Automating Gas Servicing: A Case Study from L&G Affordable Homes

Starting from Scratch: Vision and Principles 

Back in 2019, the L&G team recognised that customers were unhappy with service delivery, particularly around transactional services like gas servicing. The ambition was clear: use technology and data to remove inefficiency and friction, and create a more seamless, automated experience for both residents and stakeholders. 

Core design principles included: 

• Engage staff across the business in the design and operation of new processes. 

• Focus on “good enough” rather than perfection, to avoid technical debt and keep the system adaptable. 

• Build for compliance from day one, especially in data flows and assurance. 

• Ensure the solution could evolve over time. 

The Solution: A Modular, Automated Platform 

The result was a cloud, based, end, to, end housing management solution built on Salesforce, integrating best, in, class external tools where appropriate. Key features included: 

• Development and Asset Management Modules: Capture asset data from the outset, with a robust hierarchy (scheme → neighbourhood → building → core → asset → component). 

• Component Catalogue: Two, tier system (group and model) for detailed asset management, lifecycle costing, and servicing frequencies. 

• Customer Portals: Residents and suppliers access only the functions they need, ensuring a secure and user, friendly experience. 

• Automated Gas Servicing Flow: 

  • System automatically contacts residents 60 days before a gas certificate expiry, prompting them to book an appointment. 

  • Residents can respond directly, and their availability is passed to suppliers, who schedule and confirm appointments. 

  • Reminders and nudges are issued if no response is received, escalating only in the final two weeks. 

  • Once a job is complete, certificates are validated automatically, updating compliance records without manual intervention. 

  • Dashboards provide real, time compliance, escalation, and operational reporting. 

Customer Experience: Making Compliance Frictionless 

At the heart of this transformation is the resident. The automation aims to remove jargon and reduce anxiety about compliance. Residents are empowered to book appointments at their convenience, receive timely reminders, and can easily view their compliance status and certificates via the customer portal. This transparent, frictionless approach helps build trust and ensures safety without the stress. 

Supplier and Contractor Engagement 

One of the major challenges was not having direct control over the supply chain. L&G’s model relies on management providers who contract with external suppliers, making real, time integration and data consistency a challenge. Clear communication, robust data sharing protocols, and close collaboration with partners are essential to maintaining the integrity of the automated process. 

Data Governance and Security 

With sensitive resident and compliance data managed in a cloud, based system, data protection and cybersecurity are critical. The platform’s single source of truth and structured data flows ensure regulatory compliance and make it easy to provide auditable records. Data governance is an ongoing priority, underpinning trust and efficiency. 

Regulatory Context 

The automated approach is designed to support compliance with statutory obligations, such as annual gas safety checks under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Automation also aligns with the new consumer standards under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, providing timely, auditable evidence for regulators and ensuring that safety remains paramount. 

Measuring Success and Benefits Realisation 

Success is tracked using a blend of compliance rates, customer satisfaction scores, first, time access rates, and reductions in manual intervention. The three Cs of benefit realisation are always in focus: 

• Customer Experience: Making life easier and safer for residents. 

• Commercial Value: Driving investment efficiency and value for money. 

• Compliance: Reducing risk and supporting regulatory requirements. 

Lessons Learned: Data, Change, and Human Factors 

Building the system was only half the battle. L&G’s experience highlighted several key lessons: 

• Data Quality Is Everything: Migration from legacy systems required significant data cleansing. The architecture only works if data flows consistently from development through to asset management and compliance. 

• People Resist Change: Even with excellent tech, staff often wanted to keep old habits, like shadow spreadsheets. Change management was as challenging as the technical build. 

• Supply Chain Complexity: With a fully outsourced model, L&G relies on management providers who contract directly with suppliers. This indirect relationship creates challenges in achieving full automation and real, time integration. 

• Configurable vs. Controlled: The platform’s flexibility is both a strength and a challenge , too many bespoke requests can dilute governance and focus. 

Cost and Value 

While exact costs are hard to quantify, the strategic decision to build an in, house, highly configurable platform , rather than relying on off, the, shelf solutions , was made to ensure adaptability, long, term value, and a bespoke fit to L&G’s unique operating model. Value for money is reflected in increased efficiency, better compliance, and improved customer experience. 

Continuous Improvement and Next Steps 

Since launching in August 2023, L&G has achieved about 60% adoption, with thousands of repairs and servicing cases flowing through the platform. The system has processed millions in payments and is steadily moving toward full migration. 

Looking ahead, the focus is on: 

• Increasing direct control over supplier data and processes as scale grows. 

• Continuing to enhance automation and data insight, including pilots for humidity tracking and predictive diagnostics. 

• Embedding a culture of data governance and change readiness across the business. 

• Leveraging data for predictive analytics , for example, anticipating missed appointments or repairs needs based on customer behaviour. 

Lessons for Others: Practical Tips 

• Automation is not just a technical project , it’s an organisational transformation. 

• Start with clear design principles and build for adaptability, not perfection. 

• Invest in data architecture early to ensure long, term compliance and insight. 

• Prioritise change management as much as system build , people need to trust and adopt new ways of working. 

• Scale and supply chain control are essential for unlocking the full benefits of automation. 

• **Engage end users early and test with people outside of housing management