A new Microsoft Power App from Orbit Group to transform the management of utility meter readings for all housing providers’ homes has won a Microsoft UK competition.
Orbit is now working with Infinity Group to develop the app. Once completed, the Utilities Manager App will be available on Microsoft App Source for all housing providers to download and use.
The housing provider’s staff had the idea for the app when they were looking for a more efficient way to take meter readings, record bills from utility providers and allocate costs to customers in order to improve its previous time-consuming, manual processes. Once completed, the app will be available to be used on any phone or tablet by housing staff when visiting tenants’ homes.
Caimin Stafford, solutions specialist, Microsoft, said, “We had some excellent entries in the competition but Orbit Group’s Utilities Manager App is a worthy winner of the Power Platform Concept Competition for UK Housing. We are thrilled that this game-changing app will be brought to all UK housing providers.”
Lisa Odedra, lead solutions architect, Orbit Group, said, “Not only will this app offer housing providers a much more efficient way to carry out what can otherwise be a laborious process, customers will also get a much better and more accurate oversight of their utilities and associated costs.”
Sarah McRow, head of sales for housing, Infinity Group, said, “We are delighted to be supporting Orbit Group in bringing the Utilities Manager App to life. Not only does it showcase what Microsoft Power Apps are capable of, but also how housing providers, Microsoft and its partners can collaborate to develop a transformative solution to help the wider social housing sector.”
