From good to great: transforming customer experience for a growing housing association

Can customer experience improve as organisations grow?

Since it was formed through the merger of three housing associations, Karbon Homes has grown steadily, building a portfolio of around 35,000 affordable homes for leaseholders, freeholders and tenants across the North East of England.

Five years in, the leadership team took a step back to reflect on how the organisation was evolving. Karbon was doing many things well, but what would it take to move from being a good housing association to a great one?

That question sparked the Good to Great programme and a decision to seek external support for the first time at scale. Following a competitive tender, Karbon chose Baringa as its transformation partner, drawn by our cross-sector experience and our people-centred, tailored approach.

Getting clear on the real challenges

The first step was gaining clarity. Working closely with Karbon’s leadership team, we ran a rapid, organisation-wide discovery process to understand what customers and colleagues were really experiencing.

A clear picture emerged. Customer journeys were fragmented, digital adoption was low and colleagues were navigating outdated systems and unclear processes. This was creating fragmented customer experiences and limiting the benefits of digital channels. Only five per cent of repairs were being logged through the customer portal and fewer than a third of customers were actively using it. While commitment across teams was high, it wasn’t a sustainable way to operate, especially at scale.

This shared view of the challenge created agreement on the need for change and momentum to act.

Building a transformation roadmap

Continuing to work closely together, we developed a bold, three-year transformation roadmap spanning both customer-facing and enabling capabilities. This included contact centres, the customer portal, service charge setting, damp and mould processes, and the foundations needed to support them.

More than 100 people across the organisation became involved. Importantly, the work was designed and delivered as a single, cohesive programme rather than a set of disconnected initiatives. By taking this approach we were able to shape and understand the inter-connected ways this change would impact the organisation.

Delivering differently to create momentum

Delivery on this scale had never been attempted before, so a new approach was needed to ensure impact from the programme. We helped introduce Agile ways of working for the first time, bringing squads, sprints and regular review cycles into the organisation.

This represented a big shift in culture, but the benefits were quickly felt. Eight squads began delivering in parallel, hitting key milestones within the first quarter of the programme. Communication improved, decision-making sped up and teams began to build confidence in new ways of working that emphasised pace, transparency and accountability.

Initial phases of the programme saw digital adoption rates rise to 40% along with the launch of two new digital channels for customers to interact with Karbon.

Preparing for the next chapter

As delivery gathered momentum, the focus also began to shift beyond the immediate roadmap. Karbon started shaping a longer-term service vision – looking out five years and further. This included exploring how modern housing management platforms and suppliers could help future-proof operations and reduce reliance on legacy technology.

A stronger foundation for the future

Today, Karbon has a clearer, more connected view of how to improve customer and colleague experience at scale. With a clear roadmap, new ways of working and increased confidence in delivery, the organisation is better positioned to grow and at the same time deliver a better experience for customers and colleagues alike.  

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