Calderbrook Housing Group / BB-Demo – Check In
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Calderbrook Housing Group: documents · 2025-12-04 09:30
Helen Marsden, attending alone, chased an arrears figure that does not reconcile to the housing system, reported broader use across her team, and disclosed that a senior colleague is reviewing the brain alongside one in-house platform.
What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Helen Marsden, attending alone, chased an arrears figure that does not reconcile to the housing system, reported broader use across her team, and disclosed that a senior colleague is reviewing the brain alongside one in-house platform.
What happened: Helen joined alone and opened with the section four arrears figure, which does not reconcile to the housing system. Daniel Okafor offered a same cut-off side by side with source rows by the end of next week.
Customer view: More people are asking questions than in the summer. Her example was repeat repairs alongside complaint spikes, once two spreadsheets and an afternoon.
Commercial: Helen said the platform review is not her plan and wants a fair comparison. Daniel confirmed Growth, forty users, £44,000 a year, and the agreement running to 1 Sep 2026.
Watch: She needs board figures to keep reconciling, and her team's credibility goes with it.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Theme
Arrears reconciliation and review
Importance
renewal
Sentiment
mixed
Voice
champion
Who was there
BB-Demo
CRMmade from
Them
CRMmade from
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Daniel Okafor to send the arrears comparison at one cut-off with source rows by the end of next week.
- Daniel to send a one page summary of what the brain holds and which connectors it uses.
- Daniel to send Helen the wording of the repeat repairs example for approval.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- An in-house platform review sits alongside the brain, and the subscription runs to 1 Sep 2026.
- The arrears figure does not reconcile to the housing system and the board will ask about it.
- Helen attended alone, so the senior sponsor was absent from the conversation.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- Helen agreed in principle to the repeat repairs and complaints example being used as a value case at renewal, subject to approving the wording.
- Usage is broadening to more people on the Growth plan, with forty licensed users.
Transcript
Daniel Okafor NoneMorning, Helen. Thank you for making the time. I can see it's just the two of us. Was anyone else planning to join?
Helen Marsden NoneMorning, Daniel. Just me, I'm afraid. A more senior colleague had another commitment this morning. I'll explain in a bit. Before we start, can I begin with something I'm chasing? It's the arrears figure in section four of the board pack. It doesn't reconcile to the housing management system, and the board will ask.- Daniel Okafor NoneOf course, let's start there. Tell me what you're seeing, and I'll make sure I understand it properly before I say anything.
- Helen Marsden NoneThe brain gives me a total for current tenant arrears at the month end. The housing system report gives me a slightly different total for the same date. The gap isn't huge, but it's there every month, and I can't explain it to the board without the source. Can you show me the source?
- Daniel Okafor NoneThat's a fair thing to ask. Do you know whether the two totals are cut at the same time of day? The brain's figure comes from the nightly refresh, so it reflects the position as at the early morning, whereas a report run in the afternoon might include payments that came in since.
- Helen Marsden NoneHm. I hadn't separated that. The housing report is usually run by my team mid-morning. So yes, it could be later than the refresh.
- Daniel Okafor NoneIt might be nothing more than that, but I don't want to guess. Let me not claim it as the reason. What I'd suggest is that we take the month end, pull the brain's figure and the housing figure at the same cut-off, and put them side by side with the source rows. Then you've got something you can show the board.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat's what I need. Section four, with the source. I won't put a number in front of them that I can't trace.
- Daniel Okafor NoneUnderstood. I'll come back to you by the end of next week with that comparison, and I'll bring someone from our team who can walk the rows with you if it's easier to do it live.
- Helen Marsden NonePlease. Thank you.
- Daniel Okafor NoneNow, just to close the loop on something from last time. How is the team finding it? I remember there was a plan to get more of your analysts in.
- Helen Marsden NoneBetter, actually. We've got more people asking questions of it than in the summer. The repairs side picked it up once the duplicate jobs were sorted, and Paul has been helping the others. I'd say it's become a normal part of the week for a handful of people, which it wasn't before.
- Daniel Okafor NoneThat's lovely to hear, and Paul will be pleased you said it. Usage is up a little this quarter on our side, which matches what you're describing. Are the new people asking the same kinds of questions, or different ones?
- Helen Marsden NoneDifferent. Complaints and repairs together. Someone wanted to know which patches have repeat repairs and also a spike in complaints. That used to be two spreadsheets and an afternoon.
- Daniel Okafor NoneThat is exactly the sort of question it was built for. Would you be happy for me to take that example, with your say so, and use it when we talk about what the brain is worth to you at the renewal? It's much better coming from your own team than from me.
- Helen Marsden NoneYes, I think that's fair. I'd want to check the wording first, but yes.
- Daniel Okafor NoneOf course. I'll send it to you before it goes anywhere.
- Helen Marsden NoneRight. Now the other thing. I want you to hear this from me, rather than from someone else. A more senior colleague is looking at one in-house platform on the digital side, and the brain is being looked at alongside it. I want to be straight with you. It isn't my plan. I didn't ask for it, and I'd be lying if I said I'd pushed for it.
- Daniel Okafor NoneThank you, Helen. I do appreciate you telling me, and I'm glad it came from you. Can I ask what's driving it, as far as you know? Is it cost, or control of the data, or something else?
- Helen Marsden NoneI think it's a view that if you're already running a data platform in-house, you should be able to do this on it. Whether that's realistic, I honestly don't know. I haven't seen the details, and I'd rather not speculate.
- Daniel Okafor NoneThat's sensible. I won't speculate either. What I can do is be useful. If it would help your colleague, I can put together a plain description of what the brain does for you today, what it's connected to, and what it would take to reproduce, so the comparison is on facts.
- Helen Marsden NoneThat would help me. Honestly, I'd like the comparison to be fair. If it's better, then so be it. But the board-pack figures need to keep reconciling, and my team's credibility goes with it.
- Daniel Okafor NoneCompletely understood. And I'd rather you had the whole picture. Your agreement runs to 1 Sep 2026, so there's a good stretch ahead of us. There's no pressure from my side. I'd just like to make sure that whatever decision gets made is a well-informed one.
- Helen Marsden NoneAppreciated. Can you remind me what we're licensed for? I'm going to be asked.
- Daniel Okafor NoneYou're on Growth, with forty licensed users, at forty-four thousand a year. That's what the order form says and what's been invoiced, so those match. I'll put that in writing with the connectors you have, so you have it on one page.
- Helen Marsden NoneThank you. One page is exactly right. Anything more than that and it won't get read.
- Daniel Okafor NoneOne page, then. Is there anything else you wanted from today, before we run out of time?
- Helen Marsden NoneOnly the reconciliation. If I could have that before the next board pack is drafted, that would be ideal.
- Daniel Okafor NoneThen that's the priority. To recap: I send you the side by side of arrears at one cut-off with source rows by the end of next week, a one page summary of what you have and what it's connected to, and the wording for the repeat repairs example for you to approve. Have I missed anything?
- Helen Marsden NoneNo, that's it. Thank you, Daniel.
- Daniel Okafor NoneThank you, Helen. I hope the rest of your week is a calm one. Best wishes.
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