The importance of training in the adoption of digital services in housing companies
Six residents have gathered in the clubroom of As Oy Kruunaajapolku in Tapulikaupunki, Helsinki, for a training session to learn the use of One4all’s digital housing services. Although the number of participants is relatively small, some of the housing company’s residents had already attended a previous training session held earlier in the same week.
The housing company wanted to offer residents the opportunity for on-site training because it is adopting a comprehensive digital package: a digital notice board, a resident app, and a booking system with payment services. The training is led by Mikael Salo from One4all’s technical support/customer service, with the housing company’s board chairperson, Maarit Toveri, also present. Maarit is the main user of the system in the housing company and the organizer of the training session.
A housing company that knows its residents can anticipate training needs
But why is training necessary for the adoption of digital housing services? Shouldn’t these services be easy to use on their own? The range of users is as diverse as the housing companies themselves. While most people learn to use the services intuitively and through trial and error without special training, it’s important to consider the entire resident community and assess when training is needed. The most important thing is that everyone learns to utilize the service, and a housing company that knows its residents can assess the potential need for training.
“It’s important to recognize the needs of the residents. When digital services are introduced in a housing company, it’s a big new thing for the residents. The threshold for adopting the services on their own can be high for those who use digital systems less in their daily lives.
That’s why it’s crucial to have a concrete first experience together and with guidance. Especially if there are older people among the residents, it’s important to be able to discuss face-to-face and ask questions,” explains Maarit Toveri, the board chairperson.
Training establishes general practices
The residents in the clubroom are clearly impatient and want answers to their questions even before Mikael can start going through the training materials. The tone of the questions indicates that there is a need for the training.
What if the laundry room slot is not used, do we still have to pay? Why are the laundry room slots so long? Can you use the mangle while the washing machine is running? Can others enter the laundry room when my slot is in use?
Many of the questions actually relate to the housing company’s common rules and agreements rather than the technical use of the services. However, this doesn’t diminish the importance of the questions, as it’s also good to go through practical matters together. When common practices are clearly agreed upon, it’s easier to adhere to them. At the same time, the use of the services is reviewed with examples.
Digitalization is not yet a given for everyone – but everyone has the right to learn to utilize digital services
Once the initial flood of questions is over and the residents have familiarized themselves with the digital notice board in the stairwell, Mikael begins guiding them on how to log into the service platform. It’s again evident why the training was wanted to be conducted face-to-face: most of the residents who attended need hands-on help both in downloading the app to their smartphones and in getting started with it. The challenge is not so much with the service itself but with basic concepts like web browsers and apps – these are not clear to everyone, and they probably haven’t been explained to them before. We download the app together for those who need help, and move forward.
Mikael meticulously goes through the app’s user instructions. However, the most discussion arises about the current state of the housing company and issues such as the misuse of the laundry room, inadequate payments for sauna slots, and noise in common areas during quiet hours. It’s clear why the housing company wanted to adopt digital services – they help solve many of the aforementioned challenges.
The questions dwindle as the answers reveal the broader benefits of the services – payment service and booking fees, restricting laundry room access to those who have booked, and access to common areas during reserved times. After the training, the residents leave knowing comprehensively about the services and how they can use them. Some will certainly need time to get used to the services, but comprehensive information and answers have been provided.
“Implementation is slow and takes time. Therefore, it’s good to organize a shorter feedback and Q&A session for the residents after the initial training, where they can share their experiences and any remaining questions can be addressed,” Maarit explains.
With guidance, every resident can utilize the service from the start
The training session is a sign that the housing company actively wants to utilize the acquired service. Using the services is not difficult, but even technically capable residents often need practical information at the start.
There isn’t always a need for separate training, but it’s important to give residents the opportunity to ask questions and to communicate clearly about the housing company’s practices. It benefits everyone when effort is put into the implementation – it saves time in the long run by reducing the need to repeatedly answer the same questions, and most importantly, the residents learn to use the services from the start, easing the management burden.
This is an AI-generated translation of the original article in Finnish.