Session overview

AI pilots are multiplying across housing property services – from surveys and damp and mould to contract management and asset planning. This session looks at what those pilots are teaching us: where AI could add real value, the challenges of moving beyond experimentation, and what a more AI-enabled property service might eventually look like.

This session brings together three different perspectives, combining strategic thinking with practical examples already being tested or implemented by housing providers.

Phil McCavish and Marco Mormone of Rannoch Associates will consider the bigger picture: what an AI-enabled housing organisation could ultimately look like, the core AI capabilities providers may need, and which activities are most likely to be automated or augmented. They will also share a case study of their use of AI for contract management and automated invoice verification in housing.

Andrew Bird of WA Chump & Sons will share lessons from his experience in implementing AI across different organisations, such as Clarion Group, particularly the challenges involved in moving from promising pilots to embedded operational use. He will discuss their AI approach to damp and mould, alongside other emerging applications including training, board reporting and subject access requests.

Dirk Huibers of Spotr will bring experience of applying AI directly to housing asset management. He will share lessons from the challenges of implementation using examples including his AI-supported property surveys, and his work with AI analytics for strategic asset management and investment planning.

Together, the speakers will provide a practical view of where AI is already being applied across property services and asset management, what organisations are learning from implementation, and where the next opportunities could lie.

Key takeaways

Participants will:

• Explore what an AI-enabled property and assets service could look like and the capabilities needed to support it.
• See practical housing applications across asset management, surveys, damp and mould, contracts and invoice assurance.
• Understand which property activities could be automated or augmented and where human judgement remains important.
• Hear lessons about moving from pilot to operational implementation, including the organisational and operating-model challenges.
• Consider the implications of AI for skills, roles, resources and costs within property services.
• Look ahead to emerging applications and how today's individual use cases could develop into more connected AI capability.

Speakers

Phil McCavish – Transformation Partner, Rannoch Associates

Phil is a senior business transformation specialist with more than 25 years' experience working with CEOs and leadership teams to deliver change in complex organisations. His work spans housing, infrastructure, technology, retail and financial services, with a particular focus on operating models, transformation and translating emerging technology into practical organisational change.

Marco Mormone – Senior Advisor, Rannoch Associates

Marco is a strategic advisor, investor and entrepreneur with more than 20 years' consulting experience across multiple industries and countries. His work focuses particularly on innovation, data science, new business models and operating-model transformation, combining technology with practical commercial outcomes.

Andrew Bird – Founder and CEO, WA Chump & Sons

Andrew is the founder of WA Chump & Sons, developing AI tools for complex operational, risk and decision-making challenges. His background spans technology, transformation, risk and regulatory compliance. His work in social housing includes applying AI to property information and damp and mould, with a particular interest in what organisations need to move successfully from experimentation into operational implementation.

Dirk Huibers – Co-founder and CEO, Spotr

Dirk is co-founder and CEO of Spotr, which uses AI to help housing providers understand the condition of their homes and make better asset decisions. Spotr's technology uses imagery and property data to assess building components at scale, supporting stock condition assessment, maintenance and investment planning.

Dirk has worked with housing providers including Clarion, Stonewater and SNG on practical applications of AI in property management. He will share what these implementations are revealing about both the opportunities and the practical challenges of embedding AI into asset management.