.
- Tom Ashdown NoneRight. Okay. That's good to know, and thanks for being straight with us.
- Craig Oduya NoneIt's not a criticism of anything. It's a sequencing question.
- Esther Quaye NoneCan I ask what the review actually looks like? Just so we're aligned on what you'd need from us.
- Craig Oduya NoneMainly a mapping exercise. What each supplier does, where the data sits, what overlaps with the platform. And then, what's our exit position? If a contract ended tomorrow, what do we hold, and in what shape?
- Esther Quaye NoneThat's a fair question, and honestly I think it's one we can answer well. Because the brain runs inside your own Snowflake account, the data and the models sit with you, not with us. But I don't want to wave my hand about, so I'll write it up properly. Each connector, where it lands, what format, and what would stop working if we weren't there.
- Craig Oduya NoneThat would be useful. In writing.
- Helen Marsden NoneCan I add something? The board will ask where the figures come from. Whatever the platform ends up being, I need to be able to show the source for every number in the pack. At the moment the brain gives me that. I'd want that lineage to survive any move.
- Craig Oduya NoneUnderstood, Helen. That's a requirement I'd put on the platform, not on a supplier.
- Helen Marsden NoneI'm only saying so it's on the record. And so there's no confusion, the platform direction is Craig's, not mine. I'm happy to help test it, but it isn't my plan.
- Craig Oduya NoneThat's accurate. Helen's been generous with her time.
- Tom Ashdown NoneCan I ask, Craig, where's the Microsoft estate at the moment? Is it already holding much of the data, or is that still to come?
- Craig Oduya NoneEarly. Documents and mail are in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. The rest is a roadmap, and I won't pre-empt it today.
- Tom Ashdown NoneNo, fair enough. And just so everyone's got it in front of them, you're on Growth, forty seats, and the term runs to 1 Sep 2026. Price is £44k a year, though I'd want to confirm that against the order form before anyone quotes it.
- Craig Oduya NoneI've seen the contract. I won't be discussing commercials today, and I'm not making any commitment on the renewal. That would be premature. The review comes first.
- Tom Ashdown NoneAbsolutely, no pressure from me. Let's get something in the diary for after the review's had a first pass, so we're not chasing you.
- Craig Oduya NoneReasonable. I'd rather meet once I have the mapping done. Early in the new year.
- Tom Ashdown NoneLeave that with me. I'll send something round.
- Helen Marsden NoneOne small thing, while I have everyone. The rent arrears total in section six of the board pack and the figure in the housing management system don't quite reconcile for the latest month. I think it's timing on the extract, but can you show me the source?
- Esther Quaye NoneYes, of course. I've logged that, and I'll chase engineering today. Since nothing's been raised formally, I'll open a ticket on your behalf so it's tracked, and I'll come back to you with the lines and the timing.
- Helen Marsden NoneThank you. I'd rather have the figures than an explanation.
- Esther Quaye NoneUnderstood. Figures first.
- Tom Ashdown NoneCraig, is there anything you'd want to see from the brain in the meantime? A usage picture, say, for your mapping?
- Craig Oduya NoneA usage picture would help. Who asks the questions, how often, which connectors carry the weight. I'd rather work from facts than impressions.
- Esther Quaye NoneI can do that. I'll include it with the data ownership note so it's one pack. Is that alright, Helen? You may want to look at it first.
- Helen Marsden NonePlease. I'd like to see it before it goes further, just so the numbers are right.
- Esther Quaye NoneOf course. I'll send it to you first, then, and then it's yours to forward.
- Craig Oduya NoneThat works. Anything else on your side?
- Tom Ashdown NoneNot from me. I think that's us. Thanks, everyone, I appreciate you being so open, Craig.
- Esther Quaye NoneThanks all. I'll send the note and the usage picture to Helen by the end of next week, and the ticket today.
- Helen Marsden NoneThank you, Esther. Speak soon.
- Craig Oduya NoneThank you. Goodbye.
- Tom Ashdown NoneCheers, all. Have a good one.
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